La Roche-Posay Duo Anti-Acne Moisturiser – Review

This is really part two the La Roche-Posay Effalcar Acne treatment review. The reviewer also used the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel for 7 days at the same time as testing this product.

la Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo — Image Credit: Skinkins.com

The Offical Information From La Roche-Posay

CORRECTIVE MOISTURISER FOR OILY SKIN

IDEAL FOR OILY, IMPERFECTION PRONE SKIN WITH CLOGGED PORES

WHAT IT IS

A corrective moisturiser that hydrates the skin and targets blemishes, imperfections and marks. EFFACLAR DUO PLUS is a dual-action pimple cream that targets acne prone & congested skin. This acne cream exfoliates dead skin and excess sebum, reduces redness, spots and breakouts, stimulates cell renewal and targets skin imperfections.

This acne cream is formulated for sensitive skin, with gentle, proven ingredients, without the harsh ingredients that can further strip and irritate skin. Ideal for oily skin, slightly congested skin, to acne prone skin.

HOW TO APPLY:

1. Cleanse skin thoroughly with the Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel.
2. Apply a thin layer to the whole face every morning and evening. Only a small amount of cream is needed.
3. Avoid getting this product in your eyes, nose or mouth, or on any broken skin as this may cause irritation. If contact occurs, rinse the area immediately and thoroughly.
4. Apply Effaclar Duo (+) to help hydrate the skin, target pimples and reduce breakout recurrences.

TEXTURE

The EFFACLAR DUO Plus formula has a hydrating, lightweight, gel-cream texture which spreads evenly, and absorbs quickly without feeling sticky or oily.

KEY BENEFITS

EFFACLAR DUO PLUS acne moisturiser contains a unique formula of active ingredients to address the key cause and effects of acne; clogged pores, bacteria and acne marks, and dry irritated skin.

EFFACLAR DUO PLUS can be used to improve skin tone, reduce breakout recurrence, targets spots and promote long term healthy skin with targeted ingredients for clogged pores, bacteria and acne marks and scars.

Chemical exfoliants, salicylic acid and Lipohydroxy acid (LHA) help to remove excess sebum, reopen clogged pores and reduce blackheads, and pimples for clearer skin.

The formula contains targeted ingredients designed to reduce the appearance of acne marks and scars. Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Procerad™, and Mannose work together to brighten skin, help prevent red, brown and purple marks, and stimulate cellular turnover.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE PRODUCT

Tested on oily acne-prone skin, severe and recurring imperfections, and persistent marks.
Allergy tested. Non-comedogenic. Suitable for sensitive skin.
Tested under dermatological control.

This information was taken directly from the La Roche-Posay Australian website.

The Ingredient List

AQUA / WATER • GLYCERIN • DIMETHICONE • ISOCETYL STEARATE • NIACINAMIDE • ISOPROPYL LAUROYL SARCOSINATE • SI L I CA • AMMONIUM POLYACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE • METHYL METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER • POTASSIUM CETYL PHOSPHATE • SORBITAN OLEATE • ZINC PCA • G LY C ERY L STEARATE S E • ISOHEXADECANE • SODIUM HYDROXIDE • M Y R I S T Y L M Y R I S T A T E • 2-OLEAMIDO-1,3-OCTADECANEDIOL • ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE • MANNOSE • POLOXAMER 338 • DISODIUM EDTA • CAPRYLOYL SALICYLIC ACID • CAPRYLYL GLYCOL • V ITREOSCILLA F E R M E N T • X A N T H A N G UM • POLYSORBATE 80 • ACRYLAMIDE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE COPOLYMER • SALICYLIC ACID • PIROCTONE OLAMINE • PARFUM / FRAGRANCE

Ok, if we just look at the ingredients, we can see why this product is a best seller.

The good folks at Indcidecoder give you a full breakdown of the ingredients but this product is full of fantastic stuff that helps with the treatment of acne.

It contains niacinamide, glycerin, mannose, zinc PCA, and salicylic acid. As well as LHA which is Lorels patented modified salicylic acid which they also call capryloyl salicylic acid. Lorel found a way to modify salicylic acid so it doesn’t penetrate the skin as fast.

This is a benefit of capryloyl salicylic acid (LHA) over routine salicylic acid is that it is much less irritating to the skin whilst still giving great anti-acne benefits.

It only gets one ‘ick tick’ and that is for the ingredient of parfum. Again, I wish they wouldn’t add ‘perfume’ into products all it does is potentially irritate the skin.

Anyway, I forgive them for putting it into this product because the rest of the ingredients are rockstars.

The Summary

Our in the field tester did not like this product, mainly because when applying it straight after washing his face with the Effalclar Gel Cleanser it was very ‘stingy and irritating’. There are a couple of reasons for this.

The Effalcar range contains LHA as well as Benzoyl Peroxide and other great acne treating products. The function of these products is to penetrate the top layer of skin and get into the pores to open them up, clean them out and stop the acne from reforming.

They also contain ingredients that soothe the skin and reduce inflammation. It’s a delicate balance to get enough ‘exfoliating power’ without to much ‘irritating factor’.

Would we recommend and repurchase this product?

This product is very effective and has a great ingredient list. It’s not hard to see why dermatologists love this product. While it is effective it can be irritating especially when combined with the gel cleanser. Because it is such a great product we do recommend it and here are some tips for using it effectively.

How to combine the Effaclar Gel Cleanser with the Duo cream.

Wash your face gently, with your fingers, not a cloth, brush or silicone tool.
Gently massage the cleanser into the affected areas for 10 – 15 seconds to allow the gel cleanser enough time to remove the surface layer of sebum and environmental pollutions.
Dry your skin very gently after washing with the gel. Allow your skin to dry thoroughly before applying the Duo.
Apply a thin layer only to the acne-affected areas on totally dry skin.
Don’t vigorously rub it in! Go for a gentle ‘pressing’ technique.

Because the tester has active acne, he wanted to see results quickly which is why we didn’t test these products separately. However, in combination, they worked well to reduce both acne, congested skin and inflammation.