Versus

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser - US & Canada Versus La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+M

Face Cleanser
General Moisturizer
American Brand United States
French Brand France

Updated on February 03, 2025

Overview

Cool Features

They both contain niacinamide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

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What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

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Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Effaclar Duo+M

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin
Smoothing

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

Learn more about Niacinamide
Buffering, Masking

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and even out skin tone.

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid
Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

When to use

9,248 Routines
48% use in am
52% use in pm
98% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
1,175 Routines
45% use in am
55% use in pm
88% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser 24 ingredients

3.3 /5
from 93 ratings
Works Well (20) No Scent (18) Great Value (17)
flower_agate11's avatar

flower_agate11

2 years ago
Review

best cleanser out there!
this cleanser has never failed me. i've been using it for nearly 2 years and it always manages to cleanse the deepest parts of my pores always leaving clean skin ready for my day or night!

sarahabma's avatar

sarahabma

2 years ago
Review

Gentle and effective
So good for my acne prone skin. Of course, this is not the only product I use to clear and prevent ance, but it has been a helpful addition.

Not harsh enough to irritate on its own, but if you have sensitive skin it may become irritated if you follow this cleanser with acids/retinoids.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+M 35 ingredients

2.8 /5
from 17 ratings
Light (6) Absorbs Well (6) Irritating (5)
itspola's avatar

Pola 🐛

12 months ago
Review

Doesn't do magic but definitely works well if you have some smaller pimples or you're dealing with some marks

#great value
#light
#works well
leeyoung's avatar

Lee Young

10 months ago
Review

Did a decent job of reducing irritation during A-B testing on half of my face as a spot treatment, but not as effective in speeding up the healing process. May clash with benzoyl peroxide treatments.

#expensive
#hydrating
#light
#absorbs well