Effaclar Mat Oil-Free Mattifying Moisturizer.

Moisturizers

About this product

Lightweight gel-cream moisturizer designed for oily to combination skin, formulated to mattify and hydrate for 48 hours while controlling shine.

Full ingredients

Aqua / Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Isocetyl Stearate, Alcohol Denat, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Peg-100 Stearate, Cocamide Mea, Sarcosine, Glyceryl Stearate, Triethanolamine, Isohexadecane, Perlite, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Tetrasodium Edta, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Salicylic Acid, Parfum / Fragrance

Guru Score

70%

Mixed

Early verdict · Few reviews so far

3Gurus

2Yay

0Mixed

1Nay

What the gurus are saying

This mattifier divides reviewers sharply. One expert praises its salicylic acid and niacinamide for controlling shine and improving pores without irritation across climates, and loves the gel finish that hydrates while staying matte. However, another cautions that denatured alcohol sits high on the ingredient list, a solvent that mattifies by stripping oil but can sting and irritate sensitive skin for days afterward. The product lacks soothing agents, ceramides, or antioxidants that might buffer that risk, and includes fragrance unnecessarily. If your skin tolerates denatured alcohol and you're chasing a portable, matte finish for oily skin in summer, this may deliver; if you're alcohol-sensitive or prone to irritation, best patch-test first or skip it.

Synthesized from 3 expert reviews · most recent take August 2026

Best for

Oily skin Combination skin

Type

MoisturizersGel

Key actives

Salicylic acid (BHA)

Formula notes

Contains fragranceContains drying alcohol

Where to buy

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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.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Hyram

4.34M subs

~Nay

"My oily skin would absolutely love to use so many of these mattifying products, but they all use the same ingredient, denatured alcohol, a solvent that very rapidly dissolves excess oil or sebum, but can very easily overly dry out your skin and cause sensitivity or allergic reactions. I'm one of those people who experiences reactions to denatured alcohol, and on this ingredient list it's kind of near the top, so I already know I'm not able to use it, [...] my skin stings, it burns, gets super irritated, and it takes days to get it back on track. [...] This is basically a moisturizer that uses a lot of common silicone-based ingredients, which aren't bad, but don't make me fall in love with a product either. It doesn't have any interesting natural extracts, soothing agents, antioxidant-rich ingredients, amino acids, or ceramides. [...] It just has the silicones, denatured alcohol, and then parfum fragrance. A lot of La Roche-Posay [...] products do contain fragrance, which I [...] just feel is so not necessary. [...] Overall, this moisturizer would just be a pass for me, [...] risking sensitivity and irritation unnecessarily."

Dimma Umeh

532k subs

~Yay

"I've used it alongside La Roche-Posay products. I've used it without combining it with other La Roche-Posay products and it just works. I even put my husband on this cleanser. He was breaking out a lot at a point and I put him on this with the Effaclar moisturizer. No toner, no extras. His skin cleared up and it was so obvious that his skin cleared up."

Dr. Daniel Sugai

720k subs

~Yay

"This new moisturizer is designed for oily to combination skin. It's very lightweight while also giving you 48 hours of hydration, and it has a mattifying effect. It's packed with two ingredients I love, salicylic acid and niacinamide, and it helps control excess shine for twenty four hours. I have it on right now, I applied it this morning, and it has long lasting mattifying effects while helping improve the look of my pores. I was out doing yard work today and it withstood heat, pollution, and humidity. Whether I was trying this product out in New York, Las Vegas, LA, or Seattle, I have not had any irritation when it comes to different climates, even on the airplane where it gets very dry, it has not caused any stinging on my face. With this gel finish it just melts in quickly into the skin and I just love how it can be mattifying but also makes my skin feel plump and hydrated. It spreads very easily without leaving a heavy sheen, which is important since I'm layering sunscreen over it. I also love how portable this product is, I was able to travel with it easily. For all my friends out there with combination oily skin like myself, especially in the summertime, this product is for you. You can find it at Target."

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 Mat Oil-Free Mattifying Moisturizer?

Lightweight gel-cream moisturizer designed for oily to combination skin, formulated to mattify and hydrate for 48 hours while controlling shine.

Is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat Oil-Free Mattifying Moisturizer worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 70%.

What is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat Oil-Free Mattifying Moisturizer's Guru Score?

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Mat Oil-Free Mattifying Moisturizer holds a Guru Score of 70%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 3 expert reviewers we have collected.