All scans / Cleansers / La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel ingredients: is it worth it?
A competent oily-skin cleanser, but the sulfate base and added fragrance keep it from being a standout.
A competent oily-skin cleanser, but the sulfate base and added fragrance keep it from being a standout.
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The efficacy score is driven by a straightforward cleansing system built around Sodium Laureth Sulfate plus Coco-Betaine, with PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate helping cushion the formula; Zinc PCA adds a modest oil-control angle, but in a rinse-off cleanser it is a supporting feature rather than a true treatment. The score is held back by SLES as the main surfactant and the presence of fragrance, while the formula is still acceptable because the brand positions it as physiologic-pH and the ingredient deck includes some viscosity and solubilizing support that should reduce harshness relative to a bare-bones sulfate wash.
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DemythSkin rates La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel 3.4/5 for efficacy and 3.8/5 for safety.
CONTAINS COMMON SENSITISERS⌄
Fragrance components and essential oils that more often cause reactions in sensitive skin: Parfum / Fragrance. Most people tolerate them; patch test if your skin reacts easily.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (7)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Aqua / Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, PEG-8, Coco-Betaine, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Zinc PCA, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum / Fragrance
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (14)⌄
- Aqua / Water
- solvent
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate
- primary surfactant
- PEG-8
- humectant, solvent
- Coco-Betaine
- co-surfactant, foam booster
- Hexylene Glycol
- solvent, humectant
- Sodium Chloride
- viscosity adjuster
- PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
- thickener, surfactant booster
- Zinc PCA
- sebum support
- Sodium Hydroxide
- pH adjuster
- Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
- Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
- Caprylyl Glycol
- preservative booster
- Parfum / Fragrance
- fragrance
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Sodium Laureth Sulfate: Major cleansing surfactant in the brand and retailer ingredient lists.
Coco-Betaine: Secondary surfactant/foam booster listed in the cleanser formula.
Zinc PCA: Oil-control ingredient highlighted by the brand and listed in the INCI.
Parfum / Fragrance: Declared fragrance present in the official ingredient list.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel: common questions
Is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel worth it?
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel scores 3.4 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Mid) and 3.8 out of 5.0 for safety (Mostly Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. A competent oily-skin cleanser, but the sulfate base and added fragrance keep it from being a standout.
What are the key active ingredients in La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel?
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel contains no gold-standard actives. Its formula is built on supporting and base ingredients rather than clinically transformative actives.
Does La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin flags these ingredients in La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel as documented irritants: Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Parfum / Fragrance. This product does contain fragrance.
How is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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