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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser for Oily Skin versus La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Hydrating Cleansing Cream .

Last updated on October 24, 2023. Published on April 09, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe face cleansers. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens or silicones

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Face Cleanser French Brand France
Face Cleanser French Brand France

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Face Cleanser

Face cleansers are used to remove makeup, dead skin cells, pollutants, oil, dirt, and/or clean out pores on the skin. Face cleansers may specialize in having one function (exa. just removing makeup) or may have multiple functions (exa. Removing makeup and cleaning pores).

Price

Shop

Buy Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser for Oily Skin

Starts at $16.99
Shop

Buy Effaclar H Hydrating Cleansing Cream

Starts at $34.99

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
ph level
5.5
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Benefits

Scar Healing
Acne Fighting

Concerns

Drying (2)
Acne Trigger
Rosacea (2)
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Acne Trigger
Rosacea
Eczema
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser for Oily Skin contains this as ingredient number 1.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Hydrating Cleansing Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Cleansing, Emulsifying, Foaming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is a foaming, cleansing, and emulsifying ingredient. It is created from palm kernel oil or coconut oil. SLES is not the same as sodium lauryl sulfate. It is much milder and less likely to irritate.

SLES helps create foam in personal products. It also prevents ingredients from separating, helping to elongate the shelf life.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a type of sulfate. It can be drying. We recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient if you have concerns.

Learn more about Sodium Laureth Sulfate

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser for Oily Skin contains this as ingredient number 2.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Hydrating Cleansing Cream contains this as ingredient number 6.

3
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Zinc PCA (or "zinc salt") differs slightly from zinc itself. PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid. However, Zinc PCA comes from zinc.

It can help reduce redness, regulate sebum, and promote the general healing process of the skin.

Zinc PCA tends to be especially useful for those with oily, acne-prone skin. It's certainly an ingredient worth trying out!

Learn more about Zinc PCA

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser for Oily Skin contains this as ingredient number 8.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Hydrating Cleansing Cream contains this as ingredient number 10.

4
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser for Oily Skin contains this as ingredient number 9.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Hydrating Cleansing Cream contains this as ingredient number 11.

5
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser for Oily Skin contains this as ingredient number 12.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Hydrating Cleansing Cream contains this as ingredient number 14.

6
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser for Oily Skin contains this as ingredient number 13.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Hydrating Cleansing Cream contains this as ingredient number 13.

7
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser for Oily Skin contains this as ingredient number 14.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Hydrating Cleansing Cream contains this as ingredient number 15.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

21% are loved or liked
7% have mixed ratings
71% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
40% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
47% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Face Cleanser for Oily Skin 14 ingredients

2.8 /5
from 12 ratings
Expensive (2) Light Scent (2) Drying (1) Broke Me Out (1) Hydrating (1) Irritating (1)
SamWheeler_339's avatar

SamWheeler_339

11 months ago · Normal Skin
Review

Got by accident, didnt like
Swapped from cerave salicylic acid cleanser to this one, I meant to buy the effaclar with salicylic acid in it, got a...

Got by accident, didnt like
Swapped from cerave salicylic acid cleanser to this one, I meant to buy the effaclar with salicylic acid in it, got a lot more breakouts after using and skin was quite red, wouldnt recommend for acne prone skin, just get effaclar with salicylic acid in it.

ksjsj's avatar

ksjsj

4 months ago · Sensitive Skin
Review

Tried this before I realised my skin was dry, when I thought having acne = oily skin. Despite that, I don't think any cleanser should be this...

Tried this before I realised my skin was dry, when I thought having acne = oily skin. Despite that, I don't think any cleanser should be this drying and irritating.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Hydrating Cleansing Cream 15 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 2 ratings
InsSalgado_808's avatar

InsSalgado_808

9 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

amazing
been using at night as a gentle cleanser and it has done wonders for my acne prone skin.
it has no smell and it helps maintain my skin...

amazing
been using at night as a gentle cleanser and it has done wonders for my acne prone skin.
it has no smell and it helps maintain my skin barrier

Alternatives

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