Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser for acne-prone skin
Aloe Vera Extracts
Alpine Herbs
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Squalane
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other cleansers 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 suitability for your combination skin as glycerin provides humectant action, but it lacks sufficient ingredients for optimal oil control on your oily areas.
- The cleansing agents, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate and Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, effectively cleanse pores, but the formula does not contain specialized ingredients to target your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your combination skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
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
★4.3Overall rating based on 2.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this creamy cleanser for normal to dry skin is praised for leaving complexions soft and hydrated, with a luxurious texture and effective cleansing. A moderate number of users enjoy its pleasant, spa-like scent and find it gentle, though a similar proportion find the fragrance strong. A low number of reviews mention it can be drying, cause eye irritation, or that the price is high.
Highlights
Non-stripping hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “leaves skin soft and hydrated”
- “doesn't strip my skin”
- “face feels comfortable after washing”
Effective cleansing Often Mentioned
- “takes off all makeup”
- “skin feels perfectly clean”
- “removes pollution and dirt”
Luxurious texture Often Mentioned
- “mousse texture is sumptuous”
- “creamy and smooth”
- “lathers beautifully”
Gentle on skin Sometimes Noted
- “very gentle”
- “calming effect”
Pleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells divine”
- “love the herbal scent”
- “smells like a spa”
Strong fragrance Sometimes Noted
- “scent is too strong”
- “perfume gave me a headache”
- “smells like old lady perfume”
Drying effect Rarely Noted
- “left my face tight”
- “dried out my skin”
- “not hydrating as claimed”
Eye irritation Rarely Noted
- “stings if it gets in eyes”
- “eyes watered”
- “irritated my eyes”
Formula change Rarely Noted
- “miss the old formula”
- “new version isn't as good”
- “changed the scent”
High price Rarely Noted
- “too expensive for a wash”
- “pricey for the amount”
- “luxury price tag”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, clarinsusa.com, sephora.com, johnlewis.com, escentual.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser work for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser works reasonably well for acne-prone skin, though other products fit this skin type better. A cleanser for this skin needs powerful ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides to target breakouts while maintaining moisture balance.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser works for acne-prone skin because it includes gentle cleansing ingredients and soothing extracts like aloe vera, alpine herbs, moringa seed extract, and melissa officinalis leaf extract. However, a cleanser for this skin needs powerful ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides to properly target acne and blemishes while keeping oily and dry areas balanced.
What does Aloe Vera Extract do for acne-prone skin?
Aloe vera extract helps calm redness and can be used alongside acne treatments to make breakouts less irritated. Studies show that combining it with standard acne care significantly reduces blemishes while keeping skin more comfortable.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2014Infectious Disorders Drug Targets, 2021
What do Alpine Herbs do for acne-prone skin?
Alpine Herbs help calm acne-prone skin by soothing redness and reducing irritation. Skincare for this skin type also needs ingredients that clear pores and balance oil to keep breakouts away.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, and it is safe for your skin with no risks of irritation. An acne-prone skin routine needs a cleanser of this type to include ingredients that specifically target oil control and breakouts.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying it before your retinol step to gently wash your face. This cleanser is unlikely to cause irritation on acne-prone skin, but an acne-friendly routine for this skin type still needs specialized blemish-fighting ingredients and oil control to manage breakouts effectively.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. It cleanses pores effectively while keeping your skin calm and safe from irritation, though acne-prone skin works best with products that also provide oil control and blemish-targeting ingredients.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts because its cleansing agents are gentle and safe for your skin. However, since it lacks specialized ingredients to target blemishes, acne-prone skin needs a product with targeted acne-fighting ingredients and oil-controlling components.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body, but you should take care around the thin skin of your eyes since it is designed for facial cleansing. Because skin thickness varies greatly across the body, gentle formulas are less likely to cause irritation on delicate areas.
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, 2017Emulgels containing Perilla frutescens seed oil, Moringa oleifera seed oil, and mixed seed oil microemulsions exhibit good stability, lack of cytotoxicity in PBMC, and no skin irritation or allergic reactions in human subjects.
Polymers, 2022Sodium 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 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, 2018Topical 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, 2010Aqueous standardized leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera showed the highest human dermal fibroblast and human keratinocyte proliferation and migration properties, leading to the development of an alginate-pectin film dressing with optimal physicochemical properties.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2018Topical administration of Moringa oleifera seed extract on excision wounds in male albino rabbits significantly increased the wound healing rate, elevated TGF-β1, VEGF, and Type I collagen relative expression, and reduced inflammatory markers like IL-1β and TNF-α compared to untreated and MEBO-treated groups.
Antioxidants, 2022Moringa oleifera leaf extracts provided significant UV protection with an SPF of 2 at 2% to 4% concentrations and showed no significant irritant potential in cosmetic formulations.
Molecules, 2018Topical application of a cream containing the NHE1 activator rosmarinic acid decreased skin surface pH and transepidermal water loss while increasing skin hydration in 50-60-year-old adult females compared to vehicle cream and no treatment.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022Topical treatment with a lemon balm leaf extract formulation reduced eye-corner wrinkles in 20 healthy women compared to placebo by promoting Endo180 production and inhibiting the decline in collagen levels.
Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2025Incorporating rosmarinic acid into sunscreens enhanced the in vivo SPF of octocrylene by over 157% and reduced lipid peroxidation in the human stratum corneum.
Antioxidants, 2025Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025
Why other cleansers fit acne-prone skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.
Molecules, 2023
Ingredients
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Squalane, Propanediol, Glycol Distearate, Coconut Acid, Glyceryl Behenate, C14-22 Alcohols, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Isethionate, Parfum, Sodium Citrate, Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Disodium Edta, Maltodextrin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Gentiana Lutea 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
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
How does it fit your skin?
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