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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum versus Biologique Recherche Complexe Iribiol Rebalancing and Purifying Serum for the Face .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on March 12, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA, BHA and niacinamide

Suited For

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

Free From

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

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances

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

Serum French Brand France
Serum Brand

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum

Starts at $39.99
Shop

Buy Complexe Iribiol Rebalancing and Purifying Serum for the Face

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

AHA (2)
BHA
Niacinamide

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin (3)
Redness Reducing
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores (3)
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (5)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

AHA (4)
BHA
PHA
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture (5)
Reduces Large Pores (5)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (4)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (6)

Concerns

Irritating (3)
Rosacea (6)
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

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Biologique Recherche Complexe Iribiol Rebalancing and Purifying Serum for the Face contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

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.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

Biologique Recherche Complexe Iribiol Rebalancing and Purifying Serum for the Face contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

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

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.

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 look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.

Biologique Recherche Complexe Iribiol Rebalancing and Purifying Serum for the Face contains this as ingredient number 12.

4
What it does:
Community Rating: Liked

Phytic Acid is a gentle AHA and antioxidant. The chemical makeup makes it classified as an AHA, such as lactic acid.

AHAs are chemical exfoliants that help remove dead skin cells. Phytic Acid has a slight exfoliating effect. Phytic Acid has been shown to help calm irritation. In some cases, it is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water, helping to stabilize the ingredients in a product.

As an antioxidant, phytic acid may help with the signs of aging. Antioxidants help neutralize free-radical molecules. These molecules may damage your skin cells.

An interesting fact about phytic acid is that it is considered an antinutrient. People do not have the enzyme needed to properly breakdown and digest phytic acid. When ingested, phytic acid binds to minerals and prevents them from being absorbed.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Phytic Acid

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

Biologique Recherche Complexe Iribiol Rebalancing and Purifying Serum for the Face contains this as ingredient number 11.

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

53% are loved or liked
16% have mixed ratings
26% are disliked or very disliked
5% have no rating yet
58% are loved or liked
15% have mixed ratings
12% are disliked or very disliked
15% 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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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum 19 ingredients

4.3 /5
from 7 ratings
Expensive (1)
Lapaki's avatar

Lapaki

1 year ago · Dry Skin
Review

Dependable anti-blemish and anti-marks serum for sensitive skin
This is a very good and gentle exfoliating serum for sensitive skin. It helped me...

Dependable anti-blemish and anti-marks serum for sensitive skin
This is a very good and gentle exfoliating serum for sensitive skin. It helped me get rid of some hormonal acne few years ago, cleared my skin and somehow made it more resistant to acids, which I had to be very carful with before. Its also good for treating backne.

GabriellaTsoukalas's avatar

GabriellaTsoukalas

9 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

Worth the try for ACNE skin
I used it for about 2 years and I was more than satisfied. Upon returning on my Erasmus trip, it broke me out and made...

Worth the try for ACNE skin
I used it for about 2 years and I was more than satisfied. Upon returning on my Erasmus trip, it broke me out and made my skin dry. I don't know if anything happened during the trip but right now I don't use it. It's really good if you have taken acne treatment pills and you need smt to keep the acne away (from my experience at least).

Biologique Recherche Complexe Iribiol Rebalancing and Purifying Serum for the Face 26 ingredients

Complexe Iribiol Rebalancing and Purifying Serum for the Face hasn't been rated yet.
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Our Dupe Finder has found 16 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Biologique Recherche Complexe Iribiol Rebalancing and Purifying Serum for the Face.

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