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Paula's Choice Softening Cream Cleanser for acne-prone skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

Paula's Choice Softening Cream Cleanser

Low

  • AverageCombination Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • ConcerningSafety

A weak match for acne-prone skin; the cleansers alongside fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 combination skin, as cocamidopropyl betaine and disodium cocoamphodiacetate help remove impurities, while Beta-Glucan provides anti-inflammatory action.
  • The formula lacks specialized ingredients to directly address your acne, blemishes, and breakouts, and may not provide sufficient humectants for optimal hydration.

How to apply

  • Could be used as part of your AM and PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it.
  • This cleanser is the first step in your morning routine and the second step after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Always follow up with a toner and moisturizer .
  • Gently massage a small amount of the cleanser onto your face in circular motions. Avoid harsh rubbing to keep your skin calm.
  • Apply the cleanser on slightly damp skin to help it work effectively against breakouts. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water .
  • Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.

People Say

★4.4Overall rating based on 1000+ reviews

Recent 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

Why is Paula's Choice Softening Cream Cleanser a weak match for acne-prone skin?

This cleanser is a weak match because it lacks specialized ingredients to directly address breakouts and may not provide enough hydration. Cleansers that fit acne-prone skin well need soothing ingredients, gentle cleansing agents that do not over-dry, and hydrating components like aloe and glycerin to keep the skin balanced.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021

Which ingredients make this cleanser a poor fit for acne-prone skin?

This cleanser is a weak match for acne-prone skin because it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target breakouts and blemishes. A cleanser for this skin needs soothing ingredients, gentle cleansing agents, and hydrating components like aloe and glycerin to clear the skin without causing over-drying.

What does Beta-Glucan do for acne-prone skin?

Beta-glucan helps keep acne-prone skin calm and hydrated while supporting barrier recovery after treatments. It is unlikely to irritate dry or sensitive areas and may improve skin recovery.

Food Science & Nutrition, 2025Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021

What does Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract do for acne-prone skin?

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract helps calm red, irritated skin and keeps acne-prone skin balanced through its natural soothing properties. It is unlikely to clog pores and may assist in keeping skin clear when used in your daily routine.

BMC Veterinary Research, 2019Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019

Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?

This cleanser goes into both your morning and evening routine, coming right after a makeup remover at night. Because it is a weak match for acne-prone skin, a cleanser of this type needs specialized ingredients to directly address blemishes and breakouts, along with extra hydrators.

Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cleanser in your routine, but this type of product needs specialized ingredients like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to actively clear blemishes and breakouts on acne-prone skin. Apply the cleanser first before your retinol treatment to gently remove impurities.

How often should I use this cleanser?

You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. A cleanser of this type needs acne-fighting ingredients and lightweight hydrators to properly care for acne-prone skin.

Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?

This cleanser may not be the best fit because it lacks specialized ingredients to directly address blemishes and breakouts, and it includes mineral oil which can feel too heavy. Acne-prone skin needs a cleanser with targeted blemish-fighting ingredients and lightweight hydrators to keep pores clear.

Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?

This cleanser is suitable for use on the body and around the eyes, as its gentle surfactants like disodium cocoamphodiacetate are very well tolerated by thinner skin areas. However, because skin thickness varies across the body, patch testing is recommended to ensure comfort.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

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, 2021

  • Treatment 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, 2023

  • Topical 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, 2022

  • Topical 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, 2021

  • Apigenin 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, 2016

  • Topical 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, 2015

  • German 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, 2011

  • The 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, 2003

  • Repeated 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

Why other cleansers fit acne-prone skin better

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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