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14 Best Avène Products

Avène is one of the leading dermatological skincare brands in France and Europe. Their skin care product line is made up of products with sensitive skin in mind.

Avène has a large product line, so it can be overwhelming when choosing a product that is compatible with your skin type and sensitive skin concerns.

The 14 best Avène products will soothe sensitive skin and reduce dryness, redness, and irritation.

Avène Thermal Spring Water - Best Avène Products

Avène Thermal Spring Water

Avène Thermal Spring Water is the star ingredient found in all of Avène’s skincare formulas. The water is sourced from the Sainte-Odile Spring.

The water originates as pure rainwater that becomes mixed with sea spray rich in trace elements. After 50 years, the water travels through the Cévennes Mountains to finally reach the Avène Thermal Spring Water facility.

The natural qualities of this spring water are known to soothe and calm irritated skin. This is due to the rich microflora the water contains, which provides a natural protective effect for sensitive skin.

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14 Best Avène Products

If you have dry or sensitive skin, you know how uncomfortable it can be. That itchy and tight feeling that won’t go away. You might even get cracks or rashes if your dry skin isn’t properly cared for.

The best Avène products address these sensitive skin issues while calming, moisturizing, and protecting your delicate skin barrier.

1. Avène Thermal Spring Water

Avène Thermal Spring Water

Let’s begin with the product that started it all: Avène Thermal Spring Water.

This product is a thermal water spray that is bottled at the source. It is packaged in a sterile environment to ensure that the product remains pure.

Formulated for all skin types, its mineral composition ensures that skin does not dry out, making it ideal for irritated, dry, allergenic, hypersensitive, and sensitive skin.

Its neutral pH helps to balance the skin and reduce sensitivity.

The fine mist contains postbiotic microflora helps to improve skin texture, soften and replenish the skin and increase hydration.

This study compared Avène Thermal Spring Water (which contains a low mineral content) to a high mineral content spring water and found that Avène can help reduce post-procedure skincare inflammation and discomfort better than a high mineral content spring water.

This spring water mist is fragrance-free, paraben-free, alcohol-free, soy-free, wheat-free, mineral oil-free, and vegan.

2. Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil

Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil

Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil is a pH-balanced oil cleanser that thoroughly removes impurities with its foaming action. It helps maintain your skin’s microbiome for a healthy complexion.

This fragrance-free cleansing oil is ideal for dry skin prone to itching or those with skin conditions like atopic dermatitis or eczema-prone skin.

Key Ingredients

  • Avene Thermal Spring Water: Soothes, calms, and softens the skin.
  • I-Modulia: A patented complex from Avène Thermal Spring Water that helps to reduce itching and balance the skin’s microbiome.
  • Cer-Omega: Derived from evening primrose oil, this active is rich in omega-6 fatty acids and ceramides that hydrate and moisturize the skin while supporting a healthy skin barrier.

Perfect for fans of the double-cleanse, you can use this gentle cleanser on both your face and body, and it is suitable for infants, children, and adults.

This cleansing oil is fragrance-free, soap-free, dye-free, free of animal-derived ingredients, paraben-free, alcohol-free, soy-free, wheat-free, and mineral oil-free.

3. Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel

Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel is formulated to gently remove impurities and excess sebum while maintaining the skin’s natural protective barrier.

The soap-free cleanser purifies and cleanses the skin to remove makeup, dirt, and oil without leaving it dry or stripped.

Perfect for oily skin, this cleanser mattifies the skin to minimize excess oil production and reduce shine.

Key Ingredients

  • Avène Thermal Spring Water: Soothes, calms, and softens the skin.
  • Comedoclastin: Avène’s proprietary extract derived from milk thistle helps to reduce the look of blemishes.
  • Zinc Gluconate: A zinc salt that has properties that are beneficial for inflammatory acne. It has antibacterial and healing benefits and helps to regulate sebum (oil) production.

This gel cleanser is soap-free, paraben-free, alcohol-free, soy-free, wheat-free, mineral oil-free, and AHA/BHA-free. Please note that there is added fragrance in this face wash.

4. Avène A-Oxidative Antioxidant Defense Serum

Avène A-Oxidative Antioxidant Defense Serum is a lightweight antioxidant serum that protects the skin from environmental stress while neutralizing free radicals triggered by environmental factors like UV rays.

