La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser: Guru Score 88%

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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✓Yay

"The type of cleanser that you also use matters a lot because you need cleansers that are actually targeted at people with your skin type. My favorite cleanser I tell you guys all the time is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar cleanser. That cleanser was made for people with acne prone skin. It's literally the best that I have used. It is perfect in my opinion. I use it after I have used the Effaclar micellar water now. I think that these two were made for each other, these two products."

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All 3 takes from Dimma Umeh

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"To cleanse my face I used the La Roche-Posay Effaclar cleansing gel, very nice."

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"This is my go-to cleanser for my face, the La Roche-Posay Effaclar gel cleanser. It comes in a bottle, and I used to buy a brand new one every time I ran out until I learned it has a refill pouch available, which is much cheaper than buying full bottles every time."

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"The type of cleanser that you also use matters a lot because you need cleansers that are actually targeted at people with your skin type. My favorite cleanser I tell you guys all the time is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar cleanser. That cleanser was made for people with acne prone skin. It's literally the best that I have used. It is perfect in my opinion. I use it after I have used the Effaclar micellar water now. I think that these two were made for each other, these two products."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

151k subs

✓Yay

"It's a really good pick for morning or evening use in acne routine, but I really would reserve these for oily skin. It's best for that comedonal acne, meaning you have the blackheads, whiteheads, bumpy skin texture. Ideal for that oily skin that needs pore clearing without irritation. The key ingredients are salicylic acid, glycerin, and lipohydroxy acid, also known as LHA, which is a derivative of salicylic acid and has exfoliating and skin renewing properties."

All 2 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown

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"It's a really good pick for morning or evening use in acne routine, but I really would reserve these for oily skin. It's best for that comedonal acne, meaning you have the blackheads, whiteheads, bumpy skin texture. Ideal for that oily skin that needs pore clearing without irritation. The key ingredients are salicylic acid, glycerin, and lipohydroxy acid, also known as LHA, which is a derivative of salicylic acid and has exfoliating and skin renewing properties."

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"It lathers really well, rinses clean, and it helps reduce excess oil without overdrying. It's a really great pick for morning or evening in your acne routine. It's really best for that comedonal acne, meaning the blackheads, the whiteheads, or like bumpy skin texture. It's also ideal for those with oily or acne prone or maybe even combination skin that need pore clearing without irritation. I would not go for a salicylic acid cleanser if I was treating acne and I have dry skin."

Dr. Daniel Sugai

722k subs

✓Yay

"For my sample closet, I picked out La Roche-Posay Effaclar 2% gel cleanser. Patients love this. I like to use that after the gym. You can use it on your body and not just on your face."

All 7 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai

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"For my sample closet, I picked out La Roche-Posay Effaclar 2% gel cleanser. Patients love this. I like to use that after the gym. You can use it on your body and not just on your face."

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"La Roche-Posay makes the Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser with two percent salicylic acid. Beta hydroxy acid, which is salicylic acid, is a type of beta hydroxy acid, so beta hydroxy acids are oil soluble and go down into the pore and clean out pores very well. This is another salicylic acid cleanser to consider."

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"This is La Roche-Posay, 2% salicylic acid, makes a good acne control cleanser with ceramides, hectorite clay which will absorb excess oil, and niacinamide which is a vitamin B analog that will help brighten the skin, regulate sebum production, and even help repair the skin barrier with the ceramides."

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"Another favorite of mine has been La Roche-Posay Effaclar 2%. My only critique with this is that the cap when you open it up a lot of product comes out, it kind of just spills right out onto my palm, and it's maybe a little bit more cleanser than I'd like. So I always put the excess on my body and wash my body in the shower."

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"The La Roche-Posay Effaclar has salicylic acid 2%. That's a BHA, beta hydroxy acid, that goes down into your pores and cleans out your pores. So you want to have something nice like that to end your day with when I wear a surgical mask and do my excisions. You know, I got to wash out all that sunscreen on my face. Or if you have makeup, go ahead and double cleanse. And you can even follow up after your oil-based cleanser or micellar water with even a salicylic acid cleanser."

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"La Roche-Posay is their medicated Gel Cleanser, this one's also two percent salicylic acid and this has LHA which you see in their very viral Alpha Clark dual, which is that spot treatment with benzoyl peroxide. The LHA is a micro exfoliant so it helps with gently exfoliating the skin with the salicylic acid. This is a really nice one that doesn't irritate my skin."

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"This one by La Roche-Posay is the Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser and has two percent salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that goes down to the pores and cleans them out, and so it really helps with blackheads."

The Style and Beauty Doctor

222k subs

✓Yay

"I used a very gentle salicylic acid face cleanser from the La Roche-Posay Effaclar line."

Dr. Mamina

282k subs

✓Yay

"Salicylic acid can really be used at any age and I think like a great easy way to start if you're noticing some early signs of acne is just like a basic salicylic acid cleanser. La Roche-Posay has a nice one, their Effaclar gel medicated cleanser."

Dr. Jenny Liu

323k subs

✓Yay

"It also contains glycerin that's going to help hydrate your skin along with zinc gluconate which is a great ingredient - it's anti-inflammatory and also helps to offer some temporary sebum control. If you have a lot of pore congestion or say if you're prone to acne, a salicylic acid based cleanser may be helpful."

Tea with MD

115k subs

✓Yay

"One of the ones I like to recommend for summer, especially if you have acne, is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser, and this comes with two percent salicylic acid. We know salicylic acid is one of our favorite BHAs because it really gets into the pores and helps clean out pores and reduce that appearance of oiliness and gets rid of all that gunk that's stuck in there."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"For me personally I have encountered some eyelid dryness from time to time if I'm not careful with the frequency of use, but overall it is a very good hydrating cleanser. It does have menthol in it, which gives it almost a medicated feel with a bit of a tingle, and if your acne is very itchy that may offer some symptomatic relief, but menthol is a fragrance ingredient, so if you are allergic to fragrance be aware it could cross react with your fragrance allergies."

The Budget Dermatologist

724k subs

✓Yay

"The LaRoche Posay option is better in my opinion. Although both products contain 2 percent salicylic acid, the formulation from the La Roche Posay one is in my opinion the better choice. It is a little bit more pricey but the quality justifies the cost. The LaRoche Posay option is free from fragrances and dyes, both of which you want to avoid when dealing with acne treatment if possible."

All 2 takes from The Budget Dermatologist

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"Some of my favorite cleansers are by La Roche Posay the Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser."

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"The LaRoche Posay option is better in my opinion. Although both products contain 2 percent salicylic acid, the formulation from the La Roche Posay one is in my opinion the better choice. It is a little bit more pricey but the quality justifies the cost. The LaRoche Posay option is free from fragrances and dyes, both of which you want to avoid when dealing with acne treatment if possible."

What the evidence says.

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

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid dissolves in oil, so it can get into a pore rather than just working on the surface. That is why it has long-standing evidence for blackheads and milder acne.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser?

A medicated gel cleanser with 2% salicylic acid, designed to cleanse oily and acne-prone skin while helping to clear pores and reduce excess oil.

Is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser worth it?

Yes. All 9 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 88%.

What is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser's Guru Score?

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser holds a Guru Score of 88%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 9 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.