This French Face Cream From a Gwyneth Paltrow-Used Brand Is on Rare Sale

Sophie Wirt
·4 min read
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Shoppers say it “cleared” redness and soothed skin.

<p>Courtesy of Avéne</p>

Courtesy of Avéne

Aside from getting vitamin C serum or toothpaste in your eye — both of which I’ve experienced more times than I’d care to admit — few beauty-related discomforts rival the burning, stinging sensation of moisturizer on wind-chapped, irritated, hypersensitive skin. Most moisturizers do this, though there are a few exceptions; Avène’s Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream is among them.

Hailing from a French pharmacy brand known for its sensitivity-friendly formulas, the moisturizer is one of many soothing superheroes from the brand’s lineup. Countless celebrities rely on Avène products, including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow who use the Thermal Spring Water, and Hailey Bieber and Nicola Peltz Beckham who use the Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream, per the brand. 

Avène Cicalfate Restorative Protective Cream

<p>Avene</p>

Avene

$42

$34

Similarly, shoppers swear by the cream, hailing it as the ultimate solution for redness, irritation, and dryness-induced skin tightness. IMO, with harsh winter weather ahead, the cream is particularly pertinent.

Luckily, now’s an ideal time to stock up: Avène announced a surprise flash sale, happening through September 25. In addition to snagging the aforementioned Cicalfate moisturizer at a discount, you can score 20 percent off sitewide on any product when you use the code FLASH20 at checkout. Shop some of my favorites, below.

Shop the Avène Flash Sale:

The Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream is a highly soothing, ultra-rich, fragrance-free face moisturizer that hydrates ultra-dry skin, relieves discomfort, and protects against harsh temperatures, winter winds, and other factors that can compromise the all-important skin barrier. Gentle enough to use on even the most sensitive skin (it’s safe for babies and has a green light from the National Eczema Association), it can also calm flare ups related to conditions like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.

Key ingredients include thermal spring water — the brand’s signature soother, sourced from the South of France — plus a proprietary postbiotic blend to restore the skin barrier, and glycerin, a humectant and hydrator known for its ability to attract and retain moisture.

Shoppers are enthralled with the cream’s soothing, healing capabilities. One reviewer says it “clears” irritation-induced red spots “overnight.” According to another, the cream quelled “painful skin irritation” and immediately rendered their complexion “less red.” After three weeks of daily use, redness was “about gone,” they report.

Another shopper dubs Cicalfate+ a “miracle cream” in light of how it soothed an “itchy, burning, red [chafing] rash,” reporting “relief” in mere minutes post-use. Another shopper says rosacea-related redness has “almost disappeared” since using the moisturizer, calling their complexion “much calmer and healthier.” Finally, according to another reviewer whose skin “burned” due to a “tanked” skin barrier, Avène’s cream is the first formula that actually soothed, sans irritation.

Avène Thermal Spring Water

<p>Avene</p>

Avene

$19

$15

Another favorite from the brand, this bottled French spring water is so much more than a fancy face mist (though, TBH, I do feel rather indulgent when I use it). The thermal water calms irritation and delivers a hit of soothing relief for tight, dry skin in an ultrafine, makeup-friendly mist. Spritz in on your face or body any time. It’s perfect for warmer months, too, as it delivers cooling relief. 

Avène Tolerance Extremely Gentle Cleanser

<p>Avène</p>

Avène

$27

$22

True to its name, the Extremely Gentle Cleanser offers a fresh-faced, clean feeling sans stripping skin’s moisture levels in the slightest. The formula nixes makeup and grime without the need for water. Instead, the milky formula wipes off to leave skin softer. As a shopper with mature skin concludes, it’s “gentle yet effective.”

Avène’s Flash Sale presents a prudent opportunity to shop for seriously soothing, redness calming skincare — the likes of which even supermodels depend on when the temperatures drop. Snag the Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream — and many more skincare steals — before they return to full price.

Avène RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream

<p>Avene</p>

Avene

$79

$63

Avène Soothing Eye Contour Cream

<p>Avene</p>

Avene

$32

$26

Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream

<p>Avene</p>

Avene

$40

$32

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