Skin Saviours – La Roche-Posay Effaclar

I invested in the the La Roche-Posay Effaclar range on somewhat of a whim. I find it difficult to find honest and reliable reviews of skin care products and there are so many products to choose from it can be a bit overwhelming. A lot of beauty bloggers have flawless skin so it's disappointing when none review products for problem skin, when so many of us suffer from it. I have tried and given up on all the high street brands, and not seen a great result from using Liz Earle, so I thought I had better invest in something that might actually target affected areas.

I went for La Roche-Posay Effaclar because it was 3 for 2 on the Boots website, and I had heard so many rave reviews about the Effaclar Duo. I had also received a sample of it in the post and was impressed with how much it reduced redness on my face. Another plus – La Roche-Posay won't break the bank. At about £10-£15 per item, you get what you pay for and it lasts a while. I bought these items in January and have since only had to replace the moisturiser as it ran out after about 6 weeks use (why 40ml for the moisturiser and 200ml for the cleanser and toner?!)

First up is the purifying foaming gel for oily sensitive skin. It's soap free, alcohol free, paraben free, colourant free and has a pH of 5.5. Claims to gently purify the skin with ingredients selected to respect sensitive skin. It "eliminates impurities and excess sebum leaving the skin clear and refreshed".

The first thing I noticed when I opened this was the smell. It has a fresh, chemical-like, clean smell, but it isn't too strong. It's a gel that you lather up in your hands to turn into a nice soft foam. It is very gentle on the skin and it cleans everything away brilliantly. The only problem with this is that I have to use the toner and moisturiser straight after otherwise my skin goes super tight *shudder* My skin isn't too oily, but this cleanser really does balance out the oil and dryness in my skin, especially overnight.

 

After cleansing comes the astringent lotion micro-exfoliant This stuff claims to help unblock and reduce the appearance of pore size, due to the combination of cleansing agents and micro-exfoliant LHA (whatever that is).

This toner is absolutely fantastic. I wish I had discovered exfoliating toners sooner. They really get to work on your skin and make you feel super squeaky clean and prepped for the day or night ahead. Because this has salicylic acid in it, it works wonders on my skin. I have no idea how, or why, but salicylic acid is the one. I was desperate to try the Pixi Glow tonic but it was out of stock for so long and I could never get my hands on it. The great thing about this one though is it does exactly what it says on the tin. There's a sort of 'stopper' in the lid so when you apply it to cotton wool it doesn't go everywhere and waste a load of product. I couldn't live without this stuff now.

 

I finish with the Effaclar Duo [+] which simply says it "corrects the appearance of imperfections". On the Boots website it says this is a moisturiser but I have found that I need to use something else once this has sunk in because I need a little more hydration. But if you have really oily skin this on its own would do just fine. 

This has a lovely consistency that absorbs into the skin almost instantly, and it really does work in getting rid of spots and marks. It doesn't fade marks completely, but it definitely keeps things calm and stable, and that's good enough for me at the moment (if you know of any miracle products that really do fade marks completely, TELL ME PLEASE).

When I first started using this range my skin burned so badly. It stung and I wanted to rip my whole face off. After about five minutes it would calm down but I was really worried I was having an allergic reaction to the products. It really was awful for the first few days, but somehow, my skin stopped reacting that way as I persevered. So if you use this and you find your skin doesn't like it to start with, keep going, because that's when it will change and get better. 

I have noticed a huge improvement in my skin since using this range, and although my skin is not completely clear, these products really have saved my skin from how it was before and I will continue to use them because they work so well together.

What are you skin saviours? I would recommend the La Roche-Posay Effaclar range to anyone, even if you don't suffer from spots particularly. It's a reliable brand that offers value for money and real results – I have already repurchased the Effaclar Duo [+]