La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

~Yay

"It's the most advanced option in this lineup, and I'd save it for skin that's already tolerated a basic salicylic acid product with no issues whatsoever. It has one and a half percent salicylic acid with glycolic acid, their proprietary lipohydroxy acid, and niacinamide. That combination does more than prevent clogs, it helps increase cell turnover and the niacinamide addresses post-acne marks and dark spots that can linger after a pimple heals."

All 3 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown

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"The serum also contains a little bit of niacinamide which will help reduce some of the inflammation and support the skin barrier as well as panthenol and sodium PCA which hydrate and calm the skin."

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"It effectively unclogs pores, reduces blemishes, it targets excess oil. It's going to help clear up and prevent those breakouts. It's really lightweight serum containing salicylic acid. It's something that you don't wash off. You're going to leave it on. So it's going to cause a little bit more irritation. If you have really sensitive skin, I would not start with the leave-on serum. The key ingredient here is the 1.5% salicylic acid."

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"It's the most advanced option in this lineup, and I'd save it for skin that's already tolerated a basic salicylic acid product with no issues whatsoever. It has one and a half percent salicylic acid with glycolic acid, their proprietary lipohydroxy acid, and niacinamide. That combination does more than prevent clogs, it helps increase cell turnover and the niacinamide addresses post-acne marks and dark spots that can linger after a pimple heals."

Dr. Jenny Liu

323k subs

~Yay

"If you're looking for a serum, I also really like La Roche-Posay, the Effaclar serum that's in that kind of turquoise bottle. You can put it all over or spot treat where you have the most concerns."

Dr. Somji Skin

360k subs

~Yay

"La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum not only helps with anti-imperfection, which is more for acne, helps with dark marks as well as daily peeling. This has got salicylic acid in there which is great for acne, glycolic acid which is also great for pigmentation, and it's also got soothing niacinamide so it's going to help people with sensitive skin and impaired skin barriers."

Dr. Mamina

282k subs

~Yay

"Or L Ro POS effaclar Duo plus Ultra concentrated serum"

No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Nay

"I bought the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum and noticed these white things inside. To me, I wouldn't use that. It looks like mold or mildew or something like that."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Mixed

"I'm really bummed that La Roche Posay has added fragrance to the Effaclar serum, because this used to not have fragrance and was really good. Fragrance doesn't negate the benefits of the ingredients in this, but the fragrance in these serums is so strong and it lingers so much, that's really unfortunate. [...] It's got salicylic acid, but it also has LHA, which is a modified form of salicylic acid that's a little more precise in how it exfoliates."

All 2 takes from Dr Dray

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"These over-the-counter salicylic acid things can cause irritation, but it's not as though they're super aggressive, they have to be safe enough to be sold over the counter and for consumers to use them safely without medical supervision. That being said, they can be very irritating if you use them along with tretinoin. For me, for example, I'm not going to put this on and then put my tretinoin on."

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"I'm really bummed that La Roche Posay has added fragrance to the Effaclar serum, because this used to not have fragrance and was really good. Fragrance doesn't negate the benefits of the ingredients in this, but the fragrance in these serums is so strong and it lingers so much, that's really unfortunate. [...] It's got salicylic acid, but it also has LHA, which is a modified form of salicylic acid that's a little more precise in how it exfoliates."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide has evidence behind it for redness, uneven tone and supporting the skin barrier, and it is usually well tolerated even by skin that reacts to most things.

Source: DermNet

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid dissolves in oil, so it can get into a pore rather than just working on the surface. That is why it has long-standing evidence for blackheads and milder acne.

Source: DermNet

Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the bonds holding dead cells at the surface. The evidence supports smoother texture and more even tone over time, and they can leave skin more sensitive to sun.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Frequently asked.

What is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum?

A concentrated serum combining salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and niacinamide to address acne, dark marks, and surface texture.

Is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 71%.

What is La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum's Guru Score?

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Ultra Concentrated Serum holds a Guru Score of 71%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 6 expert reviewers we have collected.