Has La Roche-Posay's Cicaplast Baume B5 Formula Changed for Good?

Reformulation Alert

The cult-favorite repair balme got a major update—but does the new formula live up to the original’s holy-grail status?

Expert Analysis · Honest Reviews · Real Results

1.🔬The Great Reformulation

They changed the Cicaplast. The internet is in shambles.

The real issue? The texture. It’s a completely different beast now — and that changes everything about how you use it.

2.⚠️The Cult Classic, Updated

A repair balm from La Roche-Posay. About $16. The claim? Soothe everything from cracked skin to retinol burn overnight.

New Pump Bottle

No more squeezing a metal tube — way more hygienic.

SPF 25

Biggest new addition. Makes it a daytime option now.

They increased the shea butter — feels richer, but not in a good way for everyone.

person holding white and blue plastic tube bottle

Photo: Clarissa Watson / Unsplash

3.🤔What’s Actually In It?

It’s still packed with skin-soothers. But the new SPF means you get a dose of chemical filters alongside the healing stars.

Madecassoside: The star calming agent from centella asiatica
Panthenol (B5): Holds moisture, helps repair skin barrier
Shea Butter: The emollient hero — more of it now
Titanium Dioxide: Mineral sunscreen filter for the SPF

Photo: Content Pixie / Unsplash

4.⚖️Texture Tells All

The old one was a matte-finish paste. This is a thicker, greasier cream. It sits on top of the skin — absorbs in about 2 minutes, leaves a definite sheen.

After two weeks, I missed the old dry-down. This version pills under makeup if you’re not careful. But my irritated patches? Still healed fast.

💡

One Thing: Warm a pea-sized amount between your fingers first. Applies thinner, pills less.

Photo: pmv chamara / Unsplash

5.💡Who Actually Needs This?

It still repairs. But the experience is different. My flaky skin calmed overnight, but my T-zone looked like an oil slick by noon.

✅

Buy if

You have dry, compromised skin and want an SPF-infused barrier repair cream for daytime.

⏭️

Skip if

You’re oily or acne-prone. That greasy film will haunt you.

💰

Worth it?

Yes, but only as a targeted treatment now, not an all-over moisturizer.

a woman in a colorful dress looking up into the sky

Photo: Renaldo Matamoro / Unsplash

6.🛒Final Call

It’s a sidegrade, not an upgrade. More versatile with SPF, but lost the magic, universal texture.

7.5/10

Effective, but the charm is dimmed.

🛍️

Where to Buy: Target or Ulta. Try the travel size first — the texture is polarizing.