Guest Post: La Roche-Posay - Worth the Hype?

Like every other bloggger on the planet, I have been trying out the range from La Roche-Posay. If you have been living under a rock for the last couple of months, La Roche-Posay is a French brand that specialises in products for problem skin. And when I say problem skin, I mean dryness, dehydration, irritated and acne-prone skin.

After reading lots of reviews about the brand, I decided to purchase some bits and try them out. I have normal/combination skin - it's not dry and not overly oily. I do tend to get breakouts when I'm run down or it's a certain time of the month (you girls will know what I mean!), but I am conscious about enlarged pores on my cheeks and would love them to be minimised so that I can have a more even skin tone. The products I decided to go for were Effaclar Micro-Exfoliant Astringent Lotion and Effaclar Duo.

EFFACLAR MICRO-EXFOLIANT ASTRINGENT LOTION

'Effaclar astringent micro-exfoliating lotion helps to instantly unblock and reduce pore size, due to the combination of cleansing agents, and micro-exfoliant LHA'

The exfoliating toner is clear (the bottle is blue) and has a strong alcohol and almost clinical smell to it. I thought that it was going to sting my face and leave it feeling tight like it does with other brands, but I was surprised that it did neither. It dries on your skin instantly without leaving it feeling tight.

This really feels like it is deep cleaning your face; all traces of make-up and excess oil are removed. It's really hard to explain, but my face felt dry in the sense that all the grease and oil had been extracted from my pores, leaving my skin feeling ultra clean and soft. This in my mind is the perfect surface to apply the Effaclar Duo to.

EFFACLAR DUO

'Effaclar Duo is a complete skincare solution that combines 4 active ingredients to act on the 2 major signs of skin with imperfections: blackheads and red pimples'

The gel/cream formulation absorbs into the skin without leaving any oily residue, yet leaving your face feeling hydrated and nourished. I found it to be a perfect base for foundation, mainly because it wasn't greasy and I didn't have to wait ages for it to sink in.

During the first 2 weeks of using these products, I didn't really notice any difference and thought 'oh well that's another hyped up product'. That being said, I still continued to use it (only to use it up really) and by week 3 I started to notice that my skin felt smoother and looked fresher. I found myself constantly stroking my face, feeling for bumps and raised pores that used to be on my cheeks, only to find they had been evicted.

My pores were (in my mind) not as noticeable, and my make-up sat better and lasted a lot longer because my face wasn't getting greasy throughout the day. I have been using it every day now for 2 months and really like the results. Don't get me wrong - I still get the occasional spot, but I really feel it has made a difference and will continue to buy and use when I have run out.

If you have problematic skin, I would highly recommend trying out some products from the range. In fact, I recently bought another product for my husband - the Lipikar Baume AP Body Balm. He has been complaining of dry, itchy skin on his legs and arms, and me being me and loving the products from the range, I tooted off to Boots to find him something.

LIPIKAR BAUME AP Body Balm   

'Fragrance and paraben-free lipid replenishing care, formulated specifically for very dry, sensitive and irritated skin, prone to itching. Adapted to the skin of babies, children and adults'

My husband has been using this on and off for a week (I told him to use it every day, but you know what men are like!) and has already noticed a dramatic difference. He is not as itchy and his skin is less red and irritated than before. The balm is quite thick, but is absorbed straight away, leaving no oil or greasy residue. The thing I really like about this is that it is mild enough to use on babies and children, so is fab for any nappy rashes or skin irritation they might get.

THE VERDICT

La Roche-Posay gets a big thumbs up from me. In my opinion, the brand is fantastic and deserves the hype that surrounds it.

Thanks for reading! xxx

This post was written by Louise from Lou Loves Beauty, who won the first place prize in my guest post giveaway.