Avene vs La Roche Posay 2024 (The Definitive Guide)
We're positive you've seen Avene and La Roche Posay on the shelves at your local drugstore before. But which one should you choose?
Today we're going to be comprehensively comparing all of Avene's and La Roche Posay's best-selling products to help you determine which of these French pharmacy titans is the better choice for you!
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Avene vs La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water
It wouldn't be an Avene vs La Roche Posay review without at the very least comparing the skin-quenching thermal spring water that forms the foundation of almost all of their cult-favorite products.
Avene Thermal Spring Water also sold at: Walmart, Lookfantastic, and Ulta
La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water also sold at: Walmart, Target, and Ulta
Avene's thermal spring water—sourced at Sainte-Odile and filtered by the Cevennes Mountains—is the resounding reason for their overwhelming success, especially amongst the sensitive skin community. It possesses naturally soothing, anti-irritating properties and is highly rich in silica (a natural anti-inflammatory that gives you a beautiful glowy complexion and stimulates collagen production).
La Roche-Posay sources the selenium-rich water they use in all of their products from the town they named themselves after (La Roche-Posay in Western France). Selenium, by the way, is a powerful antioxidant that reduces inflammation and improves the elasticity and firmness of the skin.
Having had both sprays sat on my desk for the past few months, spritzing away liberally to keep my hypersensitive skin soothed & hydrated, I can comfortably say that I prefer Avene's Eau Thermale. The fine mist absorbs quickly into my skin, leaving me feeling instantly refreshed. La Roche Posay's seems to have more of a tendency to pearl up on my skin, though, which I can imagine would be rather nice on a hot day, but feeling like you need to dry off with a towel isn't necessarily the nicest feeling after just a quick spritz on-the-go.
Thermal Spring Water Spray by Avene
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A soothing, calming facial mist spray.
What makes it special? This remarkable bottle of French thermal water is hydrating, calming and anti-irritating. The water undergoes an underground journey that lasts over fifty years, picking up powerful vitamins and minerals along the way, retaining all of their unique benefits. It is packaged in a sterile unit at the source in Sainte-Odile to ensure its purity and effectiveness.
Which skin types? All skin types, especially sensitive. Suitable for infants and babies.
Thermal Spring Water by La Roche Posay
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A gentle, hydrating water mist.
What makes it special? This thermal spring water by La Roche Posay is naturally rich in antioxidants and contains a unique combination of mineral salts and trace elements with soothing properties for the skin. Having undergone rigorous dermatological testing, it can be safely used even on the most delicate skin.
Which skin types? All skin types, especially sensitive. Suitable for infants and babies.
Avene vs La Roche Posay Moisturizer
Both priding themselves in extreme tolerance for sensitive and problematic skin, you would be hard-pressed not to find a moisturizer by Avene or La Roche Posay that your skin absolutely *loves*.
With that said, there are some notable differences between their moisturizers that can - and should - influence your purchasing decisions; keep scrolling to learn more.
Daily moisturizer comparison
If you need a daily moisturizer, two of the most popular products to check out from each brand are the Avene Hydrance Hydrating Emulsion and the La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer.
Avene Hydrance Hydrating Emulsion also sold at: Lookfantastic and Beauty Bay
La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair also sold at: Walmart, Target, and Ulta
Both of these cult-favourite products boast thousands of rave reviews and a whole host of benefits for your skin. However, one important distinction is that La Roche Posay's cream has a tendency to pill easily; we can only recommend it to those with naturally smooth and problem-free skin. Avene's Hydrating Emulsion, on the other hand, applies gloriously well on all skin types.
Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion by Avene
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A lightweight moisturizer in the form of an emulsion.
What makes it special? This absolute gem of a moisturizer has a non-sticky, oil-absorbing, lightweight texture that leaves your skin feeling soft, supple and radiant all day long. Its custom 'Cohederm' complex guarantees 24-hour hydration & soothing relief by locking in micro-reservoirs of Avene Thermal Spring Water deep beneath the skin's surface, releasing quenching bursts of hydration over time.
Which skin types? Normal to combination sensitive skin.
Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer by La Roche Posay
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A prebiotic-infused moisturizing cream.
What makes it special? Formulated with a high concentration of La Roche-Posay prebiotic thermal water and a trio of delightful moisture barrier replenishing ingredients, this dermatologist-tested moisturizer immediately comforts and hydrates your skin from the very first application. In theory, its lightweight cream texture absorbs as easily into the skin as its Avene counterpart, but please be aware that there are several reports of pilling, leading us to deduce that this product would best suit those with naturally smooth skin.
Which skin types? All skin types, including the most sensitive.
