Last Updated on December 7, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
A quick Look on the Paula’s Choice website and you’ll be overwhelmed by the amount of cleansers the brand makes. Last time I counted, there were 10+! How are you supposed to pick the best one out of all these Paula’s Choice cleansers? Luckily for you, I’m so easily intimated and I’ve decided to start this skincare journey with Paula’s Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser. Because, who doesn’t want smaller pores, am I right? In this Paula Choice cleanser review, I’ll share with you what’s in this cleanser, which skin types it’s best for, and whether you should add it to your skincare routine, pronto:
Key Ingredients in Paula’s Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser: What Makes It Work?
SODIUM LAUROYL SARCOSINATE
This is a surfactant, which just means it’s the thing that actually cleans your face. It’s one of the gentler ones – comes from sarcosine (an amino acid) mixed with fatty acids, and it gets rid of oil and dirt without absolutely destroying your skin barrier in the process. Way better than those harsh sulfates that leave your face feeling like you just scrubbed it with sandpaper.
What I like about it is you still get that foamy lather (we all want the foam, let’s be real) but your face doesn’t feel tight and stripped after. And that’s good because when your skin feels squeaky clean? That’s not clean, that’s damaged. This one does the job without being harsh about it, which is exactly what you need when there’s also salicylic acid in here.
GLYCERIN
Glycerin is boring but reliable, like the friend who always shows up when they say they will. It’s a humectant so it grabs water and pulls it into your skin. In a cleanser it’s basically there to stop your face from feeling like a desert while you’re washing it. But here’s the reality – glycerin in a cleanser is nice but it’s not going to change your life because you rinse it off like 30 seconds later. It keeps things from feeling stripping while you’re using it, which is good, but it’s not going to give you actual hydration like it would in something that stays on your face. It’s just there to keep your skin from freaking out while everything else does the cleaning.
SALICYLIC ACID
Ssalicylic acid is a BHA (beta hydroxy acid) and everyone goes absolutely mental for it when it comes to acne and pores. Which… yeah okay it IS good for that. It’s oil-soluble so it can get inside your pores and break down all the gross buildup and dead skin hanging out in there. Plus it calms down inflammation which is why it works for breakouts. BUT – and this is important – in a cleanser it’s basically not doing much. Like yeah it’s there, but cleansers don’t stay on your face long enough for salicylic acid to actually get in there and do its thing. The research is pretty clear that BHAs need time on your skin to work – we’re talking minutes, not the 30 seconds you spend washing your face. So the salicylic acid in this cleanser is more like a background character here than one of the active ingredients. If you actually want exfoliation and clean pores, get a leave-on BHA treatment, like one of the cult Paula’s Choice products, BHA Liquid Exfoliant. This gentle cleanser will wash your face fine and maybe give you a tiny bit of exfoliation but don’t expect it to be your miracle worker.
Related: Everything You Need To Know About Salicylic Acid In Skincare
NOTE: The colours indicate the effectiveness of an ingredient. It is ILLEGAL to put toxic and harmful ingredients in skincare products.
- Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product do the best possible job for your skin.
- Yellow: There’s not much proof it works (at least, yet).
- Red: What is this doing here?!
- Water: It’s literally just water, the base that everything else dissolves into. Makes up most of the formula because that’s how cleansers work, nothing wild happening here.
- Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer: This thickens everything up and keeps the formula stable so it doesn’t separate into weird layers. Gives it that gel texture instead of being all watery and pathetic, basically makes it feel like an actual product.
- PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate: It’s an emulsifier and surfactant so it blends everything together and helps with the cleaning. Comes from glycerin and palm oil, pretty gentle. Also helps the cleanser rinse off clean without leaving gunk on your face.
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate: Okay don’t panic but yes this is a sulfate. It’s a surfactant that makes foam and cleans, and yeah it’s more irritating than the sodium lauroyl sarcosinate. But look, it’s not poison – it depends on how much is in there and what else is buffering it. Since it’s listed after a bunch of other cleansing agents it’s probably not the main event, just there to boost the foam and cleaning a bit. Still, I wish it weren’t here.
- Arginine: This is an amino acid and it’s actually pretty cool in cleansers. Helps keep the pH at a good level for your skin (you want around 5 to 5.5), and it’s also good for your skin in general. Plus it can help calm down irritation from surfactants, so it’s probably in here to balance out that sodium laureth sulfate.
- Butylene Glycol: Another humectant like glycerin for hydration, but it also helps other ingredients dissolve better (though in a cleanser you’re rinsing off that doesn’t matter much). Makes the texture nicer and helps preserve things, super common and most people’s skin is fine with it.
- PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate: Mild surfactant from coconut oil and glycerin. Helps clean your face gently and makes the whole thing feel less harsh on your skin, just one of those ingredients that makes the experience more comfortable.
- Panthenol: Yes, love this. It’s pro-vitamin B5 and it’s great – soothing, helps fix your skin barrier, calms inflammation. Even though you rinse it off it works fast enough to make a difference, leaves your skin feeling softer and less angry.
- Disodium EDTA: Chelating agent that grabs onto metal ions in the water so they don’t mess with how well the cleanser works. Basically makes sure hard water doesn’t screw things up and helps keep the formula stable, totally normal ingredient.
- Citric Acid: pH adjuster, keeps it at the right level for your skin. Technically it’s an AHA but at these tiny amounts in a rinse-off product it’s really just there for pH, not exfoliation.
- PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil: Emulsifier that keeps things that don’t like each other (oils and water) mixed together. Makes the cleanser spread nicely and rinse off without leaving a film, comes from castor oil and it’s pretty gentle.
- Sodium Citrate: Works with the citric acid to keep the pH stable and also acts as a chelating agent like the disodium EDTA. Just one of those background ingredients that does its job quietly.
- Phenoxyethanol: Preservative that stops bacteria and mold from growing in your cleanser, which you definitely need. Pretty widely used and most people tolerate it fine, though some sensitive skin types can react but that’s not super common.
- Caprylyl Glycol: Preservative booster that works with the phenoxyethanol to keep things from getting gross. Also acts as a humectant and makes the product feel nicer, so it’s doing double duty.
- Chlorphenesin: Another preservative working with the others to keep your cleanser from turning into a petri dish. Generally safe and well-tolerated, just doing preservation things without drama.
Texture
It’s a clear gel that feels kinda slick and nice when you pump it out. When you rub it on wet skin it foams up a bit – not like crazy bubble bath foam, more like a light silky lather. Spreads easy, rinses off clean, no weird film left behind. Your face just feels clean after, not tight or anything.
Fragrance
There’s no fragrance at all, which is exactly what you want in a product like this. No fake fresh scent, no botanical nonsense, nothing. If you’re sensitive to fragrances or just hate when your skincare smells like a perfume counter, you’ll appreciate this.
How To Use It
Wet your face, pump a small amount of cleanser out (don’t go crazy, a little goes pretty far), massage it around your face for like 30 seconds, rinse it off. That’s it. You can do this morning and night if your skin can handle it, or just once a day if you’re more on the dry side. It’s best for your morning routine. If you’re wearing a full face of long-wearing makeup this isn’t gonna cut it on its own – you’ll need to use an oil cleanser first and then follow with this. It’ll handle light makeup or just general face grime fine though.
Packaging
Light blue plastic bottle with a pump. It’s basic, kinda medical looking, but I do dig the vibe. I do like they use different colours to differentiate their product lines which is actually helpful when you’ve got multiple products from them. Its also travel-friendly enough, which is always a plus.
Performance & Personal Opinion
Look, I’ve tried a lot of cleansers and this one just works without being annoying about it. It cleans my face properly – gets the oil and grime off, rinses clean, doesn’t leave any film. But it also doesn’t leave my skin feeling stripped or tight, which is where most cleansers that claim to be for acne-prone skin mess up. The foam is actually nice. Not aggressive, not drying, just does its job. My skin feels fresh after using it, not squeaky (which is good because squeaky = damaged barrier), just clean. I can use it twice a day without my face freaking out, which is saying something because my skin can be temperamental.
Here’s what I appreciate about it: it’s not pretending to be something it’s not. Yeah there’s salicylic acid in there but we all know from the research that it’s not doing much in a rinse-off product. This is just a good, solid cleanser that gets out of the way and lets your actual treatments (the leave-on ones) do the heavy lifting. I haven’t broken out from it, it hasn’t irritated my skin, and it plays nice with the rest of my routine. That’s honestly all I need. It’s boring in the best way – reliable, consistent, does what it’s supposed to do without drama. Sometimes that’s exactly what you want instead of some miracle cleanser that promises to change your life and then strips your face to hell.
What I Like About Paula’s Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser
- Cleans my face without making it feel like sandpaper
- Actually gentle
- No annoying fragrance
- The foam is nice without being aggressive
- Doesn’t leave residue
- My skin doesn’t feel tight after
- Hasn’t broken me out
- Pump bottle is way more hygienic than a tube
What I DON’T Like About Paula’s Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser
- Why is there sodium laureth sulfate in here when there are gentler options?!
- The salicylic acid is basically for show since you rinse it off
- Won’t remove heavy makeup
- Might be drying if your skin is already dry
Who Should Use This?
- Get this if you have combination skin or oily skin and breakouts. It’s good if you need something that cleans properly but won’t wreck your skin when you’re using stronger treatments at night.
- Also a good option if you have sensitive skin that usually hates acne products – this is gentle enough that it probably won’t make you break out in hives.
- Don’t get it if you have dry skin or dry areas because even though it’s “gentle” the sulfates might still dry you out.
- And don’t get it if you need your cleanser to take off a full face of makeup because it won’t.
Does Paula’s Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| This gentle, acne-fighting salicylic acid cleanser removes excess oil, pore-clogging debris and makeup without drying skin or causing redness. | True, even though the way it’s worded makes it sound like salicylic acid is doing way more than it does. It can remove pore-clogging debris before they get into your pores, but it won’t penetrate inside to clear pore. |
| This cleansing gel actually has a silky feel that works quickly to remove excess oil and debris that can clog pores and lead to breakouts. | True. |
Price & Availability
$24.00 at Cult Beauty, Dermstore, Paula’s Choice, Sephora, and SpaceNK
The Verdict: Should You Buy It?
If you have oily or acne-prone skin and need a cleanser that won’t mess up your skin barrier while you’re using other acne treatments, yeah get it. It’s solid, does the job, won’t cause drama. If your skin is dry or super sensitive maybe try a sample first because the sulfates might be too much. It’s not exciting, it’s not gonna change your life, but it’s a good reliable cleanser that does its job without being annoying about it. Sometimes that’s all you need.