Formulated for all skin types, the serum hydrates for up to 24 hours and helps to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, the look of pores, and increase skin radiance.

The serum’s antioxidants are time-released to provide continuous protection against free radicals and other environmental aggressors.

Key Ingredients

  • Avène Thermal Spring Water: Soothes, calms and softens the skin.
  • Pre-Tocopheryl: This stable form of vitamin E offers antioxidant benefits.
  • Ascorbyl Glucoside: A vitamin C derivative that is stable and skin penetrating and offers antioxidant protection and helps to brighten the look of dark spots and an uneven complexion.
  • Hyaluronic Acid (Sodium Hyaluronate): Hydrates and helps the skin retain moisture, providing a plumping appearance to the skin.
  • GP4G: A molecule that helps the skin defend against free radical damage.

This Avene product won’t clog pores. It is paraben-free, soy-free, wheat-free, mineral oil-free, and vegan. Please note that there is added fragrance in this serum.

5. Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream

Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream is a rich postbiotic cream that protects the skin barrier from external stressors and hydrates the skin to promote skin recovery, helping to reduce the appearance of scars.

This rich cream is ideal for dryness, burns, cuts, scrapes, and even razor burn.

It’s perfect for dry, crepey skin and those with stressed and damaged skin. It’s suitable for infants, children, and adults.

Key Ingredients

  • Avène Thermal Spring Water: Soothes, calms, and softens the skin.
  • C+ Restore: A proprietary postbiotic restorative ingredient that contains proteins to moisturize and replenish the skin.
  • Copper-Zinc Sulfate Complex: Supports a healthy skin environment which allows skin healing and recovery.

This Avène cream for dry skin is fragrance-free, paraben-free, alcohol-free, soy-free, and wheat-free.

6. Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm

Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm is a rich cream that relieves dryness, soothes irritated skin, and restores skin’s natural protective barrier.

It’s part of Avène’s Sterile Cosmetics line.

The packaging allows it to be preservative-free and free of parabens and fragrance, making it ideal for those with sensitive and irritated skin.

The rich balm contains postbiotics to soothe itchiness, burning, and tightness. It hydrates for 24 hours and calms skin discomforts with its easily absorbed formula.

Key Ingredients

  • Avène Thermal Spring Water: Soothes, calms, and softens the skin.
  • D-Sensinose: A postbiotic ingredient that helps to calm and soothe the skin.
  • Shea Butter: Rich in antioxidants, this moisturizing active also offers anti-inflammatory benefits.

This soothing balm is preservative-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free, mineral oil-free, and silicone-free.

7. Avène Cold Cream

Avène Cold Cream

Avène Cold Cream is all about hydration for very dry, sensitive skin. It’s the perfect spot treatment for rough, dry, flaky skin on areas prone to dryness, like your elbows and heels.

Key Ingredients

  • Avène Thermal Spring Water: Soothes, calms, and softens the skin.
  • White Beeswax: An emollient that hydrates and soothes the skin.
  • Mineral Oil: Mineral oil gets a bad reputation for not having many of the same skin benefits as plant oils. But mineral oil is known for being non-irritating making it ideal for sensitive skin. It also helps prevent transepidermal water loss in the skin and is non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog your pores. Avène’s mineral oil is pharmaceutical grade and helps retain moisture.

The cold cream is non-greasy and is a savior for dry, flaky skin. It even works on dry, chapped hands.

The cream is suitable for infants, children, and adults. It won’t clog pores and is paraben-free, soy-free, and wheat-free.

This cold cream contains a light fragrance which Avène notes is tolerated by sensitive skin.

8. Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream

Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream

Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream is a powerful, high-potency cream formulated with active ingredients that target the visible signs of aging.

It contains retinaldehyde, a retinoid that reduces the look of deep wrinkles and lines and improves skin texture.

It also has antioxidant benefits that fight against environmental aggressors.

Retinaldehyde is a natural substance derived from vitamin A that is converted to retinoic acid in the skin.

This retinoid reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pores while increasing collagen production, helping skin to look firmer and more youthful.