Skin recovery cream comparison
For damaged skin requiring a little bit of extra nourishment or tender care, look no further than Avene and La Roche Posay. They both offer a phenomenal range of solutions, and to be frank, almost too many. We've narrowed it down to the best of the best, though, and will be comparing the Avene Tolerance Extreme Emulsion and the La Roche Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 Cream.
Avene Tolerance Extreme Emulsion also sold at: Walmart
La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 also sold at: Walmart and Ulta
You may wonder why we have opted for Avene's Tolerance Extreme Emulsion over their Skin Recovery Cream to compete against La Roche Posay's balm; unfortunately, the newer formulations of their Skin Recovery Cream have had reports of exacerbating irritation, and this is exactly NOT what you would want while dealing with inflamed skin. The Tolerance Extreme Emulsion, on the other hand, is lovely; the Cicaplast Balm still just takes the edge though as it has been *specifically* formulated to be protective (an emollient), and gentle enough for even a newborn's skin.
Cicaplast Balm B5 Cream by La Roche Posay
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A multi-purpose soothing repairing balm.
What makes it special? Emollients have a terrible reputation of feeling greasy; not this balm, though, as it has an uber-light, non-sticky texture that is a dream to apply. Five fundamental soothing & protective (see: anti-bacterial!) ingredients comprise the balm's dual-functionality, ensuring that sensitive, irritated, and inflamed skin is soothed and skin comfort is restored, granting you the relief you have been longing for.
Which skin types? All skin types, especially the most sensitive.
Tolerance Extreme Emulsion by Avene
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A light, soothing and hydrating daily moisturiser.
What makes it special? This emulsion is a divine daily moisturizer that doubles up as your next best friend when your skin needs that little bit of extra care. It contains only 6 essential ingredients to leave your skin feeling nourished & replenished and most crucially gives your skin plenty of breathing room. It feels like silk when it goes on, and it begins to calm inflammation and redness almost instantly.
Which skin types? Normal to combination sensitive skin.
Avene vs La Roche Posay Cleanser
When it comes to cleansers, La Roche Posay and Avene have a wide variety of fantastic options from which to choose. Those without a counterpart to compare with include the Avene Tolerance Extreme Cleanser that we highly recommend for hypersensitive skin types; and the La Roche Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel that we highly recommend for acne-prone skin types.
Choosing a daily cleanser specifically for normal to dry or oily skin types, though, is much less straightforward. Keep scrolling to see our picks and La Roche Posay vs Avene comparisons.
Normal/dry skin cleanser comparison
When you have normal to dry skin, you need to maximise the number of hydration boosting ingredients in your daily cleanser and minimise the number of stripping ones. Avene's Gentle Milk Cleanser and La Roche Posay's Toleriane Gentle Cleanser do exactly this for you and more!
Avene Gentle Milk Cleanser also sold at: Walmart and Beauty Bay
La Roche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser also sold at: Walmart and Ulta
Another pairing with an eye-watering number of rave reviews, it is rather tricky to set these two apart. To be honest, whichever you choose between the two your skin will *love* you for it. Ultimately, though, we have opted for Avene's - favouring simplicity over complexity - as we are hyper-cognisant of the fact that more ingredients increase the odds of your skin not agreeing with one of them.
2024 update: Avene's Milk Cleanser is new and improved! It now features 98% ingredients of natural origin and eco-designed packaging (which can never be a bad thing). Unlike other reformulations we've seen in the past (*cough* Clean & Clear *cough*), customers seem to be receiving it well, and as such our verdict remains the same - if not more convinced.
Milk Cleanser by Avene
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A gentle cleanser that eliminates skin impurities without risk of irritation.
What makes it special? Its fluid and velvety texture pleasantly melts on your skin, wrapping your face in a fresh and soft veil. The simple, no-nonsense, non-drying formula, enriched with vitamin E and hyaluronic acid, provides your skin with a true feeling of soothing comfort. Your search for the perfect cleanser will end here, as you will never need to try anything else once you've tried this!
Which skin types? Formulated for sensitive & dry to very dry skin.
Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser by La Roche Posay
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A gentle daily face wash.
What makes it special? This gentle creamy face wash cleanses skin of impurities, respecting your skin's natural moisture barrier and pH, helping to restore skin comfort and retain essential moisture. Formulated with the skin nourishing trio of prebiotic thermal spring water, niacinamide, and ceramide, it ensures your skin looks healthy and radiant day after day.
Which skin types? Normal to dry, sensitive skin.
Oily skin cleanser comparison
Picking a quality cleanser designed for oily skin is critical, as otherwise, you can unintentionally force yourself into vicious perpetuity of stripping your skin and needing to cleanse more and more to deal with the further-exacerbated oiliness. Avene's Cleanance Cleansing Gel and La Roche Posay's Effaclar Purifying Gel Cleanser are two such quality cleansers that we shall be comparing.
