La Roche-Posay's Toleriane Moisturizer Kept My Skin Hydrated, Never Greasy

We put La Roche-Posay's Toleriane Ultra Moisturizing Cream to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review. 

After about five years of blissfully clear skin, three months postpartum I found myself with reliable monthly breakouts. You know the type: Big, painful, and take a few days to fully emerge from under the skin. They always appear along my jawline—a sure sign that they’re hormonal—and I’ve been working with a dermatologist for a few months now to clear it up. 

I already had La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Ultra Sensitive Skin Face Moisturizer in my medicine cabinet when my dermatologist mentioned that I should layer it on top of the other topical products she’d prescribed me, saying it was great for sensitive and acne-prone skin. That made me even more excited to try it.

Here’s how it worked out.

About My Skin: Fair, freckly, and acne-prone

I have fair skin with freckles—and I’m pretty sure some of those freckles have evolved into age spots over time. I’m also working with at least three hormonal acne pimples per month, which reliably appear on my chin and jawline like clockwork.

While my skin isn’t naturally very sensitive, some of the products I’ve started applying per my dermatologist’s recommendation—retinol and aczone—are making it just a little more sensitive than usual, which is why I was excited to use a moisturizer specifically made for sensitive skin. 

The Feel: Light and smoothing

After using a heavier moisturizer for a few months, I loved the smooth and light feel of La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Ultra Moisturizing Cream. It’s made with squalane, an ingredient that’s a hydrogenated version of the squalene our skin naturally produces, and my skin tends to respond well to it. This moisturizer was no exception: My skin loved it.

Irritation: None at all

La Roche-Posay says its Ultra Moisturizing Cream was tested on allergy-prone skin, so I wasn’t exactly surprised that it wasn’t irritating. But, I was really pleased to see that it kept the dryness that comes with harsher products like retinol or aczone at bay. I didn’t deal with any of the tight dryness that usually comes with using those kinds of products. 

The Results: Brighter, smoother, and moisturized

Overall, I was very pleased with the outcome of using this moisturizer for a few weeks. It kept my skin moisturized at a time when it needed it most, and it never felt heavy or like it didn’t seep into my skin like other moisturizers.

My only complaint about this moisturizer is that the bottle is a little small. I have to pump a good amount of it into my hand to cover my whole face and neck (moisturizing my neck is very important to me now that I’m in my 30s!), and while I intend to keep using it, I can see myself going through this bottle very quickly. It’s not exactly convenient, and it will get expensive, too. 

The Value: On the expensive side, but mostly reasonable

Retailing at around $30, La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Ultra Moisturizing Cream comes in a small 1.35-ounce bottle, which I know I’ll go through very quickly, and I found I had to use quite a bit to cover the whole surface area I wanted to.

That being said, there are a lot of moisturizers out there that are a lot more expensive, so I don’t have any over-the-top complaints about this price.

Competition: Hard to find a replacement

Biossance’s Squalane + Omega Repair Cream ($58): For about a year, I’ve been using Biossance’s Squalane + Omega Repair Cream. I do love it (have I mentioned I’m a huge fan of squalane?) But I think I love La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Ultra Sensitive Skin Face Moisturizer more. Biossance’s moisturizer can get a little heavy, and I don’t think it was helping my acne much. Plus, La Roche-Posay’s moisturizer is less expensive, and that’s something I can always get behind.