My Honest Acne Prone Review of the Viral Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Moisturiser
Image Description:
Two Images sit side by side. In the first, a young woman with dark hair, smiling while holding a tube of Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Moisturiser in her hand. She’s wearing a light pink singlet and standing in a well-lit room.
The second image is a close-up shot of the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Moisturiser tube being held in a hand, with some of the product being squeezed out. The moisturiser’s packaging is white with blue and silver accents, and the label reads "Multi-function moisturiser."
I'm a huge believer that French skincare deserves its virality. I also have a deep appreciation for their approach to skin.
I love their focus on the beauty of the skin and addressing concerns- Their skincare ranges are typically tailored around healing the skin, reducing inflammation and barrier repair.
A lot of the time, the French skincare customer has guidance from family-owned Pharmacists who are knowledgeable and engaged about skin health and skincare products, or dermatologists who are just a bit more accessible in Europe and France.
However, as someone with acne-prone skin, I often find myself a bit concerned when it comes to barrier repair products or moisturisers that tend to be more popular in that world because I break out at the drop of a hat, and my skin barrier is often damaged.
It's the double-edged sword of having both acne prone skin and dry flare patches, or just adult acne in general.
As we tend to treat and address acne with drying products like vitamin A, alcohol-based antibacterial products, benzoyl peroxides, or salicylic acids, dry skin flare ups can be exacerbated.
Not always, but often, adult acne skin is already on the normal side in terms of oiliness, so by using drying products to address the break outs, we really are taking that extra layer of skin barrier protection away, and then that can make our already sensitive skin damaged.
On the other side, it also just feels like all the products that are supposed to fix our damaged skin barriers make us prone to break out, because they tend to be a bit heavy and rich.
Image Description:
Two images sit side by side. In the first, another close-up of the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré tube. A hand is shown squeezing a small amount of the white cream onto the back of the other hand, ready to be applied.
In the second image, a person’s hand is applying the Embryolisse moisturiser on the back of the other hand. The hand has manicured nails with light-coloured nail polish and a floral design.
All that to say, my exploration in French skincare hasn't steered me wrong, and I've found a lot of their barrier repair products are non-comedogenic and really quite elegant for adult acne prone skin.
This is my review of the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré.
The original is something I've tried many times and I've had in and out of my routine for quite a number of years, and I also really enjoy the sensitive one, but I'll get back to that.
Initially, the Lait-Crème Concentré from Embryolisse intimidated me because I could see that it had shea butter and it also has the equivalent of Vaseline in it, alongside some other typically wonderful moisture-locking ingredients, but those, in my head, did equate to a bit of concern that it might break me out.
I'm very happy to report after years of use: it doesn’t break me out.
Not only does it not break me out, but it's a wonderful product for really sensitive skin.
An underrated feature of the Lait-Crème Concentré is that it locks in moisture all day in a really significantly visual way (hint: It’s my makeup artists love it!) , so it acts like a wonderful last step in the p.m., or a last step before SPF in the morning.
The emollient rich tecture of the cream acts like a light form of slugging and has a “almost hugging” feeling that cocoons the skin without the suffication.
The concept of cocooning the skin is a really big concept in French skincare, and the core of the cocooning concept is forming a slight physical layer on the skin, almost like a glove over the skin.
Image Description:
A woman with dark hair is applying a generous amount of the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré to her face. She’s smiling softly and using her fingertips to spread the white cream all over her face.
The Lait-Crème Concentré is it’s extremely multi-use.
You can use it as a hydrating mask (one of my fave uses!) which is great, as often hydrating masks are a tad expensive- so it’s nice to generously apply without cringing over cost.
Even though you can tissue off excess, I love bringing the concentré down my neck, on my décolleté, shoulders, hands, and just really relishing the moment—it’s quite an experiential product.
If you’re using it as a moisturiser- a pea sized amount is more than enough! A little does go a really long way.
I did trial it the other day to remove makeup—not that it's something I would opt for usually, but I just wanted to see if it worked because it is on the bottle. And yes, it absolutely works, and it works quite well.
So, I can imagine if you’re not around a water source or you’re on an aeroplane, this is actually a way to remove makeup, like an old school cold cream.
What put the Lait-Crème Concentré on the map was and still is how amazing the product is for prepping the skin for makeup- that’s why it’s a holy grail makeup artist pick. Ever caught yourself saying “My face eats my makeup”? Well…
When the skin dries out, then it starts to eat and suck away the moisture from your makeup, and that’s when it separates, and that’s when things get a bit crusty, don’t last as long, and don’t look as good for long.
It really is a makeup artist secret, and I’m glad it’s gone mainstream.
Image Description:
A trio of Embryolisse products is shown. From left to right: Embryolisse Lait-Crème Sensitive, Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré, and Embryolisse Lait-Crème Fluid. Each tube or bottle is held in a hand with well-manicured nails.
If we're talking about people who are a bit more sensitive to fragrance, or you might be wanting to use it on younger members of the family, (babies and kids) you can use the sensitive version because it’s fragrance-free and hypoallergenic.
It’s also non-comedogenic if you’re extra clog-prone and sensitive. If you don’t like the classic French skincare scent that some people just can’t stand, (I personally don’t mind it, but I’m not easily bothered by fragrance).
The Lait-Crème also comes in a fluid, which is for more oilier, acne-prone skin, and for people who just much prefer lighter textures. I found that still quite hugging on the skin, and it still locked in the moisture all day.
The Fluid+ for a 75ml tube is $28 from Adore Beauty, which I personally think is a steal.
The original full sized Lait-Crème Concentrè 75ml retails for $47 on Adore Beauty, and the Lait-Crème Sensitive is 100ml for $52.
I like the range—it’s extremely makeup compatible, and what I like is that they've tailored their original holy grail formula to suit a number of skin types.
If you do want to venture out and think, "Oh, the original is nice, but I wish it was just a little bit different, like xyz," they probably have a version that is just a little bit different.
A good example is their Radiant Complexion Cream in Apricot Glow, which brightens up the face. They have a Hydra-Cream that's energising for the skin, and they have their famous base and BB creams.
They have a Hydra-Cream Light for super oily skin, and they have a Multi-Protection Cream if you just want to hit out multiple concerns, especially if you're concerned about pollution.
Overall, I think it’s definitely worth trying because I do think this is going to be a holy grail for people once they try it. If you’re acne-prone, I want to just squash some of the fear there—it doesn’t break me out. If you’re still concerned, go for the Fluid+ or the Sensitive alternative.
Shop: Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Moisturiser 75ml
Image Description: Product Image of the Original Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré. A cream coloured tube with a navy blue "E" logo for the brand name.
