Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser — Reddit Reviews
Updated October 14, 2026
Zinc PCA foaming cleanser for oily-skin shine control; tight, stripping finish.
What the community says
A foaming gel cleanser with zinc PCA, glycerin, and fragrance, built around a genuinely squeaky-clean finish. Oily and combination skin may appreciate the oil control; dry, tretinoin-irritated, or barrier-damaged skin often finds twice-daily use stripping and tight.
What this means for you
What people love
- Oily-T-zone workhorse
- Some users report clearer acne
- No-film foaming finish
Watch out for
- Tight, dry finish is a repeat complaint
- Too stripping for tretinoin or compromised barriers
- Breakouts and irritation reported by some users
Product details
Concerns
Product Traits
Real Reddit threads — 147 mentions across 18 threads
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser on Reddit, in one place — 18 threads from r/acne, r/30PlusSkinCare and 3 more, summarized.
“LRP effaclar cleanser”
Mentioned
“10% benzol peroxide will Zapp them away”
Mentioned
“Moisturizer is really important”
Mentioned
“La Roche-Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel”
Positive
“PM • La Roche-Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel”
Positive
“every morning I wash my face with La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser”
Positive
“And I've also followed this routine daily with the following products for the last 2 months”
Positive
“The thing is that for some reason this breakup happened while following that routine”
Positive
“My current routine is Ivermectin, Skinoren (azelaic acid), CeraVe moisturizer and La Roche-Posay Effaclar cleanser.”
Cautionary
“I think you should stop the azelaic acid and the Effaclar cleanser (salicyclic acid). Something is aggravating your skin and those are likely culprits.”
Cautionary
“I would get rid of the cleanser. That cleanser tore my skin up badly.”
Cautionary
“Cleanser: La Roche-Posay Effaclar cleanser”
Positive
“My routine is pretty simple:”
Positive
“Effaclar gel changed my life”
Positive
“I just started used La Roche-Posay and am loving the results.”
Positive
“What are your holy grails that you would recommend?”
Positive
