La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser for acne-prone skin
Salicylic Acid
Micro-Exfoliating Lha
Zinc Pca
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Glycerin
High
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few cleansers fit it even 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 excellent cleansing for your acne-prone skin, as sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate and salicylic acid effectively decongest and exfoliate pores. Zinc PCA further aids in seboregulation, making it highly suitable for your combination skin type.
- The formula provides moderate exfoliation to address your blemishes and breakouts by unclogging pores and reducing inflammation.
- This product is safe for your 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
★4.6Overall rating based on 2.3k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this cleanser is highly praised by users with oily and acne-prone skin for its ability to significantly reduce breakouts and control excess sebum without being overly harsh. While most find it effective for smoothing texture and deep cleaning, a subset of users experiences dryness, purging, or irritation, particularly those with sensitive skin barriers.
Highlights
Clears acne Mostly Mentioned
- “clears acne blemishes”
- “reduces cystic acne”
- “prevents future breakouts”
- “cleared my skin”
Controls oil Often Mentioned
- “removes excess oil”
- “less oily all day”
- “controls shine”
- “great for oily skin”
Deep clean Sometimes Noted
- “squeaky clean feel”
- “deeply cleanses pores”
- “feels fresh”
- “removes all dirt”
Gentle formula Sometimes Noted
- “gentle on sensitive skin”
- “doesn't strip skin”
- “fragrance-free”
- “non-irritating”
Improves texture Sometimes Noted
- “smooths skin texture”
- “refines pores”
- “skin feels softer”
- “reduces bumps”
Drying and stripping Sometimes Noted
- “excessive dryness”
- “skin felt tight”
- “caused flaking”
- “dried out face”
Irritation and redness Rarely Noted
- “burning sensation”
- “caused redness”
- “rash around mouth”
- “chemical burn feel”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “pump arrived broken”
- “leaks in transit”
- “hard to open”
- “pump stops working”
Purging phase Rarely Noted
- “caused bad purging”
- “broke out initially”
- “worsened acne first”
- “small bumps appeared”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, dermstore.com, target.com, lovelyskin.com, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser a great fit for acne-prone skin?
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser is a great fit because salicylic acid and sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate deeply decongest pores to address blemishes and breakouts, while zinc PCA helps balance oil. It has a safe profile with no harsh ingredients, making it unlikely to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid and micro-exfoliating LHA help decongest and exfoliate pores, while zinc PCA helps balance oil to keep acne-prone skin clear. This combination addresses breakouts by unclogging pores and reducing inflammation safely without harsh irritation.
What does Salicylic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Salicylic acid helps clear acne-prone skin by reducing pimples and calming redness without causing many side effects. It works by dipping deep into pores to clear out blockages and control oil, making it a reliable choice for keeping skin smooth and clear.
BioMed Research International, 2020Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
What does Lipohydroxy Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Lipohydroxy acid helps clear clogged pores and reduces breakouts and acne severity. It is well tolerated and may improve skin texture comparably to other standard acne treatments.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine. It effectively decongests pores and helps clear up breakouts without causing irritation.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, but apply the retinol after cleansing and drying your skin completely. This cleanser is a great fit for your acne-prone skin, effectively clearing pores and balancing oil without harsh ingredients.
How often should I use this cleanser?
This cleanser is a great fit for your acne-prone skin and can be used daily both morning and night as part of your routine. It effectively unclogs pores, reduces breakouts, and helps balance oil without causing irritation.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cleanser helps clear pores and manage breakouts for your acne-prone skin by decongesting and exfoliating with salicylic acid and micro-exfoliating LHA. A purging phase is unlikely, though some users may experience moderate dryness.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
This cleanser is intended for facial acne and is generally too harsh for the very thin skin around the eyes. You may safely use it on your body to help clear breakouts on areas like your back or chest.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Combining 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, 2023A 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, 2020Parity 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, 2012Topical nicotinamide plus an antibacterial adhesive agent and zinc-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid combined with adapalene significantly reduced noninflammatory acne lesions by the second week of therapy compared to placebo with adapalene in patients with moderate acne vulgaris.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020Cryotherapy 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, 2010Treatment 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, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010Capryloyl 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, 2008Daily use of a deep cleansing gel containing salicylic acid 2%, zinc gluconate 0.2% and lipohydroxy acid 0.05% significantly reduced total lesion count by 56.3% after 84 days in 35 subjects with mild to moderate truncal acne.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023Daily 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, 2021Zinc 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, 2012The 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, 2003A 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, 2017The 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, 2001
Ingredients
Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Glycerin, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sodium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Zinc Pca, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
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.
-
Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-
Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-
Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-
Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-
Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-
Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-
Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.