La Roche Posay® Effaclar Duo Plus Reviews

Thank you to Beauty Review as this product was sent to me as part of their test panel to discover whether it met my strict criteria in what I’m looking for in good, no-nonsense skin care for sensitive and irritable skin.

A bit of background before I get into the product, I have acne prone, combination skin and have been using Retin A for 1 ½ years so I look for products that do not contain essential oils or fragrance and contains low irritants as I break out with anything and everything.

This product has some exciting ingredients in it such as Niacinamide (some people are allergic to Niacinamide so if you use this and it stings, that could be the cause), Linoleic Acid and Salicylic Acid as well as some ingredients that are supposed to help mattify the skin.

Whatever your skin type the salicylic acid will help remove the dead skin,the linoleic acid will help hydrate while the niacinamide will help improve texture and hyperpigmentation.

The reason I mention that I am using Retin A is that it can make your skin more sensitive to things like Salicylic Acid so using them at the same time may not be a good idea (fine to use SA in the morning and Retin A at night).

This does contain Parfum/Fragrance and as with the foaming cleanser it has a slight tea tree/lemon scent to it.

I am trying this product with fragrance as I do not react to all products that have fragrance in it. I am wary so will go carefully with any product introduced into my regime that contains it.

A quick note on fragrance - it isn't the fact that it smells that affects me, it is the fact that fragrance is bad for the skin. Some people can tolerate it, I cannot.

This is a slim tube with a tiny nozzle at the end to stop you from squeezing out more than you need and truly, a thin film is all you need to apply. It will last a long time with regular use and in terms of economy this product is worth investing in regardless of skin type. It might cost more than you would normally pay initially but will last you longer than you think.

I tried using this in the morning over my moisturiser, under my SPF and mineral foundation but it just didn’t work for me (not many products do so I like to keep morning very simple). I found it did not mattify any shine so I was left to use this at night over Retin A every other night to avoid irritation. Again, it did not mattify shine but at night, who cares?

It did make my skin soft and smooth the following morning but as with the cleanser, my skin was becoming irritated and I had to cut down to every 2-3 days to get my skin under control again.

I did not notice a difference in redness (could be related to irritation) nor a difference in current acne marks disappearing but it did help remove dry/flaking skin and did not cause any breakouts.

This is perhaps a miracle in a tube!

La Roche Posay® Effaclar Duo Plus comes in a 40ml white tube and like its buddy the foaming gel, it gives off a fresh 'dermatological' vibe.

It applies and absorbs nicely to the skin but I do find I need to use a generous amount to cover my face which seems disproportionate to the size of the product.

The La Roche Posay® Effaclar Duo Plus promises to correct imperfections and it certainly lives up to its promise. Before using this product, I was on the verge of going to a dermatologist regarding the under skin bumps around my jawline. Since using this product the smaller bumps have disappeared and the large ones are reducing in size. I have noticed blemishes dry and heal quickly. Overall, my skin is smoother, I feel my pores look more refined in appearance and my skin tone is even and clear.

My only complaint is that this product is not particularly nourishing as my skin doesn't look as plump as it normally does. This is possibly due to my combination skin rather than oily skin this product is designed for.

I'm thrilled with this little miracle in a tube and will continue to use it as a topical moisturiser on my problem areas in conjunction with my regular moisturiser.

I can't recommend the La Roche Posay® Effaclar Duo Plus enough!

So I speak French. You'd never confuse me for a local, but I have a rudimentary grasp. Well La Roche Posay had me so confused about what this product was!

The instructions (in English!) told me to apply to my face after cleansing. Apply where? All over? The tube and thin nozzle look like a spot treatment. And it does say to use to clear up imperfections.

I was bemused and confuddled trying to decide if it was a serum or a targeted treatment. So I decided the only option was to open it, squirt it out and see what it was.

It came out looking like a moisturiser. I was even more confused. So I opted to just use it all over my face as a pre-moisturising treatment. But my skin felt so smooth I've actually skipped the moisturiser and have just been using this.

The difference in my skin is phenomenal. The texture is more even. it feels smooth. Baby smooth. Even on my t-zone. It definitely counteracted the dryness I encountered with the cleanser. My nose crevices usually feel a bit bumpy with blackheads (I know, I'm gross). I'm touching them now and they are smooth. I'd let you at me with a magnifying glass I'm that confident in my blackhead-free nose crevices.

I reckon I'll probably get 6 weeks out of the tube (you don't need to use much) so the price is quite fair I think. I'll certainly be repurchasing - and probably trying more from La Roche Posay!

I had high hopes for Effaclar Duo(+) helping even out my imperfections, but found it didn't really live up to the claims.

