La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5
A thick repair balm for damaged, irritated skin. For after a procedure, a retinoid overdose, or a barrier meltdown.
Reviewed by Dr. Schwarz, MD · Dermatologist
A dermatologist’s take
Recommend.
What I hand people whose skin is raw after a procedure or stripped by too many actives. Panthenol at 5% pulls water in and speeds repair under a layer that stops more escaping. Use it for a week or two, not daily. If your barrier keeps breaking down, fix the routine.
Pros
- No added fragrance
- Good fit for damaged skin barrier
- Good fit for dry skin
Cons
- Thick balm may feel heavy
- Leaves a noticeable film
Skin fit
Who is it best for?
Damaged Skin Barrier
Good fitA damaged barrier has lost the fats that hold its outer layer together, so water leaves and everything you put on stings. Cicaplast Baume B5 covers that surface while it rebuilds.
It is the standard thing to reach for after a laser, a peel, or a week of too much retinoid.
Dry Skin
Good fitOn skin that is dry rather than damaged, it seals over your usual cream. Put it on last, over damp skin, only where you need it.
Sensitive Skin
Good fitNo fragrance, and nothing in it is a common stinger. If you want zero allergen risk, plain petroleum jelly seals as well for a few dollars — greasier, much less pleasant to wear.
Eczema
Okay fitEczema skin is short of those same fats, so water escapes and the patch cracks and itches. This balm is bland enough to cover a flaring patch and hold water in.
For everyday use over large areas, a cheaper plain cream makes more sense.
Acne
Poor fitThick and occlusive by design. The film that protects raw or post-procedure skin clogs an oily, breakout-prone face.
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Poor fitPeople expect a repair balm to fade the brown mark left behind. Panthenol soothes but does nothing to pigment.
That mark needs azelaic acid, a retinoid, or vitamin C.
Feel & smell
What does it feel like?
Balm
A thick, slightly waxy balm. It sits on the skin rather than sinking in, and takes a firm press to spread thin.
It leaves a soft satin film rather than the heavy shine of petroleum jelly. That film is the point, and it is why oily skin should not wear it daily. Fragrance-free, which matters on skin that is already stinging. The squeeze tube keeps fingers out of a pot when your skin is broken.
Inside the formula
What do the main ingredients do?
More ingredient roles
How this formula works.
A moisturizer can do three things: pull water into the bricks, replace the glue between them, or seal the wall so water cannot leave. Cicaplast Baume B5 is built for the moment the wall is broken, so it leads with the seal and adds repair on top.
Full clinical explanation
A moisturizer can do three things: pull water into the bricks, replace the glue between them, or seal the wall so water cannot leave. Cicaplast Baume B5 is built for the moment the wall is broken, so it leads with the seal and adds repair on top.
Panthenol at 5% does the work — a form of vitamin B5 that holds water in the outer layer and speeds the cells that travel across a wound to close it. Madecassoside, from the centella asiatica plant, damps down redness. Hydrogenated polyisobutene and dimethicone slow water leaving.
The balm treats the symptom, and it is honest about that. Plain petroleum jelly seals just as well for far less, if less pleasantly. If your barrier keeps breaking down, the problem is what you put on it the rest of the time.
Full ingredient list · 33 ingredients
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Panthenol, Zea Mays Starch, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Trihydroxystearin, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Zinc Gluconate, Madecassoside, Manganese Gluconate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Silica, Aluminum Hydroxide, Magnesium Sulfate, Mannose, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Lactobacillus, Acetylated Glycol Stearate, Maltodextrin, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Titanium Dioxide
All ingredient roles
Dimethicone
A silicone that smooths the surface and adds to the protective film.
Glycerin
A small humectant. It moves into the outer layer of skin and holds water there.
Water
The base the other ingredients are dissolved in. Most of it evaporates soon after the product goes on.
Tocopherol
Vitamin E, an antioxidant. Here it mainly keeps the oils in the product from going rancid.
Use & results
How to use it.
How much
A thin layer, pressed on rather than rubbed in. It spreads further than it looks.
Where
The patch that is raw, flaking, or cracked. Face, hands, lips and body.
Layering
Last, over slightly damp skin, to seal in the water already there.
What to expect
Stinging and tightness settle within a day or two, flaking over about a week. Nothing to build up to. If your barrier keeps breaking down, the balm is not the fix. Your routine is.
Price spectrum
Where does the price fall?
Paying more doesn’t guarantee better results. A good buy is a formula with the right ingredients, strength and texture for your skin. Use price per ounce to compare cost, then weigh it against the pros and cons above.
The product line
Which La Roche-Posay product should you choose?
La Roche-Posay has several distinct ranges: Toleriane, Effaclar and Anthelios cover different cleansing, treatment and sun-protection needs. Compare the actual formula rather than relying on the family name. A gentler cleanser and a stronger treatment product are doing different jobs.
Cicaplast Baume B5
The thickest and most sealing. Panthenol 5%, for small damaged, irritated or post-procedure patches.
Cicaplast Balm B5 UV SPF 50
The daytime version, with sunscreen filters. Lighter, for healing skin that will see sun.
Lipikar AP+MAX Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream
A rich body cream in a large tube. For big dry areas, not small damaged ones.
Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer
The everyday face cream, with ceramides and niacinamide. Far lighter.
More about the lineup
La Roche-Posay's repair moisturizers run from a thick balm to a fluid — what changes is how much seal is left behind.
Alternatives
If it didn’t work for you
Vanicream Moisturizing Cream
A balm is for skin in trouble. This is the everyday fragrance-free cream for in between, $13–$15 a tub.
Read the review →
Vaseline
Seals as well for a few dollars, one ingredient, nothing to react to. Greasier and much less pleasant.
Read the review →
CeraVe Healing Ointment
49.5% petrolatum with ceramides and no lanolin, at $9–16, less greasy than most ointments. Another sensible cover for raw, cracked skin.
Read the review →Questions
Before you buy
Is La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 fragrance-free?
Yes. No added fragrance.
When should I use La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5?
After a procedure, retinoid overuse, or a barrier meltdown.
Is La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 good for oily skin?
It is rich. Use it where you need it, not all over.
How is La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 different from Vaseline?
Vaseline seals as well and is plainer. Cicaplast adds panthenol and centella and feels more elegant.
Can I use La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 every day?
You can, but it is made for skin that needs repair.
Sources
Sources and further reading
- Topical use of dexpanthenol in skin disorders
- Topical use of dexpanthenol: a 70th anniversary article
- Dexpanthenol in Wound Healing after Medical and Cosmetic Interventions (Postprocedure Wound Healing)
- Medicinal plants and their natural components as future drugs for the treatment of burn wounds: an integrative review
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