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CeraVe vs La Roche-Posay

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

CeraVe and La Roche-Posay are two well-regarded skincare brands owned by L'Oréal. The American brand is known for its dependable moisturizers, gentle cleansers, targeted serums, and protective sunscreens enriched with hyaluronic acid and glycerin, while the French brand is deeply loved for its targeted serums, nourishing moisturizers, gentle cleansers, and soothing eye products formulated with glycerin, mineral-rich thermal water, and niacinamide. Both brands suit mature skin and dry skin best, thanks to formulations that support moisture retention and barrier health. They differ primarily in their origins, founding years, and specific core ingredients.

CeraVe is an American skincare brand founded in 2005 and owned by L'Oréal since 2017.

en.wikipedia.orghappi.comloreal-finance.comcerave.com

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

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

Popular CeraVe vs La Roche-Posay products

People Say

CeraVeLa Roche-Posay
  • Skin Sensitivities and Gentleness Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave face tight — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “no burning sensation — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “Great retinol for beginners — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
    • “Only cream that doesn't sting — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “woke up with plump skin — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “skin feels plump — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Sinks right into your skin — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “lightweight and absorbs quickly — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “absorbs in seconds — La Roche-Posay Anthelios”
  • Texture Improvement and Brightening Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “difference in my skin's texture is noticeable — CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser”
    • “lightened dark spots — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “skin looks brighter — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “visibly fades appearance of stubborn marks — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
  • Skin Barrier and Healing Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “healed cracked hands — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “Helped repair my moisture barrier — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Saved my damaged barrier — La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+”
    • “Healed my surgery scar beautifully — La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Gel B5”
  • Acne and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dialed back oiliness — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
    • “Never breaks me out — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “helped to stop my breakout in its tracks — CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser”
    • “clears acne blemishes — La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “no safety seal included — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “tube splitting at seams — CeraVe Skin Renewing Vitamin C Serum”
    • “pump stops working — La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream”
    • “Pump stopped working halfway — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream”
  • Texture Issues and Greasiness Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like washing with conditioner — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “too sticky — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “hard to spread — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “Very sticky — La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum”
  • Burning, Stinging, and Irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Stung my raw skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “burns my damaged skin — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “burns my eyes — La Roche-Posay Anthelios”
    • “burned my face — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
  • Breakouts and Purging Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Triggered cystic acne — La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+”
    • “caused bad purging — La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser”
    • “clogged my pores — La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream”
    • “Gave me cystic acne — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”

CeraVe vs La Roche-Posay routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

CeraVe vs La Roche-Posay routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

CeraVe vs La Roche-Posay routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

CeraVe or La Roche-Posay: which is better?

Both CeraVe and La Roche-Posay offer a High or Superior routine fit across all skin types, with CeraVe performing better for acne and oil control while La Roche-Posay has fewer reported breakouts and purging.

What is the difference between CeraVe and La Roche-Posay?

CeraVe and La Roche-Posay offer comparable routines across major skin types, but CeraVe rates better for acne and oil control while La Roche-Posay products on this page have a higher likelihood of strong fragrance. CeraVe formulas focus on ceramides and hyaluronic acid to help restore the skin barrier, whereas La Roche-Posay utilizes thermal spring water alongside similar actives.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

CeraVe or La Roche-Posay for dry skin?

Both brands are a strong choice for dry skin, with Lovi rating the routine fit for both CeraVe and La Roche-Posay as High. Every product on the CeraVe page lists no fragrance, whereas 21 of 35 products on the La Roche-Posay page list no fragrance.

CeraVe or La Roche-Posay: which cleanser is better?

Both CeraVe and La Roche-Posay offer effective cleansers, but CeraVe does better for acne and oil control among the products on this page. Every CeraVe product on this page lists no fragrance, whereas La Roche-Posay includes fragrance in some items.

Which is more affordable, CeraVe or La Roche-Posay?

Both CeraVe and La Roche-Posay are widely available skincare brands owned by L'Oréal, but price comparisons on this page are not provided. Reviewers note price, value, and size concerns more often for La Roche-Posay.

Between CeraVe and La Roche-Posay, which brand has better acne and oil control?

CeraVe does better for acne and oil control compared to La Roche-Posay. Every product on the CeraVe page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, helping reduce the risk of irritation while managing oil.

Do CeraVe products contain any added fragrance, and how does that compare to La Roche-Posay?

Every CeraVe product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas La Roche-Posay includes added fragrance in 14 of its 35 products.

When comparing the packaging and texture issues of CeraVe and La Roche-Posay, which brand performs better in reviews?

CeraVe performs better in reviews regarding texture issues and greasiness, while both brands are equal when it comes to packaging issues.

CeraVe or La Roche-Posay for oily skin?

Both CeraVe and La Roche-Posay offer a high routine fit for oily skin, with CeraVe performing better for acne and oil control among the products on this page. CeraVe also features no fragrance across all its products, whereas some La Roche-Posay products include added fragrance.

CeraVe or La Roche-Posay: which moisturizer is better?

Both CeraVe and La Roche-Posay offer moisturizers with a High routine fit for dry skin, with every CeraVe product on this page listing no fragrance while La Roche-Posay includes some fragranced options. CeraVe moisturizers help deliver deep hydration with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, whereas La Roche-Posay moisturizers may soothe sensitive skin using thermal water and panthenol.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

CeraVe or La Roche-Posay for sensitive skin?

Both CeraVe and La Roche-Posay offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin. CeraVe features fragrance-free formulas across all products on this page, while La Roche-Posay includes fragrance in some items.

CeraVe or La Roche-Posay: which sunscreen is better?

Both CeraVe and La Roche-Posay offer sunscreens with a High fit level for most skin types, while La Roche-Posay Anthelios achieves a Superior fit level for mature skin, sensitive skin, combination skin, acne-prone skin, and skin with dark spots. Every CeraVe product on this page lists no fragrance, whereas certain La Roche-Posay sunscreens contain fragrance.

CeraVe or La Roche-Posay for acne-prone skin?

Both CeraVe and La Roche-Posay fit acne-prone skin at a High level on this page. Reviewers note that CeraVe does better for acne and oil control, while La Roche-Posay does better for avoiding breakouts and purging.

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

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