Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Acne Cleanser
by Paula's Choice · skin_care
Editor's Take
Good acne-cleansing bones, with Salicylic Acid and sarcosinate doing useful work, but the clean-beauty crowd will spot the PEGs and SLES fast.
Four-pillar formula scores
- Efficacy: 7.4 / 10
- Modern Tech: 6.5 / 10
- Clean Beauty: 1.5 / 10
- Sustainability: 3.5 / 10
The Verdict
Efficacy lands in the Strong Efficacy band: Salicylic Acid gives it real BHA pore-clearing purpose, and Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate keeps the cleanse from feeling like a punishment. The technology is Modern, with a stable gel base that makes sense for an acne cleanser rather than just a basic face wash. The trade-off is blunt: a 1.5 clean score, thanks to SLES, PEG ingredients, acrylate polymer, and synthetic preservatives. Credible for pore-focused daily cleansing, but not the bottle for a clean-beauty shelf.
Full INCI list
Water, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Arginine, Butylene Glycol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin