Cetaphil

Cetaphil Gentle Clear Clarifying Acne Cream Cleanser.

Cleansers

About this product

A gentle cream cleanser with two percent salicylic acid for acne-prone skin.

Full ingredients

Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Distearyl Phthalic Acid Amide, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Isopropyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Guru Score

80%

Yay

Early verdict · Few reviews so far

What the gurus are saying

This two percent salicylic acid cleanser is notably creamy and non-drying, which experts say is rare for an acne product. The formula includes white tea and aloe to soothe, but some people react to aloe, so you may want to patch-test if you're sensitive. It's gentle enough for acne-prone skin and can be used morning and night.

Synthesized from 2 expert reviews · most recent take June 2023

What they liked

Creamy, non-drying formula
Fragrance-free
No stinging or eyelid dryness

What they flagged

Contains aloe, irritating to some

Best for

Acne-prone skin

Type

CleansersCream

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeContains drying alcohol

Where to buy

Ulta → Amazon → Google → iHerb →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

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Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

✓Yay

"You also have Cetaphil Gentle Clear Clarifying Acne Cream Cleanser which is nice for the winter especially if you are in a very dry environment. It also has salicylic acid in it at two percent."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"It has two percent salicylic acid, plus white tea extract and aloe leaf juice which is [...] anti-inflammatory, though some people find their skin gets irritated by aloe so be aware that's in this product. Otherwise it's very nice. It has to be one of the most non-drying two percent salicylic acid cleansers I've ever tried. [...] This is one where I never ran into the issue of upper eyelid dryness with it."

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All 6 takes from Dr Dray

HOW TO USE SALICYLIC ACID FACE WASH 🚿 Dermatologist @DrDrayzday

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"Something a little bit more aggressive, especially for those who are prone to acne, is the acne control gel. It has salicylic acid and alpha hydroxy acids, which help with fading discoloration. Those ingredients exfoliate the skin and can be irritating, so be very conservative with how you use this, and if it's too irritating you may not want to use it. But I have a review of this product, it's quite good as an exfoliant, and it certainly can help in fading discoloration as well."

EMPTIES 🗑 SKIN CARE & HAIR CARE PRODUCTS I USED UP @DrDrayzday

"I love this and it's one of my new favorite salicylic acid cleansers. I use this in the morning and salicylic acid is good for acne and can help remove some sun damage. [...] Using a salicylic acid cleanser first thing in the morning can help lower the pH of the skin barrier [...] and that may help enhance penetration of [...] vitamin C serum. What impressed me about this is that it's a creamy formula, so if you found that salicylic acid cleansers are drying, I'd recommend giving this one a try."

BEST CLEANSERS FOR OILY SKIN 2021 @DrDrayzday

"The Cetaphil Gentle Clear Clarifying Acne Cream Cleanser is a cleanser I'm currently using in the morning and it turned out to be a favorite for me. [...] It's a two percent salicylic acid cleanser that's a little similar to the Peach Slices one but a lot creamier in terms of the formulation. It has a gentle surfactant that creates a very creamy formulation overall."

Cetaphil NEW CLEANSERS & REFORMULATIONS: What changed| Dr Dray

"I've been really really impressed with this [...] two percent salicylic acid face wash. It's helpful for breakouts, acne prone skin, and oiliness, and unlike old acne washes that dried out the skin, this [...] is a creamy formulation with gentle ingredients like aloe and a mild surfactant. It has nice lather, is fragrance free, and if you have acne prone skin, even sensitive acne prone skin, this is a great one for you that [...] you could use morning and night."

NEW DRUGSTORE SKIN CARE (Pacifica, Cetaphil, Neutrogena) | Dr Dray

"This is a true cream cleanser. When you put it on your fingertip it's so thick that you can tip your finger upside down and it's not going anywhere. It feels like a moisturizer going on. Once you massage it onto the surface of the skin and add in a little bit of water, you do start to get a creamy lather. [...] It rinses off the skin nicely but it doesn't leave the skin feeling dry or stripped. [...] It's a very good cleanser, a very good two percent salicylic acid cleanser."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Frequently asked.

What is Cetaphil Gentle Clear Clarifying Acne Cream Cleanser?

A gentle cream cleanser with two percent salicylic acid for acne-prone skin.

Is Cetaphil Gentle Clear Clarifying Acne Cream Cleanser worth it?

Yes. All 2 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 80%.

What is Cetaphil Gentle Clear Clarifying Acne Cream Cleanser's Guru Score?

Cetaphil Gentle Clear Clarifying Acne Cream Cleanser holds a Guru Score of 80%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 2 expert reviewers we have collected.