Avene has been a leading proponent of the French Pharmacy approach to skincare (which we absolutely adore), notably utilising the soothing and healing characteristics of silica-rich thermal spring water.
Their products are developed to avoid upsetting those with sensitive skin, relieve dryness, and regulate oil, with various ranges suited to all your skincare needs.
Dating all the way back to 1736, they've certainly had plenty of time to amass a rather large collection of nourishing treatments and products. Now, that's great and all, but it can make it rather overwhelming to figure out what to "add to cart".
Allow us to narrow down the best of the best Avene products that deserve a spot in your skincare routine. Enjoy!
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#1 — Best Avene Moisturizer
The Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion is a lightweight moisturizer in the form of an emulsion. This absolute *gem* of a moisturizer has a non-sticky, oil-absorbing, lightweight texture that leaves your skin feeling soft, supple and radiant all day long.
Its custom 'Cohederm' complex guarantees 24-hour hydration & soothing relief by locking in micro-reservoirs of Avene Thermal Spring Water deep beneath the skin's surface, releasing quenching bursts of hydration over time.
#2 — Best Avene Serum
Unbeknownst to most, skin is not directly in contact with the outside world. A protective film known as the hydrolipidic film covers the skin, which allows the skin to maintain its moisture levels and prevents many kinds of external aggressions. It is of utmost importance to nurture this protective film, especially for those with sensitive skin, as it is what gives skin its suppleness, its radiance and makes it pleasant to the touch.
Avene's Hydrance Intense Rehydrating Serum restores and stabilizes the hydrolipidic film, infusing Avene Thermal Spring Water into the skin for an incredibly hydrating finish. With this Avene serum:
- Skin becomes hydrated, supple, radiant and comfortable;
- Tightness and dehydration immediately diminishes;
- And sensitive skin is cared for with its formula being hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, soap-free, paraben-free, oil-free, soy-free and gluten-free.
#3-4 — Best Avene Cleansers
Now for a couple of products catering to completely opposite ends of the skin type spectrum.
First up: the Avene Gentle Milk Cleanser, a creamy, no-rinse milky face wash—perfect for dry, sensitive skin. The same principles that earned its spot in our French Skincare Routine (i.e. simple, gentle, and great value), of course, apply here too.
To elaborate, it contains super mild cleansing agents to avoid irritation and cleanses without altering the skin's natural protective barrier. It also contains the previously-mentioned Avene Thermal Spring Water that inimitably soothes and softens skin.
As an honorable mention: we'd like to also highlight the Avene Eau Thermale Cleanance Cleanser. An absolute godsend for those with problematic (acne/blemish-prone) skin, this soap-free face wash gently cleanses & removes makeup whilst simultaneously reducing excess sebum. Just like the Gentle Milk Cleanser, it also contains a high concentration of soothing and softening Avene Thermal Spring Water.
#5 — Best Avene Eye Cream
The skin around the eyes is super thin - we're talking somewhere in the realm of five times thinner than the skin on your face - combine this fact with generally sensitive skin, and you have a potential recipe for disaster. It is, therefore, crucial to have a dedicated eye cream rather than just using your face moisturizer, as even the most gentle face moisturizer formulas may not be tolerable around your eyes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Avene offers one of the best eye creams for sensitive skin. The Eau Thermale Soothing Eye Contour Cream has well and truly earned its spot in the limelight, most notably as super style icon Diane Kruger's go-to eye cream. Much like the rest of the best Avene products, it boasts an irresistable list of benefits:
- Relieves puffiness;
- Soothes irritation;
- Brightens & hydrates the eye contour area.
#6 — Best Avene Lip Balm
When your chapped lips are getting cracked and really out of hand, it's time to bring out the big guns. And by big guns, we mean Avene's Cicalfate Restorative Lip Cream.
The restorative lip cream seals in moisture for immediate soothing and cooling relief, and it nourishes and protects very dry, chapped lips to restore them to their natural, smooth, healthy state. The magic behind the long-lasting, effective treatment boils down to a few key active ingredients:
- Sucralfate: promotes epidermal repair.
- Zinc: promotes healing.
- Sulfate: an antibacterial ingredient which reduces the risk of bacterial proliferation.
- Glycerin: a humectant that retains moisture.
- Eau thermale: soothes and calms sensitive skin.
#7 — Best Avene Hand Cream
Nigh-on classifiable as medicinal, the restorative, soothing, protecting Avene Cicalfate Hand Cream helps to promote a healthy skin environment for optimal recovery, soothing, softening and calming delicate hands.
For those unfortunate enough to have bad cases of damaged/cracked hands, it is genuinely worth more than double its weight in gold thanks to this potent combination of healing ingredients:
- Sucralfate: promotes epidermal repair.
- Copper+Zinc: antibacterial complex, limits the risk of bacterial proliferation.
- Eau thermale: soothes and calms sensitive skin.
#8 — Best Avene Body Lotion
As you will have gathered from the intro, you'll know our stance on French pharmacy skincare products; their elegant simplicity and inimitable efficacy are unbeatable dollar-for-dollar, and the Moisturizing Melt-in Balm by Avene is no exception.
Its rich, whipped texture envelops the skin for maximum suppleness and comfort while providing antioxidant protection, and its non-greasy, non-sticky formula quickly absorbs into the skin to provide 24-hour hydration.
#9 — Best Avene Toner
Completely free from alcohol and enriched in natural silicates thanks to its unique, anti-irritating spring water base, the Gentle Toning Lotion tenderly softens the skin and protects your natural moisture barrier.
Apply it to your skin with a soft cotton pad after Avene's Gentle Milk Cleanser for optimal results.
#10 — Best Avene Sunscreen
As opposed to chemical sunscreen, mineral sunscreen uses zinc oxide or titanium oxide - or sometimes both - as the active UV protection ingredient. The minerals sit on your skin's surface and act like microscopic mirrors to reflect harmful rays. Since this type of sunscreen doesn't get absorbed into the skin, it is much less likely to clog pores and is generally much more gentle.
One such mineral sunscreen is Avene's Solaire UV Mineral Sunscreen Fluid. It boasts a light matte finish, broad-spectrum UV-A & UV-B defence, free-radical protection, water resistance and soothing Avene thermal spring water. Unlike many other mineral sunscreens, it does not leave much of a white cast on the face at all. Exceeding our expectations on all fronts, it will slot perfectly into any sensitive skincare routine.
#11 — Best Avene Thermal Water
Although perhaps a bit of a redundant category (considering there's only one product in the running for the top spot!), we couldn't not mention the Avene Thermal Spring Water Spray.
Unsurprisingly, this skin-quenching thermal spring water forms the foundation of almost all Avene products. Most notably, the Avene Thermal Spring Water Spray (Eau Thermale), which I will unashamedly herald as my favourite French skincare product of all time. Spray a fine mist over the skin after cleansing, wait for 30 seconds, and then pat dry to be greeted with a gorgeously glowy version of yourself.
Other Avene Ranges To Check Out
For very sensitive skin:
Try the Tolérance Range
For redness or rosacea:
Try the Antirougeurs Range
For acne and oily, blemish-prone skin:
Try the Cleanance Range
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With over 10+ years of experience in skincare, you can rest assured that our curation is accurate, fact-checked and most importantly: we will only ever recommend products that truly work.