Avene Cleanance Cleansing Gel also sold at: Walmart, Ulta, and Lookfantastic
La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Gel Cleanser also sold at: Walmart and Ulta
Despite their other products living up to their hypoallergenic claims, Avene's new formulation of their Cleanance Gel contains benzoic acid and derivates which, unfortunately, is a rather common allergy. It seems like they dropped the ball there, although I am sure they are already working hard on an updated version. In the meantime, the cult-favourite Effaclar Purifying Cleansing Gel by La Roche Posay is the definite way to go!
2024 Update: While we're glad to see that we originally caught that Avene's formulation wasn't completely nasty-free, it's worth additionally noting that it also contains synthetic dyes GREEN 5 (CI 61570) & YELLOW 5 (CI 19140), which are generally worth steering clear of. La Roche Posay's Effaclar Purifying Gel Cleanser remains our recommendation, and has been my personal go-to for the past few years.
Effaclar Purifying Gel Cleanser by La Roche Posay
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A fresh, foaming, gel facial wash specially formulated for oily, blemish-prone skin.
What makes it special? This minimalist formula contains the best of La Roche Posay's creations – designed, tested and re-tested for its efficacy and mildness on sensitive skin. It gently cleanses your skin thanks to its high tolerance foam enriched with Zinc PCA, lifting dirt, grime and sebum away from the surface of the skin without disrupting its delicate balance.
Which skin types? Oily, blemish-prone skin, even suitable for ultra sensitive, intolerant and allergy-prone skin.
Cleanance Cleansing Gel by Avene
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A gentle cleansing gel for oily, blemish prone skin.
What makes it special? Soap-free and concentrated with Avène Thermal Spring Water, this gel cleanses your skin gently leaving it feeling soothed and refreshed whilst regulating excess sebum and mattifying your skin. The simple dispenser cap ensures that you use the perfect amount every time. Unfortunately, the newest formula contains known allergens so please be wary if you have allergy-prone or intolerant skin!
Which skin types? Oily skin.
Avene vs La Roche Posay Eye Cream
High-quality eye cream is the *ultimate* solution to dark circles, puffiness and fine lines around the eyes. We have already covered a couple of such eye creams from Avene and La Roche Posay in our Best French Eye Cream article, both of which currently share our title of 'best for sensitive skin'.
In this article, we will dive deeper and conclusively decide the best for even more categories. Keep scrolling!
Eye cream for tired eyes comparison
Tired eyes usually present as puffiness and dark circles, the best ingredients to tackle this each morning and evening are caffeine, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants. Avene's Refreshing Eye Contour Care and La Roche Posay's Pigmentclar Eye Cream are two of the absolute best French pharmacy options.
Avene Refreshing Eye Contour Care also sold at: Bluemercury
La Roche Posay Pigmentclar Eye Cream also sold at: Walmart and Lookfantastic
The crucial distinction between them is their differing approaches to resolving the issue. Whilst Avene's eye cream tackles the root of the problem, La Roche Posay's tackles the symptoms (i.e. dark circles, puffiness, etc.). Both approaches are perfectly valid, but we much prefer Avene's as it yields longer-lasting, less superficial results.
2024 update: Looks like Avene's eye cream has had a packaging makeover! The formula remains the same, though, and it seems to regularly go out of stock due to high demand - so make sure you pick one up if you get the chance!
Refreshing Eye Contour Care by Avene
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A daily antioxidant and refreshing eye cream.
What makes it special? Enhanced with red-fruit extracts to brighten, anti-oxidant pre-vitamin E to defend from daily free radical damage, and dextran sulphate to target dark circles and puffiness, this cult-favourite eye cream visibly reveals youthful illuminated eyes. ~90% of women in testing found that their eye contour looked brighter and fine lines were reduced after just three weeks of use.
Which skin types? Suitable for all skin types.
Pigmentclar Eye Cream by La Roche Posay
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A brightening eye cream with caffeine.
What makes it special? Specifically formulated for tired-looking eyes, this melt-in cream is enriched with light-reflecting pigments that illuminate the eye area. The eye contour looks smoother, suppler and feels more comfortable with just one application. While this is a very appealing prospect, we believe that the long term solution provided by Avene is superior - but if you're looking for a quick fix, this is the one!
Which skin types? Suitable for all skin types.
Anti-aging eye cream comparison
Anti-ageing is practically synonymous with retinol in this day and age, and this fact is no different when it comes to eye skincare. We've already covered Avene's and La Roche Posay's retinol collections rather extensively in our Best French Retinol 2021 article, but it would be a disservice not to at least mention them again here.