Key Ingredients

  • Avène Thermal Spring Water: Soothes, calms, and softens the skin.
  • Retinaldehyde: Smooths the look of wrinkles while brightening the skin and reducing the look of hyperpigmentation, dark spots and uneven skin tone. It also has antibacterial benefits for skin and is clinically proven to be more effective than retinol. It only needs one conversion to become available in its active form (retinoic acid) versus the two conversion steps needed by retinol.
  • Pre-Tocopheryl: A stable form of vitamin E offers protective antioxidant benefits.
  • Relastide: A proprietary pro-elastin peptide that plumps the look of skin, making it appear firmer and more radiant.

I love that this retinoid is more potent than retinol, but I see fewer side effects with this cream than with 1% retinol serums.

But keep in mind that since retinaldehyde is a strong retinoid, RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream may be too potent for you if you have sensitive skin.

Be sure to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher while using this cream and for a week after.

Related Post: Can You Use Niacinamide with Retinol?

9. Avène Hydrance Aqua Gel

Avène Hydrance Aqua Gel is a lightweight gel-cream formulated to leave skin dewy, luminous, and more radiant.

It’s very lightweight, absorbs quickly, and works well under makeup. Use it as a daily moisturizer, overnight mask, and along the eye contour for extra hydration.

Key Ingredients

  • Avène Thermal Spring Water: Soothes, calms, and softens the skin.
  • Cohederm: A patented trio of lipids that supports a healthy skin barrier and prevents moisture loss.
  • Hydration Boosting Microspheres: A technology that time-releases Avene Thermal Spring Water for lasting hydration.
  • Dextran Sulfate and Pre-Tochopheryl: Detoxifies and provides antioxidant protection against free radicals and pollution.
  • Betaine: An amino acid that moisturizes the skin.
  • Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid): Hydrates, moisturizes and plumps the skin.

This gel cream won’t clog pores, is paraben-free, soy-free, wheat-free, mineral oil-free, and vegan.

10. Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid Replenishing Cream

Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid Replenishing Cream

Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid Replenishing Cream soothes the dry, itchy skin of those prone to atopic dermatitis and eczema.

This is the ideal fragrance-free face cream and body lotion for dry, sensitive, irritated skin. It helps rebalance the skin’s microbiome and locks in moisture for up to 58 hours.

Key Ingredients

  • Avène Thermal Spring Water: Soothes, calms, and softens the skin.
  • I-Modulia: A patented complex from Avène Thermal Spring Water that helps to soothe itching and balance the skin’s microbiome.
  • Cer-Omega: Derived from evening primrose oil, this active is rich in omega-6 fatty acids and ceramides that hydrate and moisturize the skin while supporting a healthy skin barrier.

Part of Avène’s Sterile Cosmetics line, this cream comes in an airless pump, which allows it to be free of preservatives, parabens, and fragrance.

This rich cream won’t clog pores, is preservative-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free, soy-free, wheat-free, animal-derived ingredient-free, and is suitable for the entire family.

11. Avène Tolerance Extreme Emulsion

Avène Tolerance Extreme Emulsion

Avène Tolerance Extreme Emulsion is a lightweight milky emulsion for allergic skin. This soothing lotion contains only 7 ingredients to minimize the chances of irritation:

  • Avène Thermal Spring Water
  • Squalane
  • Behenyl Alcohol (a non-drying fatty alcohol and emulsion stabilizer)
  • Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride (emollient)
  • Glycerin
  • Sodium Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer (thickener and emulsion stabilizer)
  • Water

This oil-free moisturizer contains Avène Thermal Spring Water and moisturizing squalane to help skin flora stay in balance.

Part of Avène’s Sterile Cosmetics line, this emulsion is free of preservatives, parabens, and fragrance, making it ideal for hypersensitive skin.

It’s preservative-free, fragrance-free, dye-free, paraben-free, soy-free, wheat-free, mineral oil-free, vegan, and it won’t clog pores.

12. Avène Rich Hydrating Cream

Avène Rich Hydrating Cream is a creamy moisturizer that provides intense hydration and nourishment for up to 24 hours.

It soothes skin tightness that commonly occurs in dry and very dry sensitive skin. It also minimizes the look of fine lines occurring from dehydration.

