Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta® Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel for sensitive skin
Mandelic Acid
Glycolic Acid
Willow Bark Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceAverage
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Suitable for normal skin, this cleansing gel offers moderate exfoliation with mandelic and glycolic acids, and gentle pore cleansing with sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate, which is beneficial for overall skin health.
- While glycerin and sodium hyaluronate provide hydration, the formula lacks specialized ingredients to directly target your concerns of redness and irritation.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin, featuring soothing ingredients like aloe barbadensis leaf juice and bisabolol, and contains no harsh or prohibited substances.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser in the AM and PM routines every day. Start using it daily since your sensitive skin needs gentle care.
- Apply this first in your morning and evening skincare routine before toner and moisturizer. This clears away dirt without upsetting your skin.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using soft circles. Avoid any rough rubbing to keep redness away.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help it wash away impurities softly. Clean skin feels fresh and comfortable afterwards.
- Avoid getting the cleanser in your eyes and do a quick patch test before first use. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cleanser is highly praised for its deep cleansing abilities and pore refinement, leaving skin feeling soft and balanced, particularly for oily and combination skin types. Many users report smoother texture and reduced breakouts. However, a small number of users with sensitive or dry skin experienced irritation or purging, and some found the price point high for a cleanser.
Highlights
Deep clean Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves skin soft and supple”
- “cleans deep without drying”
- “face feels balanced”
Improves texture Often Mentioned
- “pores look smaller”
- “skin texture is smoother”
- “helped with blackheads”
- “glass skin effect”
Helps acne Sometimes Noted
- “cleared my cystic acne”
- “keeps breakouts at bay”
- “great for hormonal acne”
- “reduced blemishes”
Luxurious lather Sometimes Noted
- “lathers beautifully”
- “a little goes a long way”
- “feels silky on skin”
- “rich foam”
Expensive price Sometimes Noted
- “pricey for a cleanser”
- “too expensive to repurchase”
- “wish it was cheaper”
- “good but costly”
Can be drying Rarely Noted
- “dried out my skin”
- “left dry patches”
- “too strong for twice a day”
- “skin felt tight”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “gave me whiteheads”
- “caused a bad breakout”
- “skin reacted poorly”
- “too active for my sensitive skin”
Scent dislike Rarely Noted
- “smells like chemicals”
- “scent is off-putting”
- “weird smell”
- “fragrance is too strong”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, drdennisgross.com, cultbeauty.com, lovelyskin.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel work for sensitive skin?
This cleansing gel is safe and works for sensitive skin, though other products fit it better because it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target redness and irritation. A cleanser of this type needs effective hydrating and soothing ingredients like niacinamide and ceramide-3, along with a gentle, moisture-preserving formula that avoids irritation while maintaining skin health.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for sensitive skin?
This cleanser fits sensitive skin with soothing ingredients like aloe barbadensis leaf juice and bisabolol, which help calm the skin without causing irritation. To be an even better fit for sensitive skin, a product of this type needs effective soothing ingredients like niacinamide and ceramide-3 to target redness and irritation while keeping the skin soft and calm.
What does Mandelic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Mandelic acid is generally well tolerated by sensitive skin, helping to smooth roughness and improve firmness while keeping side effects low. It may also help clear acne and reduce dark spots effectively without being too harsh.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
What does Glycolic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Glycolic acid can be too harsh for sensitive skin, leaving it dry and irritated, so this type of skin needs a gentler exfoliating ingredient and calming plant extracts to keep the skin barrier safe and comfortable.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cleanser fits into both your morning and evening routine as a first step to gently wash your face. Because this skin needs extra care, a product of this type for sensitive skin needs soothing ingredients and calming plant extracts to keep the skin calm and comfortable.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by applying the cleanser first and following it with your retinol treatment. While this product is safe for sensitive skin, a cleanser for this skin needs extra calming and barrier-repairing ingredients like ceramides to prevent redness and keep your skin calm and smooth.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser may be used in your morning and evening routine once your skin is used to it, though a product for sensitive skin needs soothing ingredients like aloe vera and bisabolol and no harsh substances to properly calm redness and irritation.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin, as reviewer complaints about breakouts are low and it is safe for your skin. To better help with sensitive skin prone to redness and irritation, a product of this type needs specialized soothing and redness-reducing ingredients alongside gentle hydrators.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleansing gel is safe to use on your body, but you should avoid using it directly around the eyes. Sensitive skin of this type needs a gentle cleanser that is fragrance-free and formulated with extra soothing and hydrating ingredients to prevent dryness and irritation.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (farnesol) and drying alcohol (alcohol).
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Treatment with 45% mandelic acid peel showed nearly equal overall efficacy as 30% salicylic acid peel in patients with mild-to-moderate facial acne vulgaris, but with fewer adverse effects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Chemical peels using 35% glycolic acid, 20% salicylic-10% mandelic acid, and phytic acid reduce acne scores by 70.55%, 74.14%, and 69.7% respectively, and significantly decline the postacne hyperpigmentation index in Asian patients with mild to moderate acne.
Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 2019Commonly used chemical peels showed no significant differences in effectiveness for acne vulgaris in most comparisons, though combined salicylic and mandelic acid peeling was superior to glycolic acid and glycolic acid was superior to placebo, based on twelve randomized controlled trials.
BMJ Open, 2018Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017A botanical face cleanser with hops and willow bark extract continuously reduced skin sebum levels without reactive seborrhea after treatment in 21 healthy volunteers compared to a sodium laureth sulfate cleanser, with neither cleanser causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Bioactive lipid nanocarriers co-loaded with willow bark or ivy leaf extracts and UV-filters provided pronounced UVA photoprotection up to an SPF-equivalent value of 13 and a maximum in vivo skin hydration effect of 97% when prepared with pomegranate oil.
Nanomaterials, 2022A topical serum containing 0.5% salicin applied twice daily reduced visible signs of skin aging, including wrinkles and tactile roughness, in 30 female subjects over 12 weeks compared to baseline.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2010Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.
Skin Research and Technology, 2006
Why other cleansers fit sensitive skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A dexpanthenol-containing cream accelerated skin barrier repair, increased stratum corneum hydration, reduced skin roughness, and decreased skin redness compared to vehicle and untreated controls in sodium lauryl sulphate-irritated skin.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2002
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Propanediol, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Disteareth-75 Ipdi, Glycereth-7 Caprylate Caprate, Sodium Chloride, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Mandelic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Willow Bark Extract, Phytic Acid, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Citric Acid, Farnesol, Barosma Betulina Leaf Extract, Sodium Pca, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tremella Fuciformis Extract Mushroom Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Bisabolol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Alcohol, Sodium Phytate, Jasmine Leaf Extract Flower, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract Grape Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Stem Extract Flower Leaf Lavender Stem Extract Flower Leaf, Clove Flower Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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