La Roche-Posay Lipikar Wash AP+ for dry skin
La Roche-Posay Prebiotic Thermal Water
Shea Butter
Niacinamide
Glycerin
Coco-BetaineHigh
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for dry skin; a few cleansers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate suitability for dry skin as glycerin provides humectant action and shea butter offers supportive benefits for dry or flaky skin. The cleansing agents, sodium laureth sulfate and coco-betaine, effectively cleanse pores without causing irritation.
- The formulation is safe for your dry skin, as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
- While it offers general skincare benefits like hydration and cleansing, it lacks sufficient emollient ingredients in higher concentrations to fully address dryness.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin clean. Start using it daily right away since your skin is not sensitive.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow with your toner and moisturizer afterwards.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your face using soft circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Apply this cleanser on slightly damp skin for a comfortable and refreshing wash. This helps maintain your skin's natural moisture while cleansing away dirt.
- Avoid getting the cleanser directly into your eyes to prevent any irritation. Do a simple patch test before your first use to ensure your skin likes it.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 1.4k+ reviewsA small minority experience breakouts or find the scentless formula has a faint chemical odor.
Highlights
Gentle & non-stripping Mostly Mentioned
- “left skin feeling soft”
- “didn't dry skin out”
- “no squeaky clean feeling”
Fragrance-free Sometimes Noted
- “no strong scent”
- “good for fragrance sensitivity”
- “clean smell”
Hydrating texture Sometimes Noted
- “creamy feel”
- “provides hydration”
- “milky texture”
Versatile use Sometimes Noted
- “double-duty cleanser”
- “safe for babies”
- “great for kids”
Breakouts or reactions Rarely Noted
- “broke out in whiteheads”
- “caused burning”
- “not for my sensitive skin”
Low lather Rarely Noted
- “doesn't lather well”
- “hard to spread”
- “struggles with waterproof makeup”
Not moisturizing enough Rarely Noted
- “still need lotion”
- “not as moisturizing as claimed”
- “slightly drying”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “pump broken”
- “hard to unlock”
Unpleasant natural scent Rarely Noted
- “smell is not the best”
- “plastic smell”
- “chemical scent”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, ulta.com, target.com, lovelyskin.com, dermstore.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Lipikar Wash AP+ a great fit for dry skin?
La Roche-Posay Lipikar Wash AP+ is a great fit for dry skin because glycerin provides hydration and shea butter helps soothe flaky skin. Its cleansing ingredients effectively clean pores without causing irritation, while the gentle formula lacks harsh ingredients.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for dry skin?
Glycerin and shea butter make this cleanser a good fit for dry skin by helping to hydrate and soothe flaky areas. It also contains niacinamide and gentle cleansing agents that clean pores without causing irritation.
What does Prebiotic Thermal Water do for dry skin?
Prebiotic Thermal Water helps dry skin by boosting hydration, calming irritation, and balancing the skin microbiome. It supports a healthy barrier to keep skin soft and smooth while reducing unwanted bacteria.
Frontiers in Medicine, 2023Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023
What does Shea Butter do for dry skin?
Shea butter helps dry skin feel soft and smooth by protecting the skin barrier and keeping moisture locked in. It is very safe for regular use and is unlikely to cause irritation when applied to dry or sensitive areas.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine as the first cleansing step before you apply your toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Using a gentle cleanser like this helps remove dirt without stripping moisture, which is especially helpful when dealing with dry skin.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by washing your face with it before applying your retinol treatment to help cleanse pores safely without causing irritation. Using a gentle cleanser of this type helps support the skin barrier while you use retinoids, keeping dry skin comfortable.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your regular routine. Using a mild cleanser like this helps improve visual dryness and overall skin comfort when paired with a moisturizer.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry skin. The formula cleanses effectively without harsh irritants, and reviewers rarely report breakouts or reactions.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cleanser on your body and around the eyes to clean your skin safely without causing irritation. It helps wash away dirt while glycerin and shea butter provide gentle hydration, though dry skin may still need richer moisturizing creams afterwards.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Balneotherapy with thermal water altered specific skin microbiota at genus and species levels in healthy female volunteers compared to tap water, which produced no significant microbiome changes.
Life, 2023Malaysian thermal spring water as an adjunct to standard acne therapy improved skin hydration, reduced dryness and stinging, enhanced overall tolerability, and improved the acne disability index in patients with mild to moderate acne.
The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024A 2% Sphingomonas xenophaga ferment extract cream applied twice daily for 4 weeks significantly decreased facial vascular disorder scores compared to vehicle in 86 Caucasian female subjects, alongside dose-dependent inhibition of pre-kallikrein activity in vitro.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012The cytotoxic effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on normal human keratinocytes was significantly decreased when combined with cocamidopropyl betaine, Tween 20, and Tween 80 at concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration.
Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, 2003
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Coco-Betaine, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Niacinamide, Acrylates Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocamide Mea, Disodium Edta, Glycol Distearate, Mannose, Polyquaternium-11, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Vitreoscilla Ferment
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score 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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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