I suffer from redness and some days are worse than others. Certain things definitely make my skin flare up, like raspberries or strawberries which are known irritants (it doesn’t stop me from eating them tho). I’d say my redness is worse in the morning so a light coverage foundation doesn’t always hide my blