La Roche-Posay Effaclar Clarifying Solution for combination skin
Salicylic Acid
Glycolic Acid
Niacinamide
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Zinc PcaAverage
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other products 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 combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 exfoliation for your combination skin, as glycolic acid and salicylic acid work to decongest pores and refine texture, while glycerin provides essential hydration.
- The formulation is safe for your skin due to the absence of harsh or prohibited ingredients, ensuring no irritation.
- This product is suitable for combination skin and addresses oily shine with its effective exfoliating properties.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant product in your PM routine starting once a week, then increase frequency carefully if your skin feels fine.
- Apply this exfoliant step after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and wait a minute before layering.
- Apply the exfoliant to clean, dry skin to help control your oily shine comfortably.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.2k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is highly regarded by users with oily, combination, and acne-prone skin for its ability to clear breakouts and unclog pores without causing excessive dryness. While most users find it leaves their skin smoother and refreshed, a small number with sensitive skin have reported experiencing irritation or purging. The packaging has also been noted as a minor issue by some users due to leaks.
Highlights
Clears breakouts Often Mentioned
- “helps keep my acne at bay”
- “effective at clearing acne and reducing breakouts”
- “noticed fewer breakouts”
- “helps reduce and clear breakouts”
Minimizes pores Often Mentioned
- “effective at unclogging pores”
- “helps remove dirt and impurities from pores”
- “can definitely feel my pores unclogging”
- “see a difference with my pores”
Gentle and non-drying Sometimes Noted
- “gentle yet effective salicylic toner”
- “does not dry your face out”
- “gently exfoliates without over-drying”
- “doesn't feel stripped”
Smoothes texture Sometimes Noted
- “works well to smooth your skin”
- “noticed clearer, smoother skin”
- “Leaves my face feeling fresh and smooth”
- “improved texture since using it”
Causes dryness Rarely Noted
- “can be a little bit drying”
- “occasional dryness”
- “if you're overusing the product you would experience a lot of drying”
Causes irritation Rarely Noted
- “burned above and around my eyes”
- “large red acne bumps appeared”
- “scaliness under one of my brows”
- “now i have a lot of pimples”
Leaky packaging Rarely Noted
- “every bottle I get of this stuff leaks”
- “half leaks out every time”
- “issues with packaging”
- “frustrating because I do pack it while I travel”
Sources: lovi.care, target.com, ulta.com, walmart.com, lovelyskin.com, dermstore.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does La Roche-Posay Effaclar Clarifying Solution work for combination skin?
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Clarifying Solution works moderately well for combination skin by clearing pores and managing oily shine with glycolic and salicylic acids, while glycerin helps keep skin hydrated. Because it is an average fit, a product of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide, zinc PCA, and soothing plant extracts to balance combination skin and provide optimal hydration without causing excess oiliness or dryness.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for combination skin?
Glycolic acid and salicylic acid help decongest pores and refine texture, while glycerin provides essential hydration for your combination skin. To fit this skin type even better, an exfoliant of this type needs effective ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, and zinc PCA to enhance radiance, balance moisture, and regulate oiliness without any risk of irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
What does Salicylic Acid do for combination skin?
Salicylic acid helps clear clogged pores and balance oily areas while remaining gentle enough for dry spots on combination skin. It reduces breakouts and oiliness effectively with a low likelihood of irritation.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023
What does Glycolic Acid do for combination skin?
Glycolic acid helps smooth and brighten combination skin by gently loosening dead surface cells to speed up skin renewal. This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation when used properly, but it needs a reliable sunscreen during the day since it makes skin more sensitive to the sun.
Acta Dermato-venereologica, 1995Archives of Dermatological Research, 1997
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This exfoliant goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, starting at once a week and slowly increasing frequency if your skin tolerates it well. Because this product offers only an average fit for combination skin, this skin type needs a treatment with ingredients like salicylic acid and glycerin to balance oil and maintain hydration.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol by applying the retinol first, letting it dry completely, and then using this product on alternate nights to avoid irritation. This product for combination skin needs gentle exfoliating acids and hydrating ingredients like glycerin to clear pores while keeping skin soft.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start by using this exfoliant once a week in the evening, and if your skin feels comfortable and you see good results, you may carefully use it more often. Because this is an average fit for combination skin, an ideal product of this type needs soothing ingredients and extra hydration to keep dry areas comfortable while acids manage oily shine.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2003Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This exfoliant treatment helps clear pores and calm oily shine on combination skin, though other products fit it better. It uses glycolic acid and salicylic acid to sweep away dead skin and reduce breakouts, while glycerin helps keep your face soft. To work best for combination skin, a product of this type needs pore-clearing acids paired with balanced hydrators.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol denat).
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, 2017Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Repeated 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, 2017Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005Capryloyl salicylic acid peel reduced fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation comparably to glycolic acid peel in 44 female volunteers, with no statistically significant differences between the two treatments.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2008Combining a salicylic acid and lipohydroxy acid facial serum and mask improved closed comedones and acne severity significantly more than serum alone in adults with acne over 8 weeks, with no adverse reactions reported.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023Parity was demonstrated between an OTC BPO 5.5% formulation with lipohydroxy acid and tretinoin cream 0.025% versus prescription clindamycin 1%-BPO 5% gel and tretinoin cream 0.025% in participants with mild to moderate acne vulgaris at 12 weeks.
Cutis, 2012Zinc PCA inhibits UVA-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 production through suppressed AP-1 activation and enhances type I collagen synthesis by increasing SVCT2 mRNA expression in cultured normal human dermal fibroblasts.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2012
Ingredients
Water, Alcohol Denat, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium Edta, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Zinc Pca, Peg-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, 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
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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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
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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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