La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer Versus La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Serum With Melasyl+Niacinamide
Updated on April 25, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain exfoliants and 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 and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils or parabens
What's Inside
They both contain silicones
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
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer 18 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Serum With Melasyl+Niacinamide 32 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer 18 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Serum With Melasyl+Niacinamide 32 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Ingredients Side-by-side
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.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Zea Mays Starch is starch made from corn. You might know this as cornstarch . It is used to thicken a product. It can replace talc as an absorbent.
6 Benefits
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer made from ammonium salts. It helps add stability and texture to a product.
Myristyl Myristate is created from the fatty acids of myristyl alcohol and myristic acid. In skincare, it is an emollient and texture enhancer.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid. It is an emollient, emulsifier, and texture enhancer.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is the potassium salt of a mixture. This mixture consists of the esters from phosphoricacid and cetyl alcohol.
Glyceryl Stearate Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
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.
Myristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Palmitic Acid is a fatty acid found in our skin. In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It is a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Capryloyl Glycine is created by adding an acyl group to glycine and caprylic acid chloride.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
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.
Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Dimethicone, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Myristyl Myristate, Stearic Acid, Ceramide NP, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum
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.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
6 Benefits
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.
2 Concerns
Silica is a mineral naturally found in our skin. It helps to thicken and smooth the texture of a product. It also acts as an agent for other ingredients by increasing the absorption of other ingredients into the skin.
This ingredient is patented by L'Oreal and found in the Melasyl line of La Roche Posay.
Peg-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
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.
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer made from ammonium salts. It helps add stability and texture to a product.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid comes from salicylic acid, the famous acne-fighting BHA.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
4 Benefits 2 Concerns
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
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.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
Octyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol. It is primarily used to enhance the texture of products.
7 Benefits 3 Concerns
Retinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include tretinoin and retinol.
Antioxidant 4 Benefits May cause irritation
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
2 Concerns
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Water, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Silica, Bis-Peg/Ppg-16/16 Peg/Ppg-16/16 Dimethicone, Cystoseira Tamariscifolia Extract, 2-Mercaptonicotinoyl Glycine, Peg-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Thiosulfate, Carnosine, Poloxamer 338, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Octyldodecanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 17200, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterGlycerin 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 GlycerinDimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.
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 NiacinamideAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer made from ammonium salts. It helps add stability and texture to a product.
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is stable over a wide pH range. Due to its ability to absorb water, it can help thicken the texture of a product.
As an emulsion stabilizer, this ingredient is able to stabilize and mix the other ingredients. This creates a consistent texture.
Learn more about Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl TaurateSodium 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 HydroxideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolXanthan 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 GumIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer 18 ingredients
La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Serum With Melasyl+Niacinamide 32 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer 18 ingredients
AndieGlass
I prefer this lotion for my night time routine and someone with primarily oily skin. This sunscreen is very hydrating and doesn’t feel heavy as the...
I prefer this lotion for my night time routine and someone with primarily oily skin. This sunscreen is very hydrating and doesn’t feel heavy as the last step of my skin care routine. I wouldn’t recommend it for day time use because it definitely gives the skin a shiny look.
Jnke.
Good, but not for me.
Purchased after I damaged my barrier and needed something simple- Texture is nice & light, not at all greasy or heavy. No...
Good, but not for me.
Purchased after I damaged my barrier and needed something simple- Texture is nice & light, not at all greasy or heavy. No scent. Does not leave me shiney or oily. But not heavy enough for my current dry skin & needs to be reapplied after a few hours.... I do for the most part really like this moisturizer, but will not be repurchasing after seeing the product info.
I also have dry skin and am having the same issue where this moisturizer isn’t hydrating enough, so I need to reapply it often. Even when I use a good amount, it still isn’t...
I also have dry skin and am having the same issue where this moisturizer isn’t hydrating enough, so I need to reapply it often. Even when I use a good amount, it still isn’t enough for my dry skin.
La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Serum With Melasyl+Niacinamide 32 ingredients
kaya02
Haven't noticed any difference in my acne scars so far as all it did was induce purging (has pro-retinol in the ingredients). Been using it for...
Haven't noticed any difference in my acne scars so far as all it did was induce purging (has pro-retinol in the ingredients). Been using it for like a month and not noticing any results so far, I've noticed more results after using my Caudalie serum for a week.
