La Roche-Posay Lipikar Wash AP+ for dry sensitive skin
La Roche-Posay Prebiotic Thermal Water
Shea Butter
Niacinamide
Glycerin
Coco-BetaineAverage
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry sensitive skin; other cleansers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, 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 your dry skin, as glycerin provides humectant action to attract moisture, but the concentration of emollients like shea butter is insufficient to fully address dryness.
- The cleansing agents, sodium laureth sulfate and coco-betaine, effectively cleanse pores and offer general skincare benefits for dry or flaky skin.
- The product is safe for your dry and sensitive skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your face fresh. Start slowly once a day if your dry skin feels sensitive at first.
- Apply your cleanser first thing in your routine before any toner or moisturizer. Follow the usual steps for your AM or PM daily routine.
- Gently massage the cleanser onto your face using soft circular motions. Avoid harsh rubbing to protect your dry skin.
- Apply the cleanser to slightly damp skin to help it clean gently without stripping moisture. This method is very safe for sensitive and dry skin types.
- Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and avoid the delicate eye area. Always do a patch test before using the product for the first time.
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
How well does La Roche-Posay Lipikar Wash AP+ work for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser works moderately well for dry sensitive skin because glycerin helps draw in moisture, though it needs more rich emollients and barrier-restoring ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid to fully address dryness.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Glycerin helps attract moisture to dry skin while being safe for sensitive areas, and shea butter provides soothing emollient benefits. However, a cleanser for this skin type needs a richer blend of hydrating ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid to fully maintain moisture and repair the skin barrier.
What does Prebiotic Thermal Water do for dry sensitive skin?
Prebiotic thermal water helps calm dry sensitive skin by easing redness, boosting hydration, and supporting the skin barrier so it feels more comfortable. This type of water may also improve skin health by balancing the skin microbiome and reducing irritation.
The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020
What does Shea Butter do for dry sensitive skin?
Shea butter protects dry sensitive skin and helps keep it soft and calm by strengthening the skin barrier. It is unlikely to irritate sensitive areas and works well to lock in moisture.
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser goes in your morning and evening routine, before your soothing toner and moisturizer. To fully care for dry skin, a cleanser of this type needs richer softening ingredients like shea butter to help lock in lasting moisture.
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. A cleanser of this type for dry sensitive skin also needs richer, softening ingredients like ceramides or a higher amount of shea butter to fully protect against dryness when using strong treatments.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine. Mild cleansers used regularly help improve visual dryness and overall skin comfort.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin. Reviewers rarely report breakouts or reactions, and the formula is safe without harsh ingredients that typically irritate skin.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
You can safely use this cleanser on your body and around the eyes, as it is very gentle on sensitive skin. A cleanser for dry skin needs extra rich moisturizers like shea butter to keep dry areas soft and comfortable.
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
Why other cleansers fit dry sensitive skin better
Phytosphingosine increased filaggrin metabolism and skin hydration in human skin by stimulating filaggrin biosynthesis and degradation leading to natural moisturizing factor formation.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2017A cream containing panthenol, prebiotics, and probiotic lysate improved facial sensitive skin symptoms and skin barrier function in 110 participants over 28 days.
Skin Research and Technology, 2024A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
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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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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