The Ultimate Guide To La Roche-Posay Skincare

French pharmacy skincare is all the range in 2022: from Tik Tok to Instagram, you’re sure to find fans of French skincare brands lauding their products on your feeds, from Caudalie to Bioderma. For those who know skincare, the popularity of these French brands won’t come as much of a surprise: along with good pastries, skincare is something France does best. 

In this guide, we’re going to focus on one of our favourite French pharmacy skincare brands, La Roche-Posay. Founded in 1975 by René Levayer, La Roche-Posay is now the number 1 dermocosmetic brand in the world, recommended by over 90,000 dermatologists and pharmacies - and now us, too!

So, what makes La Roche-Posay so special, and what kind of skincare products do they have in their range? Let’s take a look.

What is La Roche-Posay skincare?

La Roche Posay, named after a small commune in the west of France, is a dermocosmetic brand that aims to provide effective skincare solutions, especially for those with sensitive skin. Now based in New York, the brand remains one of the most popular pharmacy skincare brands in the world, with products ranging from cleansers and toners to serums and SPFs. 

Their original brand ethos, which the brand itself describes as “enhancing your quality of life through skincare”, continues to play a current and active role in the formulation of the brand’s newest products.

Is La Roche Posay expensive?

We’d categorise La Roche-Posay as a middle-tier brand when it comes to the average price of its products. While we wouldn’t describe it as a budget brand, it’s certainly not in the high-end price range, and you can easily buy La Roche-Posay skincare products in most UK pharmacies, including ours.

Best La Roche-Posay Face & Body Products

While it’s hard to narrow down our favourite La Roche-Posay products, here is just a selection of the must-haves that we love recommending to our customers:

La Roche-Posay Sensitive Skin Micellar Water

Micellar water is another French beauty trend that captivated skincare fans in the UK and elsewhere, and for good reason! Miceller water allows you to remove dirt, impurities, and make-up from your complexion in just a few swipes. You don’t even have to rinse! La Roche-Posay’s sensitive skin micellar water is a gentle, hydrating, soothing formula, which uses Thermal Spring Water to get your skin squeaky clean at the end of a long day.

La Roche Posay Toleriane Sensitive Rich Moisturiser 

Finding a good moisturiser can be difficult if you have sensitive skin, which is why La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Sensitive Rich Moisturiser makes it into our top 5 favourite La Roche-Posay products. Suitable for dry, sensitive, and even acne-prone skin, this hydrating cream is both anti-inflammatory and alcohol-free, and helps to rebalance your skin’s natural microbiome and rebuild your skin’s barrier.  

La Roche Posay Effaclar Micro-peeling Purifying Gel Wash 

While La Roche-Posay might be best known for their facial skincare products, the range actually includes body care too (as well as some cosmetic items.) Their Effaclar Micro-peeling Purifying Gel Wash is a brilliant cleanser for both the body and face, and ideal if you suffer from pesky back acne or frequent body pimples. Made with pimple-busting salicylic acid, this is the perfect post-gym face and body wash. 

La Roche Posay Hydraphase HA Rich Hyaluronic Acid Moisturiser

With winter coming up, now’s a good time to invest in a rich, hydrating moisturiser that can help you fend off winter dryness, flakiness, and skin irritation. One of our favourite moisturisers for normal to dry skin is La Roche Posay’s Hydraphase HA Rich Hyaluronic Acid Moisturiser. Suitable for sensitive skin, this hydrator unlocks the power of hyaluronic acid to bring bounce, plumpness, and softness to dry or dehydrated skin.

La Roche Posay Redermic Pure Vitamin C10 Serum

If you’re dealing with dull or tired skin, Vitamin C is most likely the active ingredient lacking in your skincare routine. To brighten up dull skin, we love La Roche Posay’s Redermic Pure Vitamin C10 serum. Formulated with pure Vitamin C and salicylic acid, this serum can help you resurface your skin; the Vitamin C brightens and works against fine lines, while the salicylic acid works to improve uneven skin texture to create a smooth, uniform skin tone.

Is La Roche-Posay good for sensitive skin?

Finding affordable solutions for sensitive skin is another key cog in the La Roche-Posay brand ethos. The best La Roche-Posay products for sensitive skin include La Roche Posay Rosaliac Uv Riche Anti-redness Moisturiser, and La Roche-Posay Sensitive Skin Micellar Water.