Key Ingredients

  • Avène Thermal Spring Water: Soothes, calms, and softens the skin.
  • Cohederm: A patented trio of lipids that supports a healthy skin barrier and prevents moisture loss.
  • Hydration Boosting Microspheres: A technology that time-releases Avène Thermal Spring Water.
  • Shea Butter: An antioxidant-rich, moisturizing plant butter.

It’s paraben-free, soy-free, wheat-free, and animal-derived ingredient-free, and won’t clog pores.

13. Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion

Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion is formulated for normal to combination skin that is sensitive.

This lightweight moisturizer hydrates the skin while locking in moisture.

It helps to soften the look of fine lines due to dehydration.

It also absorbs excess oil for a shine-free finish, making it perfect for combination skin that is dry in some areas and oily in other areas. It works well under makeup, too.

Key Ingredients

  • Avène Thermal Spring Water: Soothes, calms, and softens the skin.
  • Hydration Boosting Microspheres: A technology that time-releases Avène Thermal Spring Water for extended hydration.
  • Cohederm: A patented trio of lipids that supports a healthy skin barrier and prevents moisture loss.

This lightweight moisturizer is paraben-free, soy-free, wheat-free, mineral oil-free, vegan, and won’t clog pores.

14. Avène Solaire UV Mineral Multi-Defense Sunscreen Fluid SPF 50+

Avène Solaire UV Mineral Multi-Defense Sunscreen Fluid SPF 50+ contains 100% mineral sunscreen filters in the form of 12% zinc oxide to protect against UV light, blue light, and pollution.

It contains Avène Thermal Spring Water, plus multi-benefit niacinamide to brighten and balance your skin.

Bisabolol and allantoin soothe the skin. The formula is an ultra-lightweight liquid and doesn’t leave a white cast or leave your skin feeling greasy or oily.

This sunscreen is vegan, silicone-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free, mineral oil-free, octinoxate-free (chemical filter), and oxybenzone-free (chemical filter).

It’s important to never skip sun protection, regardless of whether the sun is out or not, as the sun’s UV rays can damage your skin even on cloudy days.

About Avène

Avène’s history stretches back over 275 years, beginning in the small village of Avène, in the South of France along the Orb river.

Legend has it that the Marquis of Rocozels’ horse had alopecia (hair loss) and itchy irritated skin. To soothe its itchy skin, the horse rolled in the water of the thermal springs, which is said to have healed and restored the horse’s coat.

Soon Avène Thermal Spring Water baths were opened to soothe people’s skin conditions like atopic dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, and burns.

In 1975, Pierre Fabre Laboratories purchased Avène Hydrotherapy Center. In 1990, the brand Eau Thermale Avène was born. Products are manufactured at the Avène Spring to avoid having to transport the water.

In 2010, Avène launched Sterile Cosmetics in the US, the first sterile, preservative-free product formulated specifically for allergic skin.

Avène skincare is recognized as effective by dermatologists worldwide, and it specifically caters to those who experience issues such as itching, dryness, redness, scaling, stinging, or burning.

Today Avène is the second-largest private pharmaceutical company in France.

Avène Skincare For Sensitive Skin Benefits

Avène skincare focuses on formulas that are designed for the most sensitive of skin types. However, they do offer products for all skin types, including those with acne-prone skin.

  • All Avène products contain Avène Thermal Spring Water.
  • All Avène products are hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and gluten-free.
  • Avène’s products are non-comedogenic, which means that they won’t clog your pores. Clogged pores can cause acne and breakouts.
  • During their development, Avène products undergo various tests related to bacteriology, compatibility between formula and packaging, tolerance, and use and.

Is Avene Cruelty-Free?

Avène does not test on animals. However, they do allow animal testing on their products where required by law, so Avène is not cruelty-free.

Best Avène Products

Is Avene a good brand?

As you can see from this list of the best Avène skin care products, Avene has several products (especially facial creams) formulated to soothe, repair, hydrate, and heal the skin, so I think Avene is an excellent brand of skincare products.

While many of Avène’s products will appeal to those with dry and sensitive skin, many Avène’s products are great for all skin types during the colder winter season when your skin needs extra protection and support for your skin barrier.

My Favorite Avene Product

My favorite Avene product is Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream, which provides anti-aging benefits with less irritation than retinol. It has been a game-changer in my skincare routine!

Thanks for reading, and until next time…here’s to your good skin health!

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