Honest Review of 3 La Roche-Posay Moisturizers

Dry Skin Probs

Do you remember that Jergen’s commercial from the 2000s where it looks like the camera is panning through a desert but then you find out it’s a close-up of incredibly dry skin? That’s me. They did not use a picture of my desert-like skin for that commercial, but they could have! I have always had very dry skin, which is problematic for someone who cannot stand the feel of lotion. I will share a review of my three favorite La Roche-Posay Moisturizers and some great information I have learned on my journey to healthier skin.

When I was a kid, the skin on my hands would crack and bleed so badly that at night my mom would slather my hands in lotion followed by “Bag Balm” and then put little cotton gloves on me to wear to bed. If you’re not from a farming community you might not know what that is. It’s thick yellow goop that farmers put on the cow udders to help them not get chapped. Very high end. But it helped! However, I can’t put it on my face so I have had to find a moisturizer that isn’t so thick, and can be used under make-up etc..  

Over the years, I have tried so many lotions and creams trying to remedy the dry skin on my hands and face. It’s probably what led me to become a skin care girly at a young age. As a teen, I didn’t have acne-prone skin but it would get so dry and flaky, especially around my nose. I had oily skin in my “t-zone” from time to time but dryness has always been one of my primary skin concerns.

There is one hurdle that has always made my quest for a great moisturizer hard, and that is: I find moisturizers and lotions to be a complete sensory assault. If you have some sensory sensitivities, or even if you don’t, you likely have strong preferences for how things make your skin feel. I am very picky about how things feel on my skin. I cannot stand sticky, or oily, or really any lotion-y feelings at all. I have tried so many moisturizers and so when I find one that I like, I stick to it. Enter my ride or die moisturizer for the last 4-5 years. 

La Roche-Posay Skincare

I had always had clear skin, that is, until I hit my 30s. My skin began to be so dry, red and patchy and I couldn’t figure it out. In addition to the dry, flaky skin, I began having more acne than I ever had in my entire life. What the heck? I was 34 not 14! Turns out, being a hard-core skincare girly was actually making more problems than it was solving. More on that below, but I will give you a spoiler and that is La Roche-Posay has really improved the tone and texture of my skin. I have really enjoyed the products as my skin is very sensitive to fragrance and I will be honest, I’m low-key neurotic about how things feel on my face. If its too thick or greasy, I can not handle it.

 I started using La Roche-Posay products after getting a sample of their tinted sunscreen in the mail through a subscription box. Sunscreen often irritates my skin, and the fact that it didn’t, intrigued me. Also, it did not have a weird sunscreen smell or any fragrance at all. Win-win-win.  Now I use the product line regularly. I have tried various cleansers and moisturizers from La Roche-Posay brands and found a cleanser and moisturizer combo that has worked well for my skin care routine. I have found La Roche-Posay moisturizer to be my favorite for my face, body and hands. I will include a much more detailed account of my experience with the products below but before we go there, we really need to address large causation of dry skin.

Dry Skin and the Skin’s Natural Barrier

I had never had many skin issues until I was in my thirties. I inadvertently caused my own problems. On the quest to figure out why my once truly clear complexion was now red, patchy and broken out most of the time, I started learning about the skin’s barrier and microbiome. I did not realize that our skin has its own microbiome and barrier to protect it or that I was destroying mine.

I was essentially stripping my skin barrier all the time. I was over-doing everything and breaking out constantly. Like many women in their 30s, I began really upping my skincare game. However, it was all too much. I had like a 6-step program morning and night and it was not doing me any favors. I was over cleansing, over exfoliating and using too many “brightening” products.

I started looking into the skin barrier and how, like our gut, our skin needs to maintain proper levels of different bacteria to stay balanced. Some skin care lines, including La Roche-Posay, have been providing prebiotics in the skin care to help maintain that balance and maintain the skin barrier. I really only knew anything about pre- and pro biotics from a gut health standpoint but it turns out, they can be good for your skin, too! “Prebiotics are substances that support and foster the growth of healthy, beneficial bacteria in the overall context of our skin’s complex microbiome,” says Dr. Lauren Penzi. The prebiotic thermal water in the La Roche-Posay double repair face moisturizer seems to really help my skin.

If you want some more information on the skin’s natural barrier, I would recommend this read from Westlake Dermatology.

Simpler and More Affordable Skincare Routine

I used to spend hundreds of dollars per year on skin care products. Its frustrating to me now, because not only do I not like spending money but now I realize I was honestly doing more harm than good. There are two things I will spend cash on: skin care and my hair. Ironically, less has been more in both of those categories. 

I have used high end products, drugstore brands and everything in between. I would consider La Roche-Posay a mid-range price point but it really does a great job. Its not $6 Clean and Clear and its also not $100. 

Moisturizers: I prefer a lightweight moisturizer because I can not stand the feeling of heavy moisturizer or make up on my face. However, I do have to be cautious because a lot of the moisturizers that advertise “lightweight formula” seemed to dry my skin out. I recognize not everyone is quite so particular with the way things feel of the skin. Its a sensory thing, and I just can not stand the feeling of sticky or greasy skin. Thankfully, I found La Roche-Posay products and that has not been a problem.

Cleansers: I have tried four cleansers and had good results with all but one. I am not going to even list it here because I can no longer find it available on their site. I just mention it to say if you try one product and do not like it, perhaps don’t completely write off the entire brand.  

I asked my dermatologist about La Roche-Posay and she said it’s a really great, cost effective option especially for people with sensitive skin types.

