Avene Hydrance: An impressive lightweight moisturizer for Asians

AVENE, the French skincare brand known for using the thermal spring water from the town of the same name, has released its new Aqua Cream-in-gel, an “all-in-one multi-benefit skincare [product] to keep skin beautifully hydrated and protected all day long” which is specially formulated for Asian skin, according to a press release.

Promising intense hydration without the heaviness, the new addition to Avene’s Hydrance line was created in Japan two years ago as a product that is more suited to Asian skin and climate.

The result is a light cream that sinks into the skin and provides moisture.

“We’re very optimistic about the Philippines because here we have a lot of expats who have tried the product and loved the product,” Harry Tsai, general manager of Karihome Inc. which distributes Avene in the Philippines, told during the launch on Oct. 4 at Aruga hotel in Makati City.

“People have been asking us about it, they’ve seen it on the internet and in stores overseas,” he explained, adding that a few days before the official launch, the company decided to put out a few samples of the product on the shelves of one of its stores (“about 20 of them”) and within two days, the stock was sold out.

The magic that is in the Aqua Cream-in-gel is said to be mainly due to the gel-cream texture which melts into the skin to “hydrate, mattify, even skin tone and protect skin from air pollution,” said the release.

Ingredients include the vaunted Avene Thermal Spring Water which is said to have beneficial properties, especially for those with sensitive skin, alongside Meiboserine and Lipomucine which “ensures lasting hydration for up to six hours,” while Cucurbita pepo is added for its mattifying effect.

WHAT IS IT LIKE

This writer was given a jar of the product during launch and immediately put it to test, using it regularly for over two weeks.

Hydration and moisturization is very important for me mostly because my skin ranges from dry to very dry, especially on my cheeks, so slapping on moisturizer is a must and a non-negotiable.

My skin is normally so dry that I use two moisturizers and a facial oil for both day and night so I was very excited to see if the new Avene cream could replace my two moisturizers, and it did — sort of.

For most mornings, I can almost do with only the Avene cream-in-gel because it does moisturize very well and it’s very lightweight and turns into a water-gel-like texture which my skin loves. But as soon as it dries down after a few minutes, I feel like I need more so I usually put another layer on my cheeks for insurance.

This results in my having plump, well-hydrated skin for the day (which is amazing). But at night, I always need something heavier so I still use either my Human Nature Night Facial Moisturizer or my Nivea Soft cream alongside the Avene.

EXPANDING THE BUSINESS “Avene has been in the Philippines for more than 10 years now. Before it was only known by dermatologists mostly, and while people may have heard about it, they haven’t used it very often. For four years now, we’ve started expanding our retail business,” Mr. Tsai said, noting that there are currently 24 Avene stores in the Philippines with the products also available in “over 300” Watsons stores nationwide for P2,200 for 50ml.

“The brand is rapidly growing,” he said before adding that their annual growth rate stands at 28% and that the brand has grown “400%” in the past four years.

The growth, he said, is likely due to the growing economy of the Philippines which allows more and more people to buy and discover Avene products. —