The packaging is nice, very clean and clinical looking, functional and sturdy. However, the first hurdle in using this product is figuring out how! The instructions are very vague - the box says to apply after cleansing, but no extra info, and the tube says to apply to your whole face which at least rules it out as a spot treatment (though I'd have expected it to be a spot treatment from the itty bitty size of the tube!). It was very unclear whether this was supposed to replace moisturiser, or act as more of a treatment/serum step before moisturising.

I looked it up on their website which wasn't much more helpful, but they were pitching it as a 'gel-cream' with 'all-day-hydration' and as an 'excellent make-up base', so it sounded like it was supposed to replace moisturiser. I tried that for the first week and it was nowhere near moisturising enough for my skin. My oily skin will over compensate and produce even more oil if I'm not keeping my skin hydrated enough, so I quickly added my normal moisturiser back in after the Effaclar Duo(+).

I also found the product absorbed into my skin extremely quickly, meaning I needed a surprisingly large amount of product to cover my whole face. This would make it extremely expensive for me to use, as I'd say I went through at least 1/3 of the tube in just 3 weeks.

More importantly, I just didn't see any improvement in my skin. It wasn't any less red, more even, or smoother as promised. None of my red or brown marks, other imperfections, or hyperpigmentation reduced in appearance. Of all its claims the only one it delivered on for me was its non-greasy finish and matte appearance.

All in all, definitely not a winner for me.

I was excited to try this cream as I suffer from hormonal breakouts, during that time of the month. I applied this cream directly to my spots and the next day noticed that they had calmed down a little. While this is no miracle fix, it did help with my breakouts. Overall, if you have more surface acne, this will help when it comes to drying them out.

Super light weight and perfect for oily skin. Just like the cleanser this has a subtle fragrance of cucumber and you only need a very small amount. The tube itself has a tiny opening which is perfect for getting the right amount out. I used this daily for the past 2weeks and it has really helped to brighten up my complexion. Although was nice to use everyday I would say it is not needed everyday. Every second day or even a few times a week would be ok.

After washing my face I applied this product and went to bed. I was so happy when I woke up in the morning and my face was still smooth and there was no grease pit! It is in a great package and easy to use and you only need a tiny amount. There is no perfume but it does have a smell that I did need to get used to. The results after a week of using has cleared up my most of my adult acne.

The cream was a dream to apply! It comes in a small tube that is easy to hold and super easy to squeeze as the tub retains its shape. It's also easy to control the amount used as the opening is quite narrow. It has a non-discript scent, and a non-greasy application. I have oily skin and really liked how my skin absorbed the product.

The cream is white, and very light to the touch, and spreads very evenly and thoroughly when applying it. It almost feels like a nice mask being applied but very lightweight, I loved using this as part of my morning and nightly routine, because it felt really lovely during application.

It's recommend to use twice daily, and helps with imperfections. I have some splotchy bits from scaring and the cream didn't irritate my skin. It dulled redness I have around my nose and chin area, gave me a smooth renewed skin appearance. I was really impressed the first time I used it, as I woke up and visibly saw a difference in my skin's appearance. I don't often use a product with salicylic acid and am keen to keep it as part of my routine, particularly when my skin is being irritable!

Highly recommend as a tool in your beauty kit.

I wasn’t quite sure how to use this product when I first received it, and the packaging didn’t really tell me either (I googled it in the end). The product description certainly made it sound like a wonder product. I found it was moisturising enough in most places, but I was left with a dry patch in places between my eyebrows (even if I applied the product there!) - especially annoying when it came to apply foundation. I also still used my regular acne treatment, and most days also a normal moisturiser. So it kind of became an extra step that didn’t really seem to serve any real purpose.

It stated it was a perfect base for makeup, but I had to use my normal primer after applying to get the best base for my foundation. It claims to be ‘gel-cream’ but I wouldn’t really call it that gel-like, or that cream-like - more just like a standard light lotion. My face didn’t look flushed or noticeably red throughout the trial, so I think it may have been soothing and helped to reduce redness.

When I first received it I thought the tube was pretty small, but I actually think it’ll last quite a while so I’m happy on that front. I think I’ll bring it out again in Summer when it’s a bit warmer and my skin has less chance of drying out, and even then I think I might save it for once a day use rather than morning and evening. For the RRP though, I would not repurchase as I didn’t really find it special. I have other, cheaper products that do just as good a job.

Even after using this product, I am still not 100% sure I know what it is. I am not sure if it is supposed to be a moisturizer or a pre-moisturizer treatment.

The packaging doesn't really shed any light, but I found that it wasn't quite moisturizing enough to use on it's own so I would use my normal moisturizer after applying the Duo Plus.

It claims to be anti-marks and anti-blemishes, but I dont know if I saw enough improvement in my skin to say it lives up to these claims. I still got new breakouts whilst using it and didn't see any change in the Mark's left from prior breakouts.

I also found that this left me with quite dry patches around my nose.

Overall, I am quite disappointed with this product and dont think I would repurchase it, especially for the higher price.