La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Cleansing Oil Review
BeautyBrief™
Brand
La Roche-Posay
Product
Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Cleansing Oil
Claims check
If you want a more comfortable face-and-body wash, its humectants and conditioning ingredients support that goal, but 24-hour and 10-week benefits are not isolated to this cleanser alone.
Shopper fit
- Dry
- Sensitive
Formula flags
- Sulfates
Shopper preferences
- Non-Comedogenic
- Dermatologist-Tested
Key ingredients
| Glycerin | Provides water-binding support early in the rinse-off formula. |
|---|---|
| Sucrose | Complements glycerin in the moisture-focused cleansing base. |
| PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides | Contributes conditioning slip from a shea-derived ingredient without making the formula a pure oil cleanser. |
| Niacinamide | Supports an ingredient-level skin-comfort rationale, not a proven leave-on treatment effect. |
| Vitreoscilla Ferment | Adds another skin-comfort component to the dry-skin formula. |
Price tier
$$ Mid-Range
Value check
At the Mid-Range tier, you get fragrance-free foaming cleansing for face and body, not proven 24-hour hydration from the wash alone.
Where to buy
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Bottom line
If your face or body is dry and you still like foam, Lipikar AP+ combines surfactants with humectants in a fragrance-free cleansing format. The 10-week improvement claim came from a cleanser-plus-cream regimen and does not establish cleanser-only repair. At the Mid-Range tier, value rests on multipurpose cleansing and after-wash comfort rather than a treatment effect.
If your skin is dry, very dry, sensitive, or eczema-prone but you still want noticeable foam, La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Cleansing Oil gives you a fragrance-free face-and-body option with a softer finish than many conventional foaming washes. The main tradeoff is expectation: it cleans comfortably, but its 24-hour hydration and longer-term regimen claims should not be read as proof that the cleanser alone replaces moisturizer.
What it claims
La Roche-Posay describes Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Cleansing Oil as an intensively moisturizing oil-to-foam cleanser for dry to extra-dry sensitive skin. The current U.S. page says you can use it on the face and body, that it provides up to 24 hours of hydration, and that it helps protect against the drying effects of water. The brand also identifies it as fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, allergy-tested, soap-free, sensitive-skin tested, dermatologist-tested for safety, and suitable for babies two weeks and older.[1]
Claims vs. formula
Glycerin is the second ingredient and sucrose is third, giving the formula a strong moisture-support base for a rinse-off cleanser. Sodium laureth sulfate and coco-betaine provide the cleansing and foam. The sulfate matters because it helps explain why you get more lather and cleansing power than you would from a low-foam cream cleanser.
PEG-75 shea butter glycerides adds slip and softness. It is a shea-derived ingredient rather than a large amount of pure shea butter, which helps explain why the product still rinses clean instead of leaving the heavier film you might expect from a traditional cleansing oil.
Niacinamide and Vitreoscilla ferment add support for skin comfort and barrier-focused positioning. Because this is a rinse-off product, you should treat those ingredients as supporting the cleanser rather than as substitutes for a leave-on treatment.
La Roche-Posay reports that 98% of users said the cleanser gently cleansed, 90% said skin felt soothed, and 87% said skin felt hydrated. The brand also cites a 10-week regimen result showing a 90% reduction in the appearance of dry skin and roughness when the cleanser was used once daily with Lipikar AP+M Cream twice daily. That longer-term result belongs to the two-product routine, so it does not tell you how much improvement came from the cleanser alone.[1]
The 24-hour hydration claim is consistent with the moisture-focused formula, but the public page does not isolate the cleanser’s contribution after rinsing. The more dependable expectation is comfortable cleansing with less of the stripped feel that can come from stronger body washes.
Ingredients that matter
Glycerin and sucrose appear high in the INCI and support the formula’s moisture-focused feel, while sodium laureth sulfate and coco-betaine generate the cleansing foam. That balance explains why you can get noticeable lather in a product positioned for dry skin. It does not demonstrate that the cleanser delivers 24 hours of hydration on its own.
