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Cicaplast baume, retinol, niacinamide serums and more all feature as some of our favourites
Our skin is our body’s biggest organ – a fact that may come in handy at the Christmas quiz, yet is often forgotten about day to day. So, what we put on our skin is incredibly important, and we’re not just talking about facial skincare routines.
Of course, the beauty industry is vast, and there’s a countless – and often overwhelming – number of products to buy. Here at IndyBest, we’ve reviewed more than we can count – from vitamin C serums and retinols to moisturisers and eye creams – and could bore you senseless about which ones are our favourites and why.
But one brand that comes up time and time again is La Roche-Posay, and we certainly aren’t its only fans. Whether it’s trending on TikTok, recommended by dermatologists or the go-to favourite for everyone in your family, La Roche-Posay has racked up an incredibly loyal and forever-growing fan base with innovative products that don’t break the bank.
With a skin community providing free expert advice, sensitive skin formulations created alongside dermatologists and ongoing oncology support, the brand goes above just pushing out products, so it’s easy to see why it’s beloved by so many people.
Whether you’re a long-time La Roche-Posay lover, have tried one or two products or just fancy seeing what all the fuss is about, we’ve rounded up our favourite finds (and we think you’ll love them too).
As big fans of the brand, the IndyBest team already had their firm favourite La Roche-Posay products. Getting them all together, plus a handful more, into one routine, our tester used solely La Roche-Posay products for one month, to definitively decide on their favourites.
Using each one as recommended, examining the look, feel, ingredients, and the all-important end result, these were our favourite picks of the bunch.
This is one for the whole family. Fighting dry skin, eczema, nappy rash and more, the La Roche-Posay lipikar AP+M is like a little miracle balm. Working to restore skin barrier function, rebalance the microbiome and reduce the number of skin flare-ups, it’s never a bad idea to have a bottle of this to hand.
Our tester used it over their whole body – on healthy skin and patches that were dry and sore – and it instantly soothed skin and hydrated for hours. Anti-irritation thermal spring water, niacinamide, glycerine and shea butter all work together to provide this impressive list of benefits. It may actually be our favourite find of them all.
We included this in our best vitamin C serum round-up, dubbing it the best for sensitive skin, and our judgement hasn’t changed. Combining 10 per cent ascorbic acid, salicylic acid and hydrolysed hyaluronic acid, our tester was incredibly impressed with the formula.
The light, citrusy scent, weightless feel and instant absorbency of the serum had our tester reaching for this over and over again the first time around, and nothing has changed since.
The cicaplast balm has cemented itself well within the TikTok hall of fame, and also comes in a new spray format (£11.20, Boots.com). Designed to treat everything from scrapes and nappy rash to sore and cracked skin, it has been our go-to for the changing of the seasons, which inevitably brought dry skin with it.
Containing 5 per cent panthenol, it immediately soothes skin and accelerates its natural repairing process. Our tester even used it on regular skin and found deeply hydrates while helping to heel acne marks on the face, as well as instantly softening sore hands.
Small yet mighty, the toleriane ultra dermallergo serum has been designed for those with ultra-sensitive skin who are looking to reduce redness, tightness and dryness. Anti-irritation spring water and neurosensine work to calm sensitivity while deeply hydrating at the same time, creating a soothing, smooth formula.
For anyone who hasn’t quite found a product that doesn’t cause their skin to flare up, we urge you to give this a try. Our tester doesn’t have the most sensitive skin, but found the lightweight formula intensely moisturising with a silky feel.
One of our IndyBest writers loved the anti-shine version of this sunscreen so much, they claimed it as one of their gamechangers. We even titled the fluid version (£19, Boots.com) as our IndyBest best buy for face sunscreens, which is no small feat.
Opting for the slightly heavier cream version for winter months, we fell in love with the anthelios UVmune 400 hydrating suncream just as much as the other variations. Thick enough to be used in place of a morning moisturiser, it kept skin hydrated and protected from the sun on particularly bright days.
Finding the right cleanser isn’t always easy, with different formulas, textures and ingredients leaving us with countless options to choose from. But if you find most cleansers to be drying, or they make your skin feel tight, then this one is well worth looking at. Our tester loved the pearlescent gel that whisked up into a foam – for everyday use, we’ve nothing bad to say about it.
As with most of La Roche-Posay’s products, it has been formulated specifically for sensitive skin. So, whether you’re prone to dryness, redness or even allergic reactions, there shouldn’t be any need to shy away from this.
Approved by Allergy UK (a national charity supporting those with allergies), this soothing cream has been designed to reinforce the skin barrier function and deeply hydrate the skin. Our tester loved its miniature size – making it a perfect bag or desk companion – and used it similarly as they would a moisturiser.
For those with ultra-sensitive skin, it’s said to provide immediate relief from dryness, itchiness and redness, with a minimalist formula that’s tailored towards those prone to allergies.
Specifically tailored to oily and acne-prone skin for both adults and teenagers, this moisturiser has built up a hugely loyal fan base of people who swear by it. It hydrates the skin while reducing the appearance of spots, blackheads and pigmentation, as well as controlling shine. It can also be used across the whole face, if needed.
Our tester had multiple acne marks across the chin and cheeks, so targeted these areas with this cream. There was no sticky or burning sensation that can sometimes come with this type of product, and they did notice the marks fade quite impressively at around the four-week mark. The nozzle is incredibly thin, reducing the risk of any bacteria transfer, which is another big plus.
The name gives this one away, as the main ingredient is, you guessed it, hyaluronic acid. Combining two different-sized molecules of the hero ingredient, it both penetrates deeply into the skin as well as working on the surface level to plump out fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin B5 has been added to help stimulate the rate of skin repair, too.
An incredibly lightweight serum, our tester’s skin drank this up, and there was no sticky feeling post-use either. Our tester’s skin did feel more hydrated, vibrant and plumper immediately, but it was after a month’s worth of use that they really saw a difference – with a small reduction in fine lines and improved skin elasticity.
Retinol and sensitive skin are two things that don’t sound like they will go well together, but this one was named best for sensitive skin in our retinol round-up. It’s a gentle formula with only 0.3 per cent retinol working alongside niacinamide for a better, skin-boosting effect, which is why our tester loved it so much.
The packaging of the product is the same as all the other serums – a 30ml bottle with a separate pipette designed for easier application. When used in the evening, alongside the hyalu B5 hyaluronic acid serum in the morning, it’s a near-complete skincare routine for beginners looking to brighten their complexion and even out skin tone and fine lines. Be sure to use SPF daily with this product, as it will make your skin more sensitive to the sun, and do stop using it if it does cause any irritation.
A similar La Roche-Posay product was named best overall in our niacinamide round-up, proving yet again just how much we love the brand, but also that it knows more than a thing or two about this nifty ingredient. With a 10 per cent niacinamide concentration, it’s a little bit stronger than the previous versions yet is, of course, still suitable for sensitive skin.
Our tester used it in the morning to help reduce visible pores, even skin tone and fight against any redness. Hyaluronic acid is also included to help retain moisture, meaning there was no dry feeling on the face either. So, if you’re looking for a potent niacinamide for your sensitive skin, you’ve come to the right place.
La Roche-Posay is beloved by countless people all across the globe, and it’s easy to see why. If you’re somebody with sensitive skin, we’d strongly urge you to make this brand your first port of call. Whether you’re looking to tackle your baby’s nappy rash, kids’ eczema or even find a skincare routine for your own sensitive face, it really does cover all bases for the whole family.
The lipikar AP+M (£16.80, Boots.com) is an everyday essential we’d struggle to be without. While the pure vitamin C 10 serum (£32, Boots.com), anthelios UVmune 400 hydrating suncream SPF50 (£18.90, Amazon.co.uk) and retinol B3 serum (£32, Boots.com) were all already IndyBest favourites, and we’re still just as obsessed.
Want more inspiration? We’ve rounded up the best budget skincare buys