Today we are reviewing the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 (also called Cicaplast Baume B5). La Roche-Posay is a really well-known brand and it’s for a good reason.
They make a lot of great products that are made in France where some of the best labs are for dermatology. You can see how it compares to other brands in our RoC vs La Roche-Posay comparison.
This cicaplast cream has panthenol 5%, madecassoside and tribioma as the ingredients listed.
So what's that?
Panthenol 5% (also called Pro-Vitamin B5)
This is the star soothing and repairing ingredient. 5% it is quite a good amount compared to other products. Panthenol is known to help calm irritated or dry skin, supports the skin barrier, and draws moisture into the skin. It is well known for making skin feel more comfortable and less tight or inflamed.
Madecassoside
This comes from the Centella Asiatica plant (often called cica). It is known for its repairing and calming properties. It helps the skin recover, reduces the redness or irritation, can support healing of the skin. It’s one of the reasons this balm is popular for compromised or sensitive skin.
Tribioma
This is La Roche-Posay’s proprietary prebiotic complex. It claims to support the skin’s microbiome (the good bacteria on your skin). The idea is that it helps keep the skin at a balanced healthy level, which the means the skin barrier can improve and make the skin more resilient over time.
Together these three work on hydration, calming, barrier repair and supporting the skin’s overall health.
You get 100 grams of product but they also have different sizes if you want a really big one or a really small one if you’re trying it out.
| Size | Best for |
|---|---|
| 40 ml | Trying it out or travel |
| 100 ml | Everyday use and better value |
| Larger tubes (where available) | Heavy use or body application |
It comes in a squeezy pack which is really handy.
In terms of the scent it’s a pretty plain moisturiser smell. It has no real smell about it which is great if you prefer fragrance-free products.
A little bit of this balm goes a long way. It is quite thick so if you’ve ever tried the Nivea moisturiser it’s not that thick. It would just be in between another moisturiser and that one.
It takes quite a few back and forth motions to rub it into the skin otherwise you’re going to have a white layer there so you really need to give it a really good rub in. But in saying that it’s super hydrating afterwards.
For more on thick moisturisers see our best moisturisers for your face and CeraVe cream vs Eucerin Aquaphor.
It claims that it’s soothing, helps with skin irritation, it is ultra repairing, it doesn’t have any scent so it’s no scent included. These are the main boasts they make about the product.
In terms of use you’d apply this twice daily to clean dry skin and avoid your eye area. That is the recommended way according to the brand. If you need extra hydration overnight check our how to hydrate your skin overnight guide.
On to the finish on the skin. It looks we wouldn’t say greasy but a really nice shine that it leaves on the skin. If you’re looking to do this under your makeup it’s not probably the best moisturiser for under your makeup.
But in saying that in winter it really does work for us because you can go away for say 10 minutes after you’ve applied it and let it really soak into the skin and then when you put your makeup on it just has a really nice finish because it’s hydrated the skin.
In terms of results and whether it’s repairing and calming that skin irritation we would say it’s more repairing than improving any skin irritants because that can be different purposes and you might have eczema or other issues so there’s different products for that.
But this is great if you even want to slap it on as a thick mask. So you actually apply like a thick layer to your face (by the way you can apply this anywhere) and if you actually let that sit and you go to sleep you wake up in the morning with such smooth hydrated skin.
It’s almost like just a mask that your skin just soaks up. For dry or flaky skin tips see our 8 ways to get rid of dry flaky skin on your face.
We wouldn’t say it’s great for under the eyes. There are so many other eye creams that are awesome and just a bit thinner for that delicate area like the RoC eye cream. And because it is thicker you don’t want to apply concealer on top and then it can sometimes just be too many layers when you add the powder and it just makes that area look cakey.
Check our best under eye creams and RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream review for better options in that area.
This one works really well as a daily moisturiser, especially if your skin feels dry, tight or needs some extra help repairing. It is also good for using on the body on dry patches. We find it particularly useful in colder months when skin needs more moisture.
It can help with dryness and barrier support but if you have eczema there are often more specific products recommended. This one is more about repairing and hydrating than treating active eczema flares.
Yes but it is better to wait about 10 minutes after applying so it soaks in properly. In winter this works really well for us and leaves a nice hydrated finish under makeup.
The brand recommends twice daily on clean dry skin. You can also use a thicker layer as an overnight mask if your skin needs extra help.
No, it has a pretty plain moisturiser smell and is fragrance-free.
Yes it is quite thick, somewhere between a normal moisturiser and something like Nivea OG in the blue tin. You need to really work it into the skin.
Yes, you can apply this anywhere. It works well on dry patches, hands, elbows and other areas that need extra moisture.
So 100% recommend this one for daily moisturiser use. It is a solid product from a trusted brand and it does exactly what it says on the tube for hydration and repair. If your skin is feeling dry or compromised this is one we keep coming back to.
For more options see our skin care routine for wrinkles, benefits of hyaluronic acid for the face and best serums for all skin types.
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