La Roche-Posay TOLERIANE for oily acne-prone skin
Hexylene Glycol
Glycerin
Average
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- Low RiskSafety
Works for oily acne-prone skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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
- Offers moderate cleansing for your oily skin, as hexylene glycol and glycerin help remove impurities while maintaining hydration, though it does not directly address your primary concerns of acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- While the formula is generally safe and free from harsh ingredients, it lacks specific components to effectively control oiliness or target your breakout concerns.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it daily to help clear your breakouts.
- Apply this cleanser as the first step in the morning and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow it with your toner and moisturizer.
- Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help clean deeply and remove excess oil. This works best for oily skin types.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 60.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this moisturizer is a highly-rated favorite for sensitive, combination, and acne-prone skin, praised for its lightweight, non-greasy feel that effectively hydrates and soothes. A very common concern is that the product tends to pill or ball up on the skin, especially when layered with other products.
Highlights
Soothing for sensitive skin Mostly Mentioned
- “Only thing that doesn't sting”
- “great for damaged barrier”
- “no breakouts”
Pilling or balling Mostly Mentioned
- “Pills like crazy”
- “rolls off in little white worms”
- “can't wear under foundation”
- “ruined my sunscreen application”
Effective hydration Often Mentioned
- “Skin feels plump”
- “got rid of my dry patches”
- “keeps me hydrated all day”
- “soft velvety finish”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “Absorbs immediately”
- “feels like nothing on my skin”
- “perfect under makeup”
- “no oily film”
Fragrance-free formula Sometimes Noted
- “Zero scent”
- “doesn't trigger my migraines”
- “smells like nothing”
- “great for sensitive noses”
Not for dry skin Sometimes Noted
- “Need to reapply constantly”
- “skin felt tight after an hour”
- “not rich enough for winter”
- “better for summer only”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Cap snapped off”
- “leaked in my bag”
- “squirts out too much”
- “hard to control amount”
Stinging sensation Rarely Noted
- “Burned my face”
- “turned bright red”
- “stung for 10 minutes”
- “felt like fire on broken skin”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, ulta.com, target.com, lovelyskin.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does La Roche-Posay Toleriane Cleanser work for oily acne-prone skin?
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Cleanser offers moderate cleansing for oily skin by removing impurities while maintaining hydration, but it does not directly address acne, blemishes, or breakouts. To fit oily acne-prone skin well, a cleanser of this type needs soothing ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, probiotics, or salicylic acid to control oiliness and target breakouts without causing irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Hexylene glycol and glycerin make this cleanser a moderate fit by helping remove impurities while keeping your skin hydrated, but it lacks ingredients that directly address breakouts. Cleansers of this type need ingredients like niacinamide, ceramides, salicylic acid, or probiotics to properly control oiliness and target your acne concerns.
What does Water do for oily acne-prone skin?
Water helps keep oily, acne-prone skin hydrated without making it greasy. Keeping skin hydrated is important because acne treatments can dry it out and irritate the skin barrier.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser fits into your morning routine and your evening routine to help remove impurities while maintaining hydration. Because oily acne-prone skin needs a product that also targets breakouts and controls oiliness, this type of skin benefits from cleansers paired with ingredients that directly address blemishes.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying the cleanser first to remove impurities while keeping your skin hydrated before putting on your retinol treatment. A product of this type for oily acne-prone skin needs extra ingredients to control oiliness and directly target blemishes and breakouts.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine to wash away impurities without drying your skin. Because this cleanser does not directly target breakouts, oily skin types looking for better results also need ingredients that help control oil and target blemishes.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts since it has a safe formula, but it does not actively target or clear up acne for oily skin. A cleanser for this skin needs ingredients that control oiliness and directly treat blemishes to prevent breakouts effectively.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can safely use this gentle cleanser around your eyes and on your body, as the formula has a very safe profile. Because the skin around the eyelids is very thin, gentle cleansers like this are well-suited there without causing irritation.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying 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, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
Why other cleansers fit oily acne-prone 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 application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021A 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, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Hexylene Glycol, Glycerin, Poloxamer 184, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium Edta, Citric Acid, Bht, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide
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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