Head to head
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream vs La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M vs Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream.
The bottom lineCetaphil Moisturizing Cream and La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M are close on what they deliver, so it comes down to your skin: Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream is the kinder pick for sensitive or reactive skin since it is fragrance-free.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
€0.04 an applicationabout 360 uses from 450 ml
measured: 2.5 fingertip units for face and neck, about 1.25 g; from €13 as read in September 2026 and a 450 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.04 an application, about 360 uses from 450 ml.
- Long & Finlay 1991, Clin Exp Dermatol: face and neck 2.5 fingertip units (PMID 1806320, abstract read)
- Long, Finlay & Averill 1992, Arch Dermatol: 4 hand areas = 2 FTU = 1 g (PMID 1497374)
- Finlay, Edwards & Harding 1989, Lancet: the fingertip unit defined (PMID 2567912, a letter)
- density taken as 1 g per ml: assumed, as on the sunscreen calculator
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
€0.63 an applicationabout 30 uses from 40 ml
measured: 2.5 fingertip units for face and neck, about 1.25 g; from €20 as read in September 2026 and a 40 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.63 an application, about 30 uses from 40 ml.
- Long & Finlay 1991, Clin Exp Dermatol: face and neck 2.5 fingertip units (PMID 1806320, abstract read)
- Long, Finlay & Averill 1992, Arch Dermatol: 4 hand areas = 2 FTU = 1 g (PMID 1497374)
- Finlay, Edwards & Harding 1989, Lancet: the fingertip unit defined (PMID 2567912, a letter)
- density taken as 1 g per ml: assumed, as on the sunscreen calculator
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
Per application, Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream is the cheaper: €0.04 against €0.63.
Which should you pick?
Pick Moisturizing Cream if
- your skin is sensitive or reacts to fragrance
- you want the more affordable option
Pick Effaclar Duo+ M if
- you are dealing with breakouts and oiliness
What each delivers
Side by side
| Moisturizing Cream | Effaclar Duo+ M | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Moisturizer | Moisturizer |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Petrolatum, Niacinamide | Glycerin, Niacinamide, Salicylic acid (BHA) |
| Texture | A rich, cushiony cream that sinks in slowly. | A smooth, silky lotion that spreads easily and leaves a soft, near-blurred finish. |
| Fragrance | None detected | Contains fragrance |
| Feeds Malassezia | 3 measured / 2 inferred | 1 measured / 1 inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 25 listed | 35 listed |
| Price | ~€13 | ~€20 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 5 of the 55 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on On top of the skin, The stratum corneum for Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream and The stratum corneum, Not established for La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
Only in La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M is a different bottle only for: salicylic acid (bha), zinc pca, isohexadecane, capryloyl salicylic acid.
Where each label stops telling you the dose
Ingredients are listed in order of how much is inside, but only down to 1%. Below that the brand may list them in any order it likes, so the bottom of a label is a set, not a ranking. These two stop being a ranking in very different places.
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
ordered for its first 48%
- 1Aqua
- 2Glycerin
- 3Petrolatum
- 4Dicaprylyl Ether
- 5Dimethicone
- 6Glyceryl Stearate
- 7Cetyl Alcohol
- 8Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
- 9PEG-30 Stearate
- 10Panthenol
- 11Niacinamide
- 12Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
- 13Tocopherol
- 14Tocopheryl Acetate
- 15Pantolactone
- 16Dimethiconol
- 17Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
- 18Carbomer
- 19Propylene Glycol
- 20BHT
- 21Disodium EDTA
- 22Benzyl Alcohol
- 23Phenoxyethanol
- 24Sodium Hydroxide
- 25Citric Acid
13 of 25 sit below the line, marked by Tocopherol.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M
ordered for its first 80%
- 1Aqua/Water/Eau
- 2Glycerin
- 3Dimethicone
- 4Isocetyl Stearate
- 5Niacinamide
- 6Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
- 7Silica
- 8Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
- 9Oryza Sativa Starch/Rice Starch
- 10Punica Granatum Pericarp Extract
- 11Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
- 12Sorbitan Oleate
- 13Zinc PCA
- 14Glyceryl Stearate SE
- 15Isohexadecane
- 16Sodium Hydroxide
- 17Myristyl Myristate
- 182-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
- 19Mannose
- 20Poloxamer 338
- 21Propanediol
- 22Hydroxyethoxyphenyl Butanone
- 23Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
- 24Caprylyl Glycol
- 25Vitreoscilla Ferment
- 26Citric Acid
- 27Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 28Maltodextrin
- 29Xanthan Gum
- 30Pentylene Glycol
- 31Polysorbate 80
- 32Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
- 33Salicylic Acid
- 34Piroctone Olamine
- 35Parfum/Fragrance
7 of 35 sit below the line, marked by Xanthan Gum.
Below the line is not too little to work: ceramides, retinoids and peptides all act far under a percent. It means the position stops carrying information. Where the line falls is inferred from the first ingredient whose whole job is done at a fraction of a percent, so it is a close read of the label rather than a number from the formula sheet.
The molecule doing the work
Better for…
- Dark spots & uneven toneEither works
- Breakouts & congestionEffaclar Duo+ M
- Dryness & dehydrationEither works
- Sensitive, reactive skinMoisturizing Cream
Who each suits
- Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
- dry, sensitive, normal · avoid with acne-prone skin, fungal acne prone, nut allergy and oily skin
- La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M
- dry, combination, oily, normal · avoid with compromised barrier, very sensitive skin, pregnancy and very dry skin (needing an occlusive)
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream is the cheaper of the two (~€13 vs ~€20).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream or La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M better for breakouts & congestion?
For breakouts & congestion, La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream and La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M are close on what they deliver, so it comes down to your skin: Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream is the kinder pick for sensitive or reactive skin since it is fragrance-free.
Which is cheaper, Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream or La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M?
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream is the cheaper of the two (~€13 vs ~€20).
Can I use Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream and La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M together?
They are both moisturizers, so you would normally pick one rather than layer both in the same step. You can keep both and alternate them (morning and night, or on different days) if you like variety, but you do not need two.
What the scene shows
The cross-section at the top of this page is not decoration and not a diagram of the skin in general: it places the molecules these two are sold on at the layer each is understood to act on. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Petrolatum (on top of the skin), Niacinamide (the living epidermis). La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ M is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Niacinamide (the living epidermis), Salicylic acid (BHA) (the stratum corneum). A layer is where an ingredient does its work, never how deep it travels, and never a claim about how well it works.
Compare it with…
36 duels are built for this moisturizer, CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion among them: type a name, or pick one below.