La Roche Posay® Effaclar Foaming Gel & Duo Plus Reviews

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 enjoyed trialling the Effaclar Foaming Gel cleanser as part of the rest of my routine, but the Duo(+) didn't really deliver on any of its promises

I liked the packaging which is simple, functional, easy to use, and feels very sturdy. They have a mild scent, fairly floral with chemical undertones. I'm not a fan of any scent in facial products so it's a mark against it for me, but it's subtle enough that I can stand it.

I really loved the consistency of the cleanser - a little goes a long way and it lathers up to a lovely rich foam, which is smooth and buttery to apply.

It leaves skin feeling very clean and soft, although I find it quite drying. My oily skin will over compensate and produce even more oil if I'm not keeping my skin hydrated enough, so I need to pair this with a rich moisturiser.

It was difficult to figure out from the instructions whether the Duo(+) was meant to replace moisturiser, or act as more of a treatment/serum step before moisturising. I looked it up on their website and 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, especially when paired with the already drying foaming gel.

I also found the Duo(+) absorbed into my skin extremely quickly, meaning I needed a surprisingly large amount of product to cover my whole face - 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.

I'll definitely continue using the cleanser, albeit paired with a nice rich moisturiser, but won't be using the Duo(+) again.

I have mixed feelings about both of these products from La Roche-Posay I trialled. I think the product range would be better suited for just oily skin rather then oily or combination/sensitive skin as I found the purfying foaming gel very drying on my cheeks and it made my sensitivity worse in this area. It did seem to help the areas around my T-Zone with excess oil but this came at the expensive of my cheeks so unfortunately I will not continue to use this.

The Effaclar duo plus initially confused me as I wasn’t sure what it actually was! I decided to use it as a spot treatment (corrector) for mild acne on my cheeks and for blackheads on my nose rather then as a whole face product. I will continue to use up the Effaclar duo plus as it did help with acne but I probably would not repurchase once used up as it seems rather expensive for such a small tube.

I was very excited when I got into this trial team, as the products looked fancy and the description sounded like exactly what I needed. My skin can get very oily and I suffer from pimples regularly, but some products can dry my skin out and make it flakey and red.

I liked the packaging - nice and sleek like I expected. The Duo Plus product could have given slightly more specific instructions though! The cleanser is a great size, and even the moisturiser is quite generous as you don’t need a lot per application.

The two products certainly didn’t make my skin worse, however I didn’t notice any extreme positive differences unfortunately. And I found that with the Duo Plus product, I felt like I still had to use my normal acne treatment and most days I also had to use my normal moisturiser (or my skin would feel a little bit dry and tight)… plus I ended up using my normal primer in the morning to get a good make up base (even though the Duo Plus is meant to be the perfect base for makeup). So… in reality the Duo Plus was an extra step that didn’t really seem to do anything special.

I did notice that my skin wasn’t excessively oily by end of day, so that was a plus. But I’m not sure that it helped with any pimples - I had a few during the trial (and in different places than normal). Almost being at that time of the month may have contributed though! It did keep me relatively non-oily in the afternoons, but there was a bit of shine. It’s hard to tell if any product would really keep oil away though if that’s your skin type.

I think the range might be better suited for summer time - where shine can be at its peak but skin doesn’t dry out as badly. I’ll keep using the products, but I think that I might bring them back out once the weather starts heating up.

I was excited to try these products because I have been curious to try this brand after I started seeing them in store and online.

I thought the cleanser was a really nice, simple cleanser for my oily skin. I liked the way my skin felt afterwards. I feel like it would have the tendency to be a bit drying if I used it twice a day, every day but I find it not too bad for a once a day use.

I want overly impressed with the Duo Plus, as I felt it wasn't hydrating enough to be a moisturizer yet it didn't perform very well as an acne treatment.

I still got some breakouts and didn't really notice any of the dark marks on my skin fading from using this.

I also found that I got quite dry around the creases in my nose when using this twice a day, so would perhaps not recommend using morning and night.

Overall, I would continue using them but not sure I would repurchase for the price.

I was fortunate to receive both of these products as apart of the trial team.

The foaming gel is a gel cleaser that comes in a squeeze tube, the Duo Plus has cream formual and also comes in a squeeze tube with a thin nozzle. Both products have a floral soap fragrence. I used aproximatetly a dollar coin sized amount of each product for my whole face.

I found the cleanser was a little drying on my skin and over all just average. I did like the Duo Plus, and think it did help a little with my skin texture. However I did not notice any significant reduction in oilyness, acne or other imperfections. I will use up the cleanser on my chest acne but I will not purchase this as I finf there are better cleansers availble at the supermarket. I did like the Duo Plus, and would consider purchasing it, hiwecer because it is so expensive and you get little product with minimal results I'm not sure if its worth it. I will see if it makes more of a difference over time.

Overall, I think these products worked well together, however I did not notice any significant results, which for the price of these products is disapointing. If you have minor oilyness and imperfections you may really like these products, but if you have moderate to severe oilyness and imperfections I do not thinknuoh would notice enough of a difference for it to be worth it.

The best duo especially when you’re trying out new skin care. The perfect size to work out if your skin reacts well to the products

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 always been curious about the La Roche Posay brand, so I was pretty excited to have the opportunity to try these! I am in love with this cleanser as its simple but effective! It doesn't leave my skin feeling dry afterwards and builds to a nice light foam. I have been using Cetaphil for years but I think I have found a new love with this cleanser as it's also free from alcohol, parabens and colourants - amazing! I will be re-purchasing for sure!

I don't suffer from any major acne but do break out at that time of the month. I was a little bit hesitant to try the Duo Plus as my skin can break out with certain creams but it was fine with this. I applied it to a few areas where I had some breakouts, rather than my entire face and though it didn't make them disappear overnight, it did dry them out slightly.

Overall, the cleanser is a great product, if you're after something light and easy. The Duo is good for surface acne but I think you might need something stronger if you suffer from cystic acne (hugs!) Really pleased to have tried this French brand. Will be looking into more of their products for sure!