It’s no secret that French brands have come a long way in the beauty industry, all thanks to their science-backed formulas and delivered results. We’re sure you’ve noticed that French women really do have amazing, almost porcelain-like skin, and that’s down to the array of diligent brands they have access to. And when we talk about French skincare we most think of Avene and La Roche-Posay. Rarely has anyone succeeded in revolutionizing the industry as these two brands have. However, given that both brands deliver game-changing products with great formulas, it’s challenging to know which ones to invest in. So, if you’re looking for a comprehensive Avene vs. La Roche-Posay comparison, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s get down to the point!
Product diversity
In the battle between Avene vs. La Roche-Posay, product diversity is one of the essential factors. To be devoted to a beauty brand, it shouldn’t only have all skincare routine steps covered but also products aimed at your specific skin concern. Well, both Avene and La Roche-Posay have a long list of products and cover almost every skincare step imaginable, plus they offer complete routine sets to make the shopping easier.
Avene
Avene is a leading French dermo-cosmetics brand known for its high-performing products that address every type of skin. It has a collection that can meet numerous skincare needs, from acne-prone skin, eczema, and hypersensitivity, all the way to the skin affected by cancer. Its products include cleansers, toners, moisturizers, serums, and more, thus covering all steps of the morning and night routine. This high-profile brand particularly prides itself on leveraging pharmaceutical and dermatological expertise.
Avene’s best-selling products
- Clearance Hydra Soothing Cream: It’s a cream that aids in boosting the skin’s natural defenses and reducing the drying effects of acne treatments.
- Facial Mist Spray: It’s a gentle mist spray infused with the Avene thermal spring water to refreshen and revitalize the skin.
- Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream: It’s a nourishing and restorative cream that works to speed up skin recovery. It’s non-comedogenic, skips fragrance and alcohol, and is suitable for sensitive skin.
La Roche-Posay
Similar to Avene, La Roche-Posay is also backed by science and is committed to making dermatological skincare accessible to the general public. Their skincare line includes a wide range of face and body products, including cleansers, moisturizers, serums, sunscreens, and eye creams, categorized to match different visage concerns. To sum up, pretty much everything you could possibly need. The brand stands out from the crowd by focusing on the development of minimalist formulas intended for eczema-prone and ultra-sensitive skin.
La Roche-Posay’s best-selling products
- Anthelios Uvmune 400 Ultra Light Spf50+: The brand stands out for its wide range of sunscreens, and Anthelios is one of La Roche-Posay’s most iconic products for sun protection. It sits well under makeup and is non-comedogenic, lightweight, and non-greasy.
- Hyalu B5 Serum: This is a great hydrating serum packed with hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 to counteract dryness.
- Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser: It’s a hydrating cleanser that addresses normal, dry, and sensitive skin with a gentle formula powered by niacinamide, ceramide, and humectants.
- 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum: La-Roche Posay has great products for uneven tone and dark spots, and this serum is one of their besties. It loads 10% of the most potent form of vitamin C plus plenty of hydrating and soothing ingredients to pamper the skin.
Formulas
You know what they say: a good skincare product is only as good as its ingredients. Given that the body absorbs about 60-70% of what we put on the skin, it is necessary to pay attention to the ingredient list. Accordingly, it’s best to focus on choosing products with high quality, natural contexture, balanced and effective formulas.
Both Avene and La Roche-Posay can deliver on the ingredients front and have a diverse range of active ingredients to choose from, including salicylic acid, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C. Honestly, it’s no wonder that their products are trusted by millions worldwide because they have non-comedogenic and fragrance-free formulas. So, if you’re looking for a specific ingredient for your concern, we believe you’ll probably find it in one of these two. However, unlike La Roche-Posay, Avene contains a few iffy ingredients that we recommend avoiding, including perfume, parabens, mineral oils, and triethanolamine (TEA). Finally, it’s important to emphasize that both brands avoid the use of drying alcohols, which will be especially suitable for people with sensitive or dry skin.
Price range
In the match between Avene vs. La Roche-Posay, both teams are equal when it comes to price points. Namely, both are widely available at drugstores and come at a pretty mid-range price.
Avene
- Most expensive product: RetrinAL Advanced Correcting Serum – $78
- Cheapest product: Thermal Spring Water – $9.50
- Average product price – $38
La Roche-Posay
- Most expensive product: Substiane Anti-Aging Serum – $65
- Cheapest product: Effaclar Facial Wipes – $10
- Average product price – $30.50
Accessibility
Most often, we remain loyal to those brands that are easy to reach. This is the case with Avene and La Roche-Posay. These two French giants are easily available around the globe, with the option of purchasing directly from their website or authorized online retailers, including Amazon, Dermstore, Ulta, and Walgreens. You shouldn’t have a problem getting one of these as they are often both sold in the same stores.
Cruelty-free
Unfortunately, we hereby officially confirm that neither of these two brands is cruelty-free. Avene is owned by Pierre Fabre, and La Roche-Posay, on the other hand, has L’Oréal as its parent company, both of which are known for allowing animal testing of products or ingredients when required by law, even when selling in stores in mainland China.
Which brand is right for you?
As for Avene vs. La Roche-Posay, both have their pros and cons, and there is no clear-cut when deciding which one is ideal for you.
- Acne-prone skin: La Roche-Posay Effaclar and Avene Cleanance
- Aging signs: Avene A-Oxitive Antioxidant Defense Serum and La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum
- Dry skin: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer
- Excess sebum: Avene Cleanance Mattifying Emulsion
- Sensitive skin: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Range and Avene Tolerance Range
- Uneven skin tone: La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum
