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La Roche-Posay vs Dr. Barbara Sturm

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

La Roche-Posay and Dr. Barbara Sturm are established dermatological skincare lines that offer thoughtful selections of serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and eye products. The French brand relies on nourishing ingredients like glycerin, thermal water, and niacinamide, while the German brand builds upon scientifically advanced formulas. Both suit dry skin best, though the former also suits mature skin and the latter suits sensitive and balanced skin. They differ primarily in their founding heritage and specific active components, providing distinct pathways to barrier support.

La Roche-Posay is a French skincare brand founded in 1975 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1989.

laroche-posay.com.aufr.wikipedia.org

Dr. Barbara Sturm is a German skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by Puig since 2024.

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This page compares some of the most popular La Roche-Posay and Dr. Barbara Sturm products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular La Roche-Posay vs Dr. Barbara Sturm products

People Say

La Roche-PosayDr. Barbara Sturm
  • Skin Sensitivity and Soothing Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Great retinol for beginners — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
    • “Only cream that doesn't sting — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream”
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “deep yet gentle cleanse — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “skin feels plump — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “skin drank it up — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “skin feels softer — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
  • Product Texture and Finish Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “sinks in immediately — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “sinks in quickly — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “lightweight and absorbs quickly — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks brighter — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “healthy glow — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “skin looks brighter — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin feels smoother — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
    • “Skin feels softer — La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum”
    • “skin texture is immediately more even — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
  • Fine Lines and Plumping Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “lines less visible — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “softens forehead lines — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
  • High Price and Value Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for the size — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “Too expensive for the size — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream”
    • “Tube is tiny for the price — La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Gel B5”
    • “way too expensive — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Heavy, Sticky or Greasy Feel Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “tacky finish — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “Very sticky — La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum”
  • Ineffective or Minimal Results Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “didn't see any significant improvement — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “Did nothing for my redness — La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water”
    • “did nothing — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Strong or Unpleasant Fragrance Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “smells a bit weird — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
    • “scent is awful — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”

Questions and answers

La Roche-Posay or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which is better?

La Roche-Posay is better for value and a wide selection of fragrance-free options, while Dr. Barbara Sturm is better for product texture and fine lines and plumping.

What is the difference between La Roche-Posay and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

La Roche-Posay offers a much wider range of products on this page and tends to be better on price and value, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm scores better for fine lines and plumping, brightening, and product texture and finish based on the products on this page. Every product listed for Dr. Barbara Sturm is fragrance-free, while several La Roche-Posay items contain fragrance.

La Roche-Posay or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which moisturizer is better?

La Roche-Posay offers a much wider variety of moisturizers on this page with diverse fit levels across skin types, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm features only one product categorized as a moisturizer.

Which is more affordable, La Roche-Posay or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

La Roche-Posay is more affordable than Dr. Barbara Sturm, as high prices and value are frequent concerns for the former, while the latter is positioned as a luxury brand.

Which causes fewer breakouts, La Roche-Posay or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

La Roche-Posay helps control acne better with a wider range of targeted blemish treatments on this page, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm offers fewer options for breakout-prone skin.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between La Roche-Posay and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

La Roche-Posay was founded in 1975 in France, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm was established later in 2014 in Germany.

Which brand has more products that list no fragrance in their ingredients?

La Roche-Posay has more products on this page that list no fragrance in their ingredients, with 21 out of 35 fragrance-free products compared to all 3 products for Dr. Barbara Sturm.

How does the Lovi fit level for the Enzyme Cleanser compare across different skin types?

For Dr. Barbara Sturm's Enzyme Cleanser, Lovi fit levels reach Superior for skin with dark spots, and High for mature skin, oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin, oily acne-prone skin, and acne-prone skin. It shows Average Lovi fit levels for dry sensitive skin and dry skin.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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