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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Galderma Cutacnyl 5% Cream versus La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+] Unifiant .

Published on March 16, 2023

Overview

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

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

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

Facial Treatment Swiss Brand Switzerland
General Moisturizer French Brand France

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Price

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Buy Cutacnyl 5% Cream

Shop

Buy Effaclar Duo[+] Unifiant

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Benzoyl Peroxide

Benefits

Hydrating
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

Mineral UV Filter
BHA
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting (3)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (5)
Acne Trigger (5)
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (3)
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Galderma Cutacnyl 5% Cream contains this as ingredient number 5.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+] Unifiant contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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

Galderma Cutacnyl 5% Cream contains this as ingredient number 6.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+] Unifiant contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

Galderma Cutacnyl 5% Cream contains this as ingredient number 10.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+] Unifiant contains this as ingredient number 10.

4
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

Galderma Cutacnyl 5% Cream contains this as ingredient number 12.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+] Unifiant contains this as ingredient number 30.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

25% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
25% have no rating yet
29% are loved or liked
21% have mixed ratings
32% are disliked or very disliked
18% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 48 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Galderma Cutacnyl 5% Cream.

See 48 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 3 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+] Unifiant.

See 3 alternatives
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