La Roche-Posay Toleriane Caring Wash for combination skin
Niacinamide
Glycerin
Ceramide Np
Panthenol
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for combination skin; other cleansers fit it better.
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 cleansing for your combination skin, as coco-betaine gently lifts impurities while niacinamide helps regulate sebum production to address oily shine.
- Glycerin provides humectant action to support hydration, though additional ingredients could enhance overall efficacy for all areas of combination skin.
- The formula is safe for your skin, containing no harsh ingredients and including soothing components like glycerin and niacinamide.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM as part of your daily routine. Start 3×/week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your skin using circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
- For the best results , apply the cleanser directly onto slightly damp skin to help lift away excess oil.
- Avoid the immediate eye area and do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 300+ reviewsUsers with dry, sensitive, and reactive skin frequently praise this cleanser for its milky, non-foaming texture that effectively cleanses without stripping the moisture barrier, leaving skin soft and calm. However, those with oily skin or who wear heavy makeup often find it too gentle, sometimes requiring a second cleanse to feel fully clean.
Highlights
Gentle & non-stripping Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels soft not stripped”
- “doesn't leave face tight”
- “gentlest cleanser I've used”
- “perfect for morning cleanse”
Hydrating & soothing Often Mentioned
- “calms my redness”
- “leaves skin feeling hydrated”
- “restores moisture barrier”
Creamy texture Sometimes Noted
- “lovely milky texture”
- “smooth and creamy”
- “glides on skin”
- “feels like a lotion”
Fragrance-free Sometimes Noted
- “no scent irritation”
- “great for fragrance allergy”
- “smells like nothing”
- “safe for sensitive eyes”
Poor makeup removal Sometimes Noted
- “doesn't remove mascara”
- “need to double cleanse”
- “left makeup residue”
- “not for heavy makeup”
Residue sensation Rarely Noted
- “feels like a film”
- “hard to rinse off”
- “residue left on skin”
- “slippery after rinsing”
Stinging on broken Rarely Noted
- “burned my sensitive cheeks”
- “caused slight tingling”
Too mild for oily Rarely Noted
- “didn't remove oil”
- “pores felt clogged”
- “too gentle for summer”
- “forehead still shiny”
Sources: lovi.care, chemistwarehouse.com.au, beautycrew.com.au, gopicky.com, influenster.com, londondrugs.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does La Roche-Posay Toleriane Caring Wash work for combination skin?
This cleanser provides moderate cleansing for your combination skin, using glycerin to support hydration and niacinamide to help address oily shine. A cleanser for this skin needs exceptional safety with no irritation risk, the ability to effectively balance oil and maintain moisture in both oily and dry areas, and high-quality ingredients that cater to normal to oily skin types.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for combination skin?
Coco-betaine gently lifts impurities while niacinamide helps regulate sebum production to address oily shine on your combination skin. Glycerin also provides hydration to keep your skin balanced. A cleanser of this type needs to be exceptionally safe with no risk of irritation, effectively balance oil production and maintain hydration for oily shine, perform its cleansing function extremely well with high-quality ingredients, and pose no risks of unsuitability for combination skin.
What does Niacinamide do for combination skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily areas by reducing excess shine and pore size while keeping dry patches hydrated and smooth. It also works to calm redness and even out skin tone, making it very suitable for combination skin.
What does Glycerin do for combination skin?
Glycerin helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by pulling moisture in and keeping it there. It improves hydration and supports your skin barrier, which is unlikely to cause irritation.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This cleanser goes as the first step in your morning routine and the second step in your evening routine after makeup removal. Combination skin needs a product that pairs gentle cleansing with balancing ingredients like niacinamide and hydration boosters to properly care for both oily and dry areas.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2022International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol, applying the cleanser first on damp skin, rinsing thoroughly, and then following with your retinol treatment once your face is completely dry. This gentle cleanser washes away dirt without harsh ingredients, which helps keep your skin calm while using stronger treatments. A cleanser for this skin type needs extra targeted hydrators and soothing plant extracts to better balance dry and oily areas.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2023Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
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 daily cleanser helps keep skin clean while supporting hydration and managing oily shine.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for combination skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients and features gentle components like glycerin and niacinamide that help keep skin calm. However, because it offers only moderate cleansing, combination skin often needs extra balancing ingredients like salicylic acid or clay to fully manage oily shine in the T-zone.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use this cleanser safely around the eyes and on the body because its formula contains no harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like glycerin and niacinamide. This product type suits the thin skin around the eyes and the skin on the body.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 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, 2005The 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, 2012Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Propylene Glycol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polysorbate 60, Ceramide Np, Niacinamide, Sodium Chloride, Coco-Betaine, Disodium Edta, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Tocopherol Vitamin E
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.