After I realized I was using too many products and wiping out my skin’s barrier and microbiome, I have found that less is more. Turns out I did not need an 8 step skin care routine which saves me time and money! Ulta, Target and Amazon routinely run sales on these products. The most common one I see is buy one get one 40% off, which makes them even more affordable!

This post contains affiliate links, if you purchase through them I might make a small commission with no cost to you.

Current Skincare Routine that I am Loving!

1.  La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Facial Cleanser
2.  La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream
3. The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toner

I use the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Facial Cleanser. I have tried several others from the brand and none of them have irritated my skin, but this does the best with my combination of dry and oily skin. The Toleriane Purifying Foaming Facial Cleanser contains niacinamide, ceramides and prebiotic thermal water. The thermal water is a little surprising at first, especially when you use a moisturizer that also contains the thermal water. It is a pleasant warmth, but it is warm.

I was using the La Roche-Posay Toleriane double repair face moisturizer. And it was the perfect fit, it was the tall drink of water my skin was needing. I used it exclusively for about two and a half years. Then one day at Target I accidently purchased the Lipikar AP Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream and now I prefer it. It feels a little bit lighter on my skin which I appreciate. As I have mentioned several times, I am so weird about how things feel on my skin and it does not drive me insane. I can use this on my body as well and it doesn’t feel too heavy. Additionally it is quite a bit more cost effective than the Double Repair Face Moisturizer.

A Review of my top 3 Favorite Moisturizers from La Roche-Posay

I really like La Roche-Posay’s moisturizer and I have not had a bad experience with any of them. I have tried three from the brand and here is my honest review of each of them. Before I get started, here are the criteria I look for in a good moisturizer.

1) How my skin feels. I will not use a moisturizer if its a complete sensory assault, no can do.

2) Does it help or hinder my irritated skin? I have used moisturizers in the past that burned, or caused breakouts thus making my problems worse.

3) How my skin looks. Does it look greasy, is there a white cast ect. 

4) An Environmental Working Group “Skin Deep” score of 4 or less. You can read more about some of my favorite clean personal care products here!

5) Cost: I am looking for medium range skin care, not drug store, also not the kind you buy at a med spa. $15-50.

#1: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer

How it felt on my skin: It is a little bit heavier of a moisturizer than I usually would choose. However, I decided to stick it out because of my skin needed some serious TLC and I was willing to try out what I was learning about the skin’s barrier. I suspected my skin’s natural barrier was damaged and I think that was true based on how quickly I saw results with this moisturizer.

Help or hinder irritated skin: The moisturizer definitely helped calm my irritated skin.

Skin Deep Score of 4 or less: It scores a three

Cost: $20

I highly recommend this product to anyone with serious dryness on your face or who thinks your skin barrier and microbiome might be disrupted. It was very gentle but did the trick. The pre-biotic thermal water in this and the purifying foaming cleanser seemed to work together nicely. To begin with, I only used it at night. And I saw an immediate, positive difference in the texture of my skin. Eventually it helped balance some of the uneven skin tone brought about by redness and dry spots. So this totally helped bring my skin out of crisis mode, however as my skin healed this thick of cream was not really necessary for me anymore.

#2 La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm

1) How it felt on my skin: Thick but not sticky.

2) Does it help or hinder my irritated skin? Helps it. 

3)How my skin looks: There is for sure a white cast when using this. 

4) EWG Skin Deep Score: It scores a 3

5) Cost $16.

This is probably my least reached for among the three. When I first started using it, I used it very consistently. I don’t know if it changed formulas or if my skin changed, but it has fallen out of my lineup. It used to feel more like a balm to me, which is what I was going for especially for my hands. However, after going through 2 or 3 tubes, it began to feel more like a sunscreen. La Roche-Posay does carry a Cicaplast with SPF 60 but that is not what I ordered, so I don’t know. I would absolutely still use it. I think it’s a great product but the white cast makes it hard to use except for at night.

I had seen a reel on Instagram where a pharmacist suggested “slugging” with this product. I tried to slug and looked like a Cullen. So its great, but does not work for day time for me. FYI “slugging” is when you apply a thick layer of protective cream as your final layer of nightly skincare. Some people use Vaseline. Not me, but some people. Basically, my mom was having me “slug” my poor little hands in Bag Balm before it was cool.

#3: La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream

1)How it felt on my skin.  Based on the marketing, I expected this to be heavier than the face moisturizer I mentioned above, but I find that it wears nicely on my skin. 

2) Does it help or hinder my irritated skin? Helps, immediately. Did not irritate. 

3) How my skin looks. My skin does not look greasy after using this and there is no white cast. 

4) An EWG “Skin Deep” score of 4 or less on.  Scores 2

5) Cost: Very cost-effective. This is for sure the most best buy out of the three moisturizers I am reviewing. 

Final Thoughts

Out of the three, I think the best moisturizer for me is the Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream. I just can not beat it. I was surprised I liked it since I shy away from products that contain shea butter because they tend to be very think but this works for me. I put off buying it for a long time because the bottle reads “Extra Dry Skin Body and Face”. I have never used a product that worked for both face and body but this does a great job. It feels nice, is not greasy and is light enough I can use it as a body lotion as well. It is also the most cost effective of the three. All the facial moisturizers I have tried from La Roche-Posay have a non-greasy texture, which as I have stated a million times is my #1 criteria.

My skin has come a long way since beginning to use these products.  I think no matter what you choose, La Roche-Posay  can help you achieve healthy skin. If you are struggling with your skin, talk to your dermatologist. I feel like it goes without saying, but just in case, I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Just a skin care girl, sharing some good finds!

 As always, drop any questions or thoughts in the comments!

-Lauren