REVIEW: LA ROCHE-POSAY EFFACLAR DUO

Gaining something of a cult status over the past year or two La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (RRP £13.00) is one of those skin care products that anyone who is serious about their face keeps on stand-by. The actual purpose of it is to be a blemish preventative - 'corrective and unclogging anti-imperfection care' - but it's been lauded as a primer, moisturiser and spot treatment as well. 

The packaging is what's to be expected from a French pharmaceutical brand: understated and plain. The French care more about the product than the way it's presented which is something British and American brands should really think more about. It's a long tube with a spout (?) that keeps everything hygienic as well as only allowing a small amount of product out at a time for controlled use.

The product itself is a serum-cream hybrid that spreads across the skin very easily, giving an instantly smoothing effect. It sinks into the skin quickly without leaving any greasy film and adds a small amount of moisture without being heavy. Foundations and base products are easy to apply over the top within five minutes of application, if not sooner, and it does seem to keep make-up looking fresher for longer.

My skin has been extremely temperamental lately - I've made some dietary changes as well as the weather turning colder and I think it's had an adverse effect for the time being. I've also been working in one of the dustiest environments ever (applying hand cream at work only creates mud - that dusty) so my skin is being exposed to more dirt than usual too. With all of this happening I've been getting painful small spots along my chin and across my cheeks which are obviously unwanted and a pain to cover with concealer every single day. I was hoping that this would be the 'wonder product' that would sort it all out.

I've really stripped back my morning routine to accommodate this product - I literally cleanse and then apply Effaclar Duo. 

I leave anything fancy for my evening skin care now. I've noticed that the smaller spots have definitely gone within 36 hours of them popping up and being treated with this. Larger spots take longer but still go more quickly than they do when they're left to their own devices. The difference to my skin was noticeable within the first few days of using this product and I will repurchase it in the future. I'm not sure I can keep sticking to such a basic routine in the morning, purely because I like to add more moisture to my skin than this can give, but for the time being I'll continue with it.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (RRP £13.00) is available from Boots stores and Boots online. For more information on La Roche-Posay products take a look at their website. You can follow La Roche-Posay on Twitter and Facebook.