Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser for sensitive skin
Alpine Herbs
Shea Extracts Butter
Tamarindus Indica Pulp
Glycerin
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
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
- Suitable for normal skin with sensitivity as Glycerin and Squalane provide hydration and barrier support, while Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract and Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract offer soothing benefits for redness.
- The cleansing agents Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate effectively remove impurities without compromising the skin's natural balance.
- The formula is safe for your skin due to the absence of harsh or prohibited ingredients, minimizing the risk of irritation.
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
★4.3Overall rating based on 5.7k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, the Gentle Foaming Cleanser line is highly regarded for its effective yet gentle cleansing, creating a rich lather that removes impurities without stripping the skin, leaving it feeling soft and hydrated. While many appreciate the pleasant scent and the product's longevity, a notable number of long-time users express disappointment with the reformulation from the original version, citing a strong fragrance and occasional skin irritation as drawbacks.
Highlights
Effective gentle cleansing Mostly Mentioned
- “removes all traces of makeup”
- “leaves face squeaky clean”
- “takes off foundation easily”
- “cleans without stripping”
Non-drying formula Often Mentioned
- “skin feels soft afterwards”
- “no tight feeling”
- “leaves skin supple”
- “doesn't dry me out”
Rich creamy lather Often Mentioned
- “lathers beautifully”
- “thick creamy foam”
- “feels luxurious on skin”
- “rich mousse texture”
Long-lasting tube Sometimes Noted
- “pea size is enough”
- “tube lasts for months”
- “little goes a long way”
- “lasts forever”
Pleasant spa scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like a spa”
- “lovely fresh scent”
- “enjoy the herbal smell”
- “relaxing fragrance”
Reformulation disappointment Sometimes Noted
- “miss the cottonseed version”
- “not as good as the original”
- “bring back the old formula”
- “changed the ingredients”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “smell is too strong”
- “perfume is overwhelming”
- “scent lingers too long”
- “fragrance irritated me”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “broke me out”
- “caused redness”
- “skin reacted badly”
- “gave me bumps”
Drying for some Rarely Noted
- “left skin tight”
- “felt dry after use”
- “stripped my natural oils”
- “too drying for winter”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “stings my eyes”
- “burns if it gets in eyes”
- “have to be careful around eyes”
- “irritates eye area”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, clarins.co.uk, influenster.com, macys.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser work for sensitive skin?
This cleanser works reasonably well for sensitive skin, though other products fit it better because they contain a broader range of soothing ingredients like Niacinamide and Ceramide-3. It helps wash away dirt without stripping moisture, but a cleanser of this type needs more targeted hydrating and calming ingredients to truly excel on sensitive skin.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for sensitive skin?
Glycerin, squalane, and chamomile extract make this cleanser a good fit because they hydrate, support the skin barrier, and calm redness. Cleansers for this skin also need ingredients like niacinamide and ceramide-3 to prevent irritation and protect moisture.
What do Alpine Herbs do for sensitive skin?
Alpine Herbs help calm sensitive skin and reduce redness when it feels irritated. This type of skin needs soothing ingredients like chamomile and green tea extract to keep it soft and comfortable.
What does Shea Butter do for sensitive skin?
Shea butter helps calm sensitive and easily irritated skin by supporting skin barrier repair and reducing dryness. It is generally well tolerated and may provide soothing benefits that keep skin feeling soft and smooth.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2017Hong Kong Medical Journal = Xianggang Yi Xue Za Zhi, 2015
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is used in the morning and evening as part of a daily routine for sensitive skin. A mild cleanser helps keep skin clean without drying it out, and sensitive skin needs gentle, hydrating ingredients like glycerin and soothing plant extracts to protect its natural balance.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, but sensitive skin needs a cleanser that adds extra barrier-supporting ceramides and soothing botanical oils to prevent dryness and redness.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day as part of your morning and evening routine. A mild cleanser used daily safely cleans away impurities while keeping the skin balanced and comfortable.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to cause breakouts for sensitive skin, as its ingredients effectively wash away dirt without upsetting your skin's natural balance. However, a product for this skin needs to be completely fragrance-free and gentle to avoid any unwanted irritation.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but the thin skin around your eyes needs extra care because eye skin is among the thinnest on the body. A cleanser for sensitive eye areas needs gentle moisturizing ingredients like glycerin and squalane to protect hydration and barrier support while cleansing.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum).
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, 2017Sodium cocoyl isethionate micelles are too large to penetrate stratum corneum aqueous pores, resulting in significant steric hindrance that prevents skin barrier perturbation and explains its skin mildness.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007A cleansing lotion containing tamarind fruit pulp extract showed no significant difference in skin irritation, transepidermal water loss, or erythema compared with a placebo product and de-ionized water in 15 healthy females.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2007A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025Topical application of a water-in-oil cosmetic emulsion containing 4% Tamarindus indica seeds extract significantly improved skin elasticity, moisture content, and surface evaluation parameters in 11 healthy male volunteers compared to a control base over 12 weeks.
Postepy Dermatologii I Alergologii, 2017Tamarindus indica n-hexane extracts from various organs demonstrated anti-inflammatory and wound healing activities by inhibiting nitric oxide and promoting fibroblast migration in in-vitro assays compared to control cells.
Plants, 2022The 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
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Squalane, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Propanediol, Glycol Distearate, Coconut Acid, Glyceryl Behenate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, C14-22 Alcohols, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Isethionate, Parfum, Sodium Citrate, Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Disodium Edta, Maltodextrin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Gentiana Lutea Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
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
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Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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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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