PEG-75 shea butter glycerides adds conditioning slip; it is a shea-derived ingredient, not the same thing as a large dose of pure shea butter. Niacinamide and Vitreoscilla ferment contribute to the brand’s skin-comfort story, but rinse-off exposure and absent controlled product-only comparisons limit claims of long-term barrier repair.
Glycerin
If your skin feels dry or tight, glycerin helps your skin hold moisture. You don't need a high percentage or a separate serum when your moisturizer already works well.
Read the IngredientBrief
Niacinamide
If your skin feels dry or uncomfortable, niacinamide can support hydration and reduce water loss in a well-formulated product. It also has evidence for uneven tone and visible oiliness, but…
Read the IngredientBrief
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate is an effective cleansing and foaming surfactant used mainly in rinse-off products. Tolerability depends more on concentration and the complete cleansing system than on the SLES name…
Read the IngredientBriefSafety and regulatory context
La Roche-Posay describes the cleanser as fragrance-free, dermatologist-tested, non-comedogenic and accepted by the National Eczema Association.[1] Those attributes help evaluate a sensitive-skin routine, but the product is not an eczema treatment and its ingredient list does include the sulfate surfactant sodium laureth sulfate. Sulfate presence is a cleansing characteristic, not an automatic safety failure.
The official directions include use for babies from two weeks of age and a qualified statement about use by patients undergoing chemotherapy. That statement explicitly says not to use it on broken skin and to consult a medical professional first. It does not establish independent evidence for treating chemotherapy-related skin reactions.
What to expect in the short term
You can expect a slightly slicker starting texture than a standard gel cleanser, followed by noticeable foam once you add water. It removes routine body oil, sweat, dirt, ordinary sunscreen, and daily residue while leaving more softness behind than many conventional foaming body washes.
On the face, it makes the most sense if your skin is dry or normal-to-dry and a cream cleanser feels too mild. If you wear heavy waterproof makeup or highly water-resistant sunscreen, you may still want a dedicated first cleanse because this is not a traditional oil-heavy makeup remover.
What to expect over time
With repeated use, the practical goal is washing your face and body without an overly tight after-feel. The brand reports that 98% of surveyed users said it cleansed gently, 90% felt soothed and 87% felt hydrated, but those are participant reports rather than a controlled demonstration of 24-hour hydration from a single rinse-off use.[1]
Its reported 10-week 90% reduction in the appearance of dryness and roughness comes from a two-product regimen using this cleanser once daily and Lipikar AP+M Cream twice daily. You cannot attribute the combined improvement to the cleanser alone. Continue using leave-on moisturizer when your skin needs it.
Who it fits
If your face or body is dry, very dry or sensitive and you still prefer foaming cleansing, Lipikar AP+ offers a fragrance-free face-and-body approach. It is also relevant for eczema-prone skin needing routine washing, but its National Eczema Association acceptance does not make it a treatment. If your skin is broken, actively flaring or undergoing cancer therapy, follow the brand’s precautions and advice from your clinician.
If you want a traditional oil-based first cleanse for waterproof makeup, the oil-to-foam format is not the same as a heavy makeup-dissolving balm. Choose by your tolerance, after-feel and routine rather than expecting it to replace moisturizer.
Compare before you buy
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is the better face-specific choice if you want a creamier, lower-foam cleanser for dry or treatment-stressed skin. Lipikar makes more sense if you want one face-and-body cleanser with more noticeable foam and refill availability.
Read the BeautyBriefVanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser is the simpler option if your main priority is a short fragrance-free facial cleanser with visible lather rather than a multi-use face-and-body format.
Final Assessment
If you want one fragrance-free face-and-body cleanser for dry or eczema-prone skin, Lipikar AP+ pairs glycerin and other conditioning ingredients with a foaming cleansing system. The product’s 24-hour hydration language and 10-week combination-regimen findings do not prove that the wash alone restores your barrier or replaces moisturizer. At the Mid-Range tier, its value comes from the versatile oil-to-foam format and dry-skin comfort rather than a separate treatment effect.
Where to buy
Choose a retailer to view current pricing and availability.
We may earn a commission through these links at no additional cost to you.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sources
La Roche-Posay. Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Cleansing Oil. Official U.S. product page, accessed October 14, 2026. Ingredient list, current product positioning, directions and brand-declared claims.
