La Roche-Posay Physiological Soothing Toner Review

For those of you who don't know, La Roche-Posay is a much-hyped French skincare brand. They specialise in sensitive skin, so their formulations are really gentle. This toner was my first product from one of their lines. It was £12 for 200ml of toner, which I think is pretty good value; price-wise it is somewhere between Clarins and Clinique pricing and that of Simple and Garnier. 

(Image via: echemist.co.uk)

I guess I would describe my skin as combination/normal; I get occasional dry patches but they are usually dealt with easily by exfoliating, whereas shininess is a more pervasive problem for me, particularly around my t-zone. I do suffer from blemishes, visible pores and redness so that was what I was really trying to tackle. So I used this after cleansing and before applying a night cream.

It doesn't really have a fragrance on top of the general toner smell, which I prefer (as fragranced skincare products always seem to irritate my skin). It doesn't come out too quickly, which I like, as toners in poorly-designed bottles always run out really quickly as you always end up with too much on the cotton pad.  

I found it very gentle and soothing, it reduced my redness and the visibility of blemishes. I haven't actually had a breakout at all since beginning my new skincare regime! I think my pores have been reduced a little in size, but not dramatically, though I have only been using this for a week. It left my skin amazingly smooth, which I was really impressed with, as it used to feel tight and raw/stripped after cleansing and toning. Overall it's a great alternative to forking out for high-end names or settling for budget brands.

TL; DR

Pros

* Leaves skin very soft

* Reduced redness

* Fragrance-free

* Gentle on sensitive skin

* Blemishes less visible

* Seems as though it'll last a while

Cons

* Didn't see a huge improvement in the size of my pores

The Verdict

Value for money:            ****

Reduction of redness:     ****

Softness of skin:            *****

Reduction of pores:             **

Reduction of blemishes:  **** 

Ease of application:        ****

Cleansing:                       ****

Overall

****/5