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Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer ingredients: is it worth it?
A genuinely competent barrier moisturizer—not an acne treatment, but a solid lightweight formula for hydration and barrier support.
A genuinely competent barrier moisturizer—not an acne treatment, but a solid lightweight formula for hydration and barrier support.
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The efficacy score of 4.4/5 reflects glycerin, propanediol, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol, sodium PCA, and a well-structured ceramide–cholesterol–phytosphingosine lipid system. Niacinamide is listed at position 14 and is disclosed by the brand at 0.5%, so it may support barrier function and soothing but is too low to justify a strong brightening or pore-treatment score. The formula contains no salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or other evidence-backed acne treatment, while the botanical extracts and peptide provide limited additional justification at their likely low concentrations. The safety score of 4.7/5 reflects the absence of fragrance, essential oils, denatured alcohol, and harsh exfoliating acids.
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DemythSkin rates Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer 4.4/5 for efficacy and 4.7/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (14)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Water (Aqua), Ethyl Macadamiate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Triethylhexanoin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate/PEG-100 Stearate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Pumpkin Seedcake, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract, Prunus Serotina (Wild Cherry) Fruit Extract, Niacinamide (skin-restoring), Tripeptide-29, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Adenosine, Lecithin, Arginine, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Isohexadecane, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Water (Aqua)
- Solvent and formula base
- Ethyl Macadamiate
- Light emollient
- Glycerin
- Water-binding humectant
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Fatty alcohol emollient
- Propanediol
- Humectant and solvent
- Triethylhexanoin
- Light emollient ester
- Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
- Texture and stabilizing polymer
- Glyceryl Stearate/PEG-100 Stearate
- Emulsifier system
- Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract
- Botanical soothing extract
- Hydrolyzed Pumpkin Seedcake
- Hydrolyzed botanical ingredient
- Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract
- Botanical antioxidant extract
- Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract
- Botanical antioxidant extract
- Prunus Serotina (Wild Cherry) Fruit Extract
- Botanical conditioning extract
- Niacinamide (skin-restoring)
- Barrier-supporting vitamin B3
- Tripeptide-29
- Signal peptide ingredient
- Ceramide NP
- Barrier lipid replenishment
- Ceramide AP
- Barrier lipid replenishment
- Ceramide EOP
- Barrier lipid replenishment
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- Humectant hyaluronic acid salt
- Phytosphingosine
- Barrier lipid precursor
- Cholesterol
- Barrier lipid component
- Panthenol
- Humectant and soothing agent
- Sodium PCA
- Natural moisturizing factor humectant
- Adenosine
- Skin-conditioning signaling ingredient
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Ceramides: Well-established skin-barrier lipid class
Glycerin: Well-established humectant moisturizer
Panthenol: Well-studied humectant and soothing ingredient
Niacinamide: Evidence-supported barrier and skin-conditioning ingredient; listed by brand at 0.5%
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
A cheaper moisturizer with a close formula
55% formula match, by ingredient list. Labels don't state amounts, so strengths may differ.
Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer: common questions
Is Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer worth it?
Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer scores 4.4 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Effective) and 4.7 out of 5.0 for safety (Very Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. A genuinely competent barrier moisturizer—not an acne treatment, but a solid lightweight formula for hydration and barrier support.
What are the key active ingredients in Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer?
Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer contains no gold-standard actives. Its formula is built on supporting and base ingredients rather than clinically transformative actives.
Does Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin's analysis found no flagged irritants in Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer. It scores 4.7 out of 5.0 for safety.
How is Paula's Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer 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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