Paula's Choice Hydrating Gel-To-Cream Cleanser for oily skin
Glycerin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract
Lactic AcidAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for oily skin; other cleansers fit it better.
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
- Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 suitability for your oily skin as lactic acid provides mild exfoliation and glycerin offers hydration, though it lacks sufficient seboregulating ingredients for optimal oil control.
- The cleansing agents sodium cocoyl glycinate and cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine effectively remove impurities without stripping your skin, supporting your goal of reducing oily shine.
- The product is safe for your oily skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing agents like Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin fresh. Always make sure to follow with a good SPF in the morning.
- Apply your cleanser as the first step in the morning or the second step in the evening before your toner.
- Gently massage a small amount onto your face using circular motions, then rinse well with water .
- You can apply this cleanser safely on damp skin for a refreshing and easy wash.
- Avoid getting the product directly into your eyes and stop use if irritation occurs.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 200+ reviewsUsers find this cleanser effectively removes makeup and impurities while maintaining skin's moisture, making it suitable for sensitive and combination skin. The gel-to-cream texture is generally well-received for leaving skin soft and refreshed. Some users report issues with the packaging being difficult to dispense and occasional mild irritation around the eyes.
Highlights
Gentle and non-drying Mostly Mentioned
- “Does not dry skin”
- “Leaves skin feeling soft and refreshed”
- “Never strips or dries”
Effective cleansing Often Mentioned
- “Melts off make up”
- “Lifts away dirt and excess oil”
- “Removes makeup including mascara well”
Fragrance-free formula Sometimes Noted
- “It has no scent”
- “Great for sensitive skin”
- “Fragrance free”
Pleasant texture Sometimes Noted
- “Silky cleanser”
- “Rich, creamy foam”
- “Refreshing gel texture”
Difficult packaging Sometimes Noted
- “Packaging is a bit inconvenient”
- “Hard to squeeze out”
- “Container isn't very pliable”
Expensive product Rarely Noted
- “Pricey for a cleanser”
- “Small bottle for the cost”
- “Good but expensive”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “Irritating for sensitive eyes”
- “Stung my eyes”
- “Avoid the eye area”
Hard to rinse Rarely Noted
- “Takes a lot of rinsing”
- “Film left behind”
- “Hard to wash off”
Sources: lovi.care, paulaschoice.com, dermstore.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, spacenk.com, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Paula's Choice Hydrating Gel-To-Cream Cleanser work for oily skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for oily skin, as it gently removes impurities and hydrates without stripping your face. However, it lacks enough oil-controlling ingredients to manage shine completely. A cleanser for oily skin needs ingredients that actively balance oil and target a clear complexion.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for oily skin?
Glycerin provides hydration and lactic acid offers mild exfoliation, while sodium cocoyl glycinate and cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine wash away impurities without stripping your skin. To be a better fit for oily skin, a cleanser of this type needs extra ingredients that help control oil.
What does Glycerin do for oily skin?
Glycerin helps keep oily skin hydrated without feeling heavy and supports the skin barrier. Because this product is a weak fit for your skin, an ideal product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that balance oil while protecting the skin.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
What does Aloe Vera Leaf Juice do for oily skin?
Aloe vera leaf juice helps hydrate oily skin by increasing water content in the outer skin layer without adding heavy oils or modifying water loss. It is also often combined with treatments to help calm redness and reduce acne breakouts.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Skin Research and Technology, 2006
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This cleanser works as a step in both your morning and evening routines. For the best fit on oily skin, this type of product also needs ingredients that balance oil production.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by applying the cleanser first on your oily skin and following with your retinol treatment. A cleanser of this type for oily skin needs ingredients that help balance oil and keep pores clear.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day in the morning and evening as part of your regular routine. Using a gentle cleanser daily is unlikely to irritate your skin while helping to wash away daily impurities and excess shine. Oily skin also needs ingredients that actively control oil and shine.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin because it has a safe formula with soothing ingredients like aloe and green tea extract. However, because it lacks enough oil-controlling ingredients, oily skin generally needs a cleanser that includes targeted shine-reducing and oil-balancing ingredients for the best fit.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Clinical Pharmacology, 2018
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but you should use caution around the sensitive skin of your eyes because it contains exfoliating lactic acid. Oily skin of this type needs cleansers with oil-controlling ingredients and gentle exfoliants that keep pores clear 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, 2017An anti-acne hydrogel containing Aloe barbadensis, Garcinia mangostana, and Camellia sinensis extracts showed superior antiacne and antiblotch activities compared to 1% clindamycin gel in sixty subjects with mild-moderate acne.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019A 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, 2018The 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, 2012Topical 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, 2006Topical green tea extract significantly improved clinical symptoms, tear breakup times, and meibomian gland health compared to standard treatment in patients with dry eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2017Topical low-dose green tea extract reduces UVB-induced p53 expression and apoptosis in human skin keratinocytes compared to placebo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2009Topical application of green tea extract encapsulated chitosan microparticles improved skin elasticity, melanin index, and facial wrinkles compared to a placebo in female volunteers without causing skin irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022Combining 755 nm alexandrite laser with topical licorice gel significantly reduces terminal hair counts compared to alexandrite laser with placebo in women with idiopathic hirsutism.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015Licochalcone A activated Nrf2 signaling, elevated cytoprotective enzymes, increased the reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio, and decreased reactive oxygen species in human fibroblasts and neutrophils, while a LicA-rich licorice extract lowered UVA-induced oxidative processes in vivo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2015Bioactive glycyrrhizic acid and oxymatrine ionic liquid self-assembled nanomicelles significantly promoted the transdermal permeation, subcutaneous retention, and anti-photoaging efficacy of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in cellular and animal models compared to unformulated peptide.
Advanced Science, 2025Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.
Cutis, 2004Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020
Why other cleansers fit oily skin better
A 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, 2019Combined ascorbyl palmitate and sodium ascorbyl phosphate treatment significantly reduced facial sebum secretions in healthy female volunteers compared to a placebo control over 90 days.
Drug Research, 2017
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Sorbeth-230 Tetraoleate, Decyl Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Lauric Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium Edta, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Linoleic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Cocoyl Proline, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Pca, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Glycine Soja Soybean Sterols, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Pca, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Lactoperoxidase, Glucose Oxidase, Aspartic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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