You know when bloggers / youtubers apologize for being MIA for 1 or 2 weeks? Lol, I have been MIA for MONTHS ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ oopsie. The thing is I kept every single product I finished, so the more I waited to resume blogging, the more products were waiting, the more I procrastinated. I'm really sorry and I hope this will be the start of regularly posting. I am also looking to improve this blog and the reviews, so don't hesitate to comment the points I missed on reviews or suggestions, whatever you feel will make this blog more interesting and thorough.

Let's start easy with products I'm still using, today I will be talking about Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion. I was looking for a cleansing product in my local pharmacy and the packaging caught my eyes: pearly white and peach are my jam, if you've seen my Instagram you probably noticed I love the white and pink combo. I also trust this brand a lot, I have used their products before and have never been deceived. Moreover Avene is well known for making gentle and non irritating skincare for sensitive skins so I knew I was not taking a huge risk not thoroughly researching the product before buying it.

According to the brand this is a gentle, no-rinse cleanser that is formulated with minimal ingredients for maximum tolerance. Make-up, oil and impurities are removed without disrupting the skin's delicate moisture balance.

Ingredients

AVENE THERMAL SPRING WATER (AVENE AQUA), CETEARYL ALCOHOL, SERINE, CETRIMONIUM BROMIDE, COCO-GLUCOSIDE, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, DISODIUM EDTA, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, o-PHENYLPHENOL, SODIUM CETEARYL SULFATE, WATER (AQUA)

- The first ingredients is a French thermal water, it is said to be soothing and full of minerals. Personally I don't see much difference from using a thermal water, except for the fact that my tap water is hard water, therefore it is more drying than bottled water.
- Ceteraryl alcohol is a "fatty alcohol", which means it has emollient properties, it softens and protects the skin.
- I had never heard of Serine in cosmetics so I had to look it up: it is an amino acid, apparently it helps retaining moisture and softening the skin.

The ingredient list is pretty short, without the Sodium Cetearyl sulfate it would have been perfect. The formula is fragrance-free and overall it matches the claims that it won't irritate your skin.

Packaging

This is a pretty big bottle : 300ml (10.1 fl. oz.)! For less than 10€ (12 US$) in my local pharmacy, I think it is a pretty good deal. I have been using it for 4-5 months and I am half way through the bottle.

The dispenser is not the most practical in my opinion, it squirts when I open and close it, I would have preferred a pump although this type of opening is more travel friendly... I can never be satisfied haha. Apparently though, they changed the opening since I bought it , now it looks a little more efficient.


First impressions

 The scent is faint but I would describe it as a very fresh smell. The color is a transparent pearly white, just like the bottle! The texture is very creamy and easily spreadable, even when applied with a cotton ball. I think the viscosity of the product is responsible for the low irritability as it avoids friction. It was perfect for winter, but people with very dry skin might be able to use it all year long. After patting my skin dry my skin is usually super soft.




Did I like it ?

In terms of efficiency I think it does a good job at cleansing: I have not noticed any sign of whitehead, which is usually a tell tale sign that a product is too thick / not cleansing enough.  I have never tried using it as a makeup remover, I much prefer oil cleansers, therefore I won't be discussing its makeup removing properties.

Let's talk a little about its hydrating properties. Just right after I used the lotion I would go from 35% of hydration to 41%, with the oil content and softness also improving according to my skin analyser. But after just 15 minutes, if I don't follow with the rest of my routine, it will return to its previous hydration levels of 35%, so this cleanser won't provide long lasting moisture.

This is the first time using my skin analyser in a review, I will try to include the photos of the results in future reviews.


Note: 4.5/5, I don't have any real complaint about this product, but it is not a Holy Grail.

Will I repurchase? I don't think I will. Although I really liked it, I personally prefer more liquid cleansers, like micellar waters.