La Roche-Posay Effaclar Dermatological Acne Treatment System

This product works by removing dirt and oil from the surface of the skin. It uses a combination of mild cleansing agents (capryloyl glycine, carbomer, coco-betaine, decyl glucoside, hexylene glycol, peg-150 pentaerythrityl tetrastearate, peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, peg-6 caprylic/capric glycerides, sodium laureth sulfate) and should be able to cleanse the skin gently. Still keep in mind that any cleansing can disrupt the skin barrier, and most people do not need to cleanse their skin more than once per day.

Even though this formulation is mild, the following cleansing agents could trigger an irritation or allergy for some people: coco-betaine, decyl glucoside, sodium laureth sulfate

This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: capryloyl salicylic acid, glycolic acid.

This product contains ingredients (capryloyl salicylic acid, glycolic acid) that could help reduce blemishes and clogged pores in theory, but there is not enough evidence that they actually work.