Product

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5

A thick repair balm for damaged, irritated skin. The one to reach for after a procedure, a retinoid overdose, or a barrier meltdown.

At a Glance

Recommended

Most days, a regular moisturizer is enough. A repair balm is for skin in trouble — raw after a procedure, or flaking and burning from too much active product too fast.

The workhorse here is panthenol (provitamin B5) at 5%, which soothes and supports barrier repair. Madecassoside, from centella asiatica, helps calm inflammation. The balm is rich enough to protect and gentle enough to be comfortable on angry skin.

One honest note: a balm treats the symptom, not the cause. If your barrier keeps breaking down, the fix is usually in your routine, not the moisturizer. Plain petroleum jelly seals just as well, if less pleasantly, for less money.

Key facts

Key active	Panthenol 5%
Texture	Thick, rich balm
Best for	Dry, damaged, irritated, post-procedure skin
Approximate price	$16–27 (by size)
Fragrance	Fragrance free

How it works

This is the product for skin in trouble.

Panthenol (provitamin B5) at 5% is the workhorse — it's genuinely soothing and it accelerates barrier repair, which is why it turns up in wound care as well as skincare. Madecassoside, from centella asiatica, calms inflammation.

Where it earns its place is post-procedure: after a laser, a peel, or microneedling, skin is raw and can't tolerate anything active. Cicaplast is rich enough to protect, soothing enough to be comfortable, and free of the things that would sting.

It's also the right response to a retinoid overdose — when you've gone too hard, too fast, and your face is flaking and burning. Stop the actives, use this, and wait.

More elegant than plain Vaseline, and considerably more pleasant to wear.

Everyday habits

How to use it

When: Any time, but often at night (PM) or on problem areas.How much: A thin layer over the area. It is rich, so a little covers a lot. Steps: Apply to slightly damp skin after cleansing. Use it as a treatment layer rather than an everyday cream. Tip: After a peel, laser, or a retinoid overdose, stop your actives and use this to calm and protect.

Who should be careful+

It's rich. Too heavy for oily or acne-prone skin as an everyday moisturizer. Use it as a treatment, not a daily.

It's more expensive than plain petroleum jelly, which does the sealing job just as well (if less pleasantly) for a fraction of the price. If your skin is truly reactive and you want zero allergen risk, plain Vaseline is the safer bet.

Not a substitute for treating the cause. If your barrier keeps breaking, the problem is your routine, not your moisturizer.

Questions people ask+

Is it fragrance-free?Yes. It has no added fragrance.

When should I use it?It shines for post-procedure skin, retinoid overuse, or a barrier meltdown.

Is it good for oily skin?It is rich and can feel heavy. Oily skin may prefer it as a spot treatment, not all over.

How is it different from Vaseline?Vaseline seals just as well but is plainer. Cicaplast adds panthenol and centella and feels more elegant.

Can I use it every day?You can, but it is really made for skin that needs extra repair rather than routine daily use.

Full ingredient list+

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

References+

1. Topical use of dexpanthenol in skin disorders (https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00128071-200203060-00005) — Backs the claim that panthenol (dexpanthenol/provitamin B5) is soothing, improves stratum corneum hydration and barrier function, accelerates wound healing/re-epithelialization, and has an anti-inflammatory effect. 2. Topical use of dexpanthenol: a 70th anniversary article (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28503966/) — Supports that topical panthenol/dexpanthenol moisturizes, enhances the skin barrier, prevents irritation, and promotes wound healing. 3. Dexpanthenol in Wound Healing after Medical and Cosmetic Interventions (Postprocedure Wound Healing) (https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/13/7/138) — Supports the post-procedure claim that panthenol/dexpanthenol accelerates healing and barrier restoration after interventions such as ablative fractional laser and microneedling. 4. Medicinal plants and their natural components as future drugs for the treatment of burn wounds: an integrative review (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00403-014-1474-6) — Backs the claim that Centella asiatica and its glycoside madecassoside have anti-inflammatory and wound-healing activity.