Avene Retrinal Eyes also sold at: Walmart and SkinStore
La Roche Posay Redermic R Eye Cream also sold at: Walmart, Lookfantastic, and Ulta
The RetrinAL Eyes Cream by Avene and the Redermic R Eyes Cream by La Roche Posay are arguably the best of any French pharmacy brand. It is very, very difficult to separate these two in any domain; if we had to choose, though, we would go for Avene's. This is simply due to the inclusion of several short-term concealing and wrinkle-smoothing qualities that aren't present in La Roche Posay's.
Retrinal Eyes by Avene
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
An incredible multi-tasking eye cream concentrated with retinaldehyde. (UK alternative: Avene Physiolift Eyes)
What makes it special? This 3-in-1 eye cream minimizes the appearance of all visible signs of ageing while providing hydration, nourishment and a smoothing effect around the delicate eye contour. Pro tip: Soak two cotton pads in Thermal Spring Water; place them on your eyelids for 10 minutes for a wonderfully spa-like, refreshing sensation. Afterwards, gently apply this eye treatment with your ring finger. Consistent use will yield youthful, firm, luminous and soft skin around the eyes.
Which skin types? Suitable for all skin types.
Redermic R Eye Cream by La Roche Posay
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A retinol eye cream.
What makes it special? Akin to its sister products, this clinically proven eye cream contains the same pure retinol ingredient that makes the Redermic products so effective. No other product has helped to combat dark circles for me quite like this cream; it is enriched with caffeine and a retinol booster complex, which—combined with the pure retinol—intensively smoothes and sculpts the eye contour for a luminous, refreshed look.
Which skin types? Suitable for all skin types.
Avene vs La Roche Posay Serum
The pièce de résistance of any Parisienne-approved skincare routine is a delightfully skin-nourishing French serum. We've already covered what constitutes the best French serums, with Avene and La Roche Posay featuring heavily, but here, we will pit them against each other to determine the absolute *best*.
Hydrating serum comparison
Due to their nature as potent concentrations of skin-quenching ingredients, serums provide the perfect opportunity to give your skin an extra burst of much-needed hydration within your routine. Avene's Hydrance Intense Rehydrating Serum and La Roche Posay's Hydraphase Intense Hyaluronic Acid Serum are top-tier in this department.
Avene Hydrance Intense Rehydrating Serum also sold at: Walmart and Lookfantastic
La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense Hyaluronic Acid Serum also sold at: Walmart, Lookfantastic, and Ulta
2024 update: Avene's Hydrance Intense Rehydrating Serum is discontinued! They've since replaced it with the Hydrance BOOST Concentrated Hydrating Serum which for the most part seems to boast a relatively similar formula to its predecessor apart from the inclusion of a Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) booster.
Although incredibly similar on paper, ultimately, it is easy to favour Avene's serum as they have been comparatively transparent with their clinical testing and results. I suppose that isn't surprising, though, once you discover that the results were that "98% of consumers felt their skin was softer, smoother, soothed and comfortable all day [long]"!
The clinical results for the newer serum are even more jaw-dropping: "Immediate boost of hydration by +132%", "After 10 days of application: 99% agreed skin is plumped and firm, 99% agreed product is a hydration booster to skin, 98% agreed product is an excellent makeup base".
We didn't previously provide much of a definitive conclusion between the two serums, but now we're definitely leaning towards Avene's new and improved hydrating serum.
Hydrance Boost Concentrated Hydrating Serum by Avene
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
A unique hydrating serum.
What makes it special? A lightweight, thirst-quenching water-gel serum that instantly provides skin with a boost of intense hydration while replenishing natural moisture levels to provide long-lasting hydration for 48 hours.
Which skin types? Sensitive to normal skin types.
Hydraphase Intense Hyaluronic Acid Serum by La Roche Posay
Our rating: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
An intense hydrating serum.
What makes it special? With hyaluronic acid, arginine and serine amongst the ingredients (three powerful water captors), this cult-favourite serum - endorsed by 1000s of women globally - intensely rehydrates by infusing the skin with water. Your skin looks smoother, softer and more radiant from the very first application.
Which skin types? All sensitive skin types.
Work in progress
You have been reading a post that we are constantly updating. Be sure to bookmark this page, subscribe, and come back later to see additions to the definitive Avene vs La Roche Posay guide!
This article was originally published on August 26th 2021, but it has been reviewed and updated with the latest available information on January 23rd 2024 by Sara Mckay, MA.
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Calum Torrington is the founder of FemmeNordic. He has worked as a beauty editor since 2020 and employs his analytical background in mathematics to thoroughly scrutinize complex INCI lists. Now, he helps over 1 million people per year to find the best beauty products.