La Roche Posay® Effaclar Foaming Gel & Duo Plus Reviews

Two products that have now been added to my “forever” skin care routine! First things first my skin type - oily/combination, sensitive and acne prone (hormonal, white heads and blackheads in t-zone) plus I have uneven skin tone and rough texture on my cheeks. I’m winning at the skin life! I was so excited to be chosen for this trial team as I wouldn’t normally go out and buy this brand as it’s a little pricier that I would normally go for and it’s not a brand that I’m familiar with - although I have heard of it.

I’ve already reviewed the products on their own so feel free to pop over and have a read but together is where these two really shine! When I began the trial I had 4 active breakouts and my skin was looking dull and lacking the beloved glow that I aspire to have.

My current skincare routine is the Oxygen 2 in 1 Cleanser & Nivea Soft Cream, I love both of these products so I was intrigued to see whether or not these could fit into my routine. I can confidently say that the Oxygen Cleanser has gone out the window! (The window being a shelf in the bathroom for neglected products). The La Roche Posay Cleanser is absolutely beautiful, it’s a thick gel that foams to a rich and creamy lather and deep cleans the skin without leaving it tight or dry. It also left my skin soft and oh so smooth!

The moisturiser is simply wonderful, silky and smooth and you don’t need too much, it leaves my skin glowing and lightly hydrated although I still apply my Nivea Cream over top at night time for an added moisture boost. I truly believe these two products work perfectly together and I can’t thank Beauty Review enough for introducing me to this amazing brand! After using these products I now have NO active breakouts, my skin is hydrated, glowing, smooth and beautiful. Absolutely in love!

These two products work great together. The foaming gel clears oil from the face, leaving the skin nice and clean.

Using the Duo Plus then acts as a spot remover treatment and reduces the redness and size of pimples. This product especially is a must have!!

This beauty regime is just the best for clearing up imperfections, reducing redness, unclogging pores and preventing breakouts. I find that I definitely need to use the Duo Plus after using the foaming gel as the foaming gel on its own would possibly be a bit too drying on my skin. The Duo Plus is incredibly hydrating, so there’s no chance of this pair drying out your skin when used in combination. I’ve been following the directions and using the foaming gel once daily in the shower and then applying the Duo Plus afterwards. I’ve also been using the Duo Plus in the mornings before applying my make-up. The Duo Plus acts as an excellent make-up base in my opinion, which is an added bonus on top of it feeling very hydrating on the skin and reducing imperfections and redness. Overall, both products have cleared my skin and I have much less redness and no acne! If you have problems with acne, then I certainly recommend these two as the pair of these products WILL clear up problem areas. My skin feels so much fresher, cleaner and clearer when using this dream combination of products. I’ve had zero blemishes since adhering to this beauty regime. Of the two products, I prefer the Duo Plus for its effectiveness and hydrating feel, but I think its the combination of the foaming gel AND the Duo Plus that has completely cleared my skin. Five kisses for this dream partnership, and I recommend it to anyone who has combination skin, oily skin, blemish-prone skin or skin imperfections, such as redness and/or clogged pores. These two products will help with any of those skin issues.

This regime of the Foaming Gel and the Duo Plus worked wonders. A perfect combination that felt like it was cleaning my oily skin and evening my skin after every use. The first step of the regime (the gel) cleansed, making my skin feeling tight and fresh. The second step (Duo Plus) acts as a moisturiser and seals the skin. I found that I have less acne. My skin felt tingly at first but it is worth it for the results - it is smoother and I feel over more use my pores and my imperfections will reduce.

My only negative is the claim of a non-drying formula in the Duo. I have combination skin, I did get dry patches on my face, particularly on and around my nose and cheeks, so I did find I needed to use a thicker moisturiser as well to hydrate parts of my skin. Enjoying this product paired with the Foaming Gel.

I truly had high expectations for these products - being that they're on the more pricier side and seeing some great reviews. Unfortunately in the first week these products did not work well with my skin at all, and despite me using it as instructed on the packaging - it did not do what it said it would. They had completely made my face break out (worst it has ever been) with large blind pimples in places where I have never really got them (on my cheeks and neck) and I am totally aware that purging may occur during the first week or so but my skin really has never looked this bad. These products state they are for sensitive skin which I found very surprising as the duo plus gel leaves my face feeling like it is on fire which is very unpleasant and I woke up in the morning and my skin had started to peel around my spots (not sure if supposed to?). After waiting another week, I started to see great results - I guess the breaking out was my skin 'cleansing' itself and getting rid of all the bad toxins? Happy to say that I will be continuing to use these products and would consider purchasing when I run out.

The two products together are a great combination for oily sensitive skin. I usually shy away from foaming cleansers as I find that they can strip the skin, so I was sceptical of this one. I do however have very oily, sensitive skin, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen a product which targets those two concerns together. It is very gentle, virtually scent free, foams easily and doesn’t strip your skin out. I tried it both at the beginning and the end of the day and have ended up using it as a morning cleanser. It won’t remove makeup all that well, so you need a second cleanser to do that first, or use as a morning cleanser as I did. The packaging is your standard tube cleanser packaging, in a 200ml size. The instructions are to wet your hands and then foam the product before applying to your face which is a bit fiddly as then you are opening the tube with wet hands. You only need about a pea sized amount to do your face and neck so good value for money.

I would carry on using the cleanser for a morning cleanse, and it’s probably more the kind of thing I like to use in the summer months as the foaming gel is quite refreshing.

I followed with the effaclar moisturiser. The moisturiser is nice and gentle for oily skin. It claims not to cause breakouts and is also supposed to help with unclogging pores and preventing marks. I used this following the effaclar foaming cleanser in the morning, before applying makeup. It comes in a slim tube contained in a box. The tube has a thin applicator which makes it easier to regulate the amount you squeeze out. The cream is a milky gel, which has a slightly chemical smell, and appears matte after application. I found it wasn’t enough as a base for makeup, which tended to go a little patchy on top, so a seperate primer is required if you want your makeup to last. I had one spot break out soon after I started using this, so I also applied a layer to the affected area in the evening which stopped the spot from coming to a head. The red mark from it still took several days to subside, so I didn’t feel that it had any particular advantage on skin marks. I will continue using this as I’ve found it’s a nice day moisturiser, though I do find the smell slightly off putting.

I have reviews of these separately under their separate product headings so a brief run down.

Both products contain added fragrance and smell quite tea tree/lemony. It's not the fragrance that bothers me. Fragrance is a skin irritant and will upset my moisture barrier so I try to stay away but it also depends on how much fragrance is used and unfortunately my skin reacted to both of these products.

The products might look expensive on the shelf but in reality the packaging is designed in such a way that it makes you use less. Both have tiny nozzles/holes that allows you squeeze out precisely how much you need without glooping it everywhere.

The Foaming Wash has SLS as it's second ingredient and foams very well if you enjoy a foaming cleanser. I found it too drying for me but my skin seems to be going through changes (curse you hormones!) and seems to be tipping towards the drier side. It removed SPF, mineral foundation and my mascara very well.

The Duo+ was quite moisturising with the Salycilic Acid dissolving the dreaded "skin flakes" as it is supposed to do. The Linoleic Acid did the hydrating part but I did not notice any reduction in redness, pore size or past acne scarring but that could be because my skin was irritated.

It was an interesting trial but made me more interested in the Toleraine range rather than the Effaclar.

I have sensitive but very oily skin. Therefore I find it hard to find the right product for reducing acne. First use I was worried it felt so light that I thought that perhaps it had not washed anything off. But it had! My face was so smooth and clean. And by the end of the day it wasn’t back to oily. The more I use it the more my acne is clearing up an my face is neither over-dried or an oil slick. The Duo plus I was also reluctant to use as most creams I put on at night I wake up with acne or very oily. Not the case!! Fantastic oil free and not dry face with all my acne cleared up!

I'm new to La Roche-Posay but I think I've found a winner!

My skin is oily and pimple prone so I was really excited to try both of these products because they are more expensive and technically should be more effective than cheaper alternatives.

The foaming gel cleanser is simple but effective, and doesn't irritate my skin; and the duo plus cream is amazing at preventing my face from becoming oily ALL DAY!

The duo plus is also a great makeup primer for my concealer. I haven't been using it long enough to know if it will prevent me from producing excess oil on days that I'm not using it; but for now it only works while I am.

Recently my skin has reacted badly to almost any sort of toner or anti-pimple serum, but not with the duo plus so I would recommend it to people with sensitive skin.

I wish the duo plus tube size was much larger, but overall I am super pleased with these products and can see a light at the end of the tunnel in regards to my dreaded shiny T-zone. If all goes well I think I may continue to buy these after this lot runs out!

Both products look very clinical - they have that prescriptive skincare look. Personally I think its a little bland, but the fact my husband tried both of his own accord makes me think La Roche Posay might be on to something with the branding!

I've used both products in conjunction for two weeks.

The cleanser is nice, but was drying when I used it twice a day. Using it once a day seemed to bring things right. I do think its slightly overpriced based on what I pay for my regular cleanser that does just fine. But if you have sensitive skin and are interested in La Roche Posay you should check it out.

The Effaclar Duo Plus is earth-shatteringly good. 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. I'm blackhead free and my skin just looks good.

The price for the Effaclar Duo Plus is really good value - I'll certainly be repurchasing - and probably trying more from La Roche Posay!