Paula's Choice Softening Cream Cleanser for sensitive skin
Beta-Glucan
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract
Glycine Soja Oil Soybean Oil
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Paraffinum Liquidum Mineral Oil
Average
- AverageNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- 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
- Offers moderate suitability for your normal skin, as Beta-Glucan and Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract provide soothing benefits to address your redness and irritation.
- The cleansing agents Cocamidopropyl Betaine and Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate effectively remove impurities without compromising your sensitive skin.
- The formula is safe for your sensitive skin, containing no harsh ingredients and including soothing agents like Beta-Glucan and Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract.
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 1000+ reviewsRecent reviews are dominated by disappointment over its discontinuation, and some users with oily skin found the rich, creamy texture too heavy or ineffective at removing heavy makeup.
Highlights
Hydrating and non-stripping Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves skin hydrated”
- “never tight or over-washed”
- “skin feels nourished”
Product discontinued Mostly Mentioned
- “devastated it's gone”
- “why discontinue a great product”
- “hard to find replacement”
Soothing for sensitive Often Mentioned
- “calmed my skin”
- “doesn't sting my eyes”
Creamy, luxurious texture Sometimes Noted
- “smooth and creamy”
- “glides over skin”
- “feels like a lotion”
Softening effect Sometimes Noted
- “skin feeling so soft”
- “improves skin softness”
- “supple and smooth”
Poor makeup removal Sometimes Noted
- “doesn't remove waterproof makeup”
- “struggles with heavy makeup”
- “need a separate remover”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “miss the pump”
- “hard to get out of bottle”
- “cap breaks easily”
Too heavy for oily Rarely Noted
- “left a greasy residue”
- “too thick for my liking”
- “caused breakouts”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, paulaschoice-eu.com, influenster.com, reddit.com, skinsort.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Paula's Choice Softening Cream Cleanser work for sensitive skin?
This cleanser works reasonably well for sensitive skin, using gentle cleansing agents and calming ingredients like beta-glucan and chamomile extract to wash away impurities without causing discomfort. While it helps calm redness and irritation, this skin type often needs cleansers featuring a wider variety of specialized soothing extracts, amino acids, and aloe to feel completely comfortable.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for sensitive skin?
Beta-glucan and chamomile flower extract help make this cleanser a good fit because they calm redness and irritation in sensitive skin. A cleanser for this skin needs soothing ingredients like amino acids and aloe to calm redness while keeping skin soft and clean.
What does Beta-Glucan do for sensitive skin?
Beta-glucan helps calm sensitive and irritated skin by soothing discomfort and supporting the skin barrier. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may improve overall skin recovery and moisture.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2021Phytotherapy Research, 2014
What does Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract do for sensitive skin?
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract helps calm sensitive skin by reducing irritation and soothing redness. It is unlikely to cause adverse reactions and supports a more comfortable, balanced feeling.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cleanser fits in the morning and evening steps of your routine before your toner and moisturizer. Sensitive skin needs a gentle cleanser with calming ingredients like beta-glucan and chamomile extract to wash away impurities without causing redness or irritation.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by washing your face with it before applying your retinol treatment to help keep your skin calm. A cleanser for this skin needs gentle cleansing agents and soothing ingredients like beta-glucan and chamomile extract to prevent irritation.
How often should I use it?
You can use this cleanser twice a day in your morning and evening routines. A consistent daily routine with a mild cleanser helps improve skin comfort and hydration without causing 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 its mild cleansing agents wash away impurities without being harsh. However, since it is an average fit, a cleanser for this skin needs soothing ingredients like beta-glucan and chamomile extract, along with gentle cleansing agents that clean without leaving a heavy film.
Can I use it around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser works around the eyes and on the body, though sensitive skin often does better with a product that includes extra soothing plant extracts and gentle hydrating ingredients.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Skin care regimens containing beta-glucan improved hemoglobin index, skin hydration, and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in 20 patients undergoing fractional laser therapy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Treatment with topical formulations containing beta-glucan combined with nanofractional radiofrequency plus magnetic nanofractional radiofrequency showed the best efficacy and was tolerable and effective in Chinese women with abdominal stretch marks compared to control groups.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2023Topical beta-glucan mildly improved striae gravidarum, 1565-nm non-ablative fractional laser showed better results than topical beta-glucan, and the combined strategy further improved striae gravidarum atrophy compared to single treatment.
The Journal of Dermatology, 2022Topical application of oat beta-glucan ameliorates epidermal hyperplasia and accelerates epidermal barrier recovery by promoting keratinocyte differentiation through dectin-1-mediated ERK and p38 signaling pathways that upregulate CaSR expression.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2021Apigenin protects against UVA-induced cytotoxicity and senescence in normal human dermal fibroblasts, decreases MMP-1 expression, and when applied topically as a cream in human subjects, increases dermal density and elasticity while reducing fine wrinkle length, skin evenness, moisture content, and transepidermal water loss compared to control cream.
International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 2016Topical chamomile oil combined with a night splint significantly improved the symptomatic and functional status of patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome compared to placebo, while electrodiagnostic parameters showed no significant changes.
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2015German chamomile solution applied twice a day healed peristomal skin lesions significantly faster than once-a-day 1% hydrocortisone ointment in colostomy patients, with a mean healing time of 8.89 days versus 14.53 days.
Ostomy/wound Management, 2011The cytotoxic effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on normal human keratinocytes was significantly decreased when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine, Tween 20, and Tween 80 at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2003Repeated application of concentrated water-in-oil emulsions over four weeks caused no skin irritation, positively affected skin properties, and delivered almost 50% of the applied fluorescein sodium, with isopropyl myristate showing superior penetration performance compared to liquid paraffin in healthy volunteers.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2019
Ingredients
Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Beta-Glucan, Butylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract, Chlorphenesin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycine Soja Oil Soybean Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Laureth-4, Paraffinum Liquidum Mineral Oil, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hydroxide, Water
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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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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How does it fit your skin?
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