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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream versus La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 .

Published on September 29, 2022

Overview

Cool Features

They both contain exfoliants and SPF

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols and fragrances

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

Sunscreen Monegasque Brand Monaco
Day Moisturizer French Brand France

Sunscreen

Sunscreens help absorb or reflect UV radiation and protect skin against skin damage. Sunscreens may come in the form of lotion, gel, foam, spray, or solid-stick.

Day Moisturizer

Day Moisturizers are marketed to hydrate the skin during the daytime.

Price

Shop

Buy Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream

Shop

Buy Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30

Starts at $36.99

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
spf rating
50
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
spf rating
30

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (6)
Mineral UV Filter (2)
AHA
PHA
Vitamin C (2)
Vitamin E
Exfoliators

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture (4)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (4)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (4)
Brightening (5)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (5)
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (5)

Notable Ingredients

Chemical UV Filter (4)
BHA
Exfoliators

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (6)
Eczema (6)
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Ingredients Compared

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

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

Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: UV Absorber, UV Filter
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Octocrylene protects skin from sun damage. It absorbs UV-B with peak absorption of 304 nm. It is a common sunscreen ingredient and often paired with avobenzone, a UVA filter. This is because octocrylene stabilizes other sunscreen ingredients by protecting them from degradation when exposed to sunlight. Octocrylene is a photostable ingredient and loses about 10% of SPF in 95 minutes.

Octocrylene also acts as an emollient, meaning it helps skin retain moisture and softens skin. It is oil-soluble and hydrophobic, enhancing water-resistant properties in a product.

Those who are using ketoprofen, a topical anti-inflammatory drug, may experience an allergic reaction when using octocrylene. It is best to speak with a healthcare professional about using sunscreens with octocrylene.

The EU allows a maximum of these concentrations:

Learn more about Octocrylene

Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream contains this as ingredient number 3.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
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

Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 3.

4
What it does: UV Absorber, UV Filter
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Also known as Avobenzone, this ingredient is a chemical sunscreen filter that provides protection in the UV-A range.

Avobenzone is globally approved and is the most commonly used UV-A filter in the world.

Studies have found that avobenzone becomes ineffective when exposed to UV light (it is not photostable; meaning that it breaks down in sunlight). Because of this, formulations that include avobenzone will usually contain stabilizers such as octocrylene.

However, some modern formulations (looking at you, EU!) are able to stabilize avobenzone by coating the molecules.

Avobenzone does not protect against the UV-B range, so it's important to check that the sunscreen you're using contains other UV filters that do!

The highest concentration of avobenzone permitted is 3% in the US, and 5% in the EU.

Learn more about Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane

Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream contains this as ingredient number 6.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 7.

5
What it does: Emulsifying

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is the potassium salt of a mixture. This mixture consists of the esters from phosphoricacid and cetyl alcohol.

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.

As a cleansing agent, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate helps gather oils, dirts, and pollutants from your skin. This makes it easier to rinse them away with water.

Learn more about Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream contains this as ingredient number 15.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 14.

6
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking
Community Rating: Liked

This BHA stands for butylated hydroxyanisole. If you are looking for the beta-hydroxy acid, aka as Salicylic Acid, click here.

In cosmetics, butylated hydroxyanisole is used as a perservative. It also has antioxidant properties. The concentrations usually used in skincare are low and do not penetrate through skin.

However, it is considered a carcinogen when ingested.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole is a synthetic and waxy petrochemical. It is used as a preservative in foods and cosmetics.

Learn more about BHA

Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream contains this as ingredient number 24.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 31.

7
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

Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream contains this as ingredient number 31.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 26.

8
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.

Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.

This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.

Those with sensitive skin or conditions may deliver a rash when using this ingredient.

Learn more about Propylene Glycol

Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream contains this as ingredient number 44.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 13.

9
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

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

Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream contains this as ingredient number 52.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 29.

10
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream contains this as ingredient number 57.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 contains this as ingredient number 33.

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

26% are loved or liked
18% have mixed ratings
40% are disliked or very disliked
16% have no rating yet
27% are loved or liked
0% have mixed ratings
45% are disliked or very disliked
27% have no rating yet

Usage

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Lancaster Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream 57 ingredients

Sun Sensitive Face Cream SPF 50+ Comforting Cream hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF 30 33 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Anti's avatar

Anti

3 years ago · Dry Skin
Review

Great product but not great moisturizer
I used this product for a month. It has done great job for my acne prone skin and caused no break outs....

Great product but not great moisturizer
I used this product for a month. It has done great job for my acne prone skin and caused no break outs. However, it is not a great moisturizer itself. I mostly used it before my actuall moisturizer. Plus, it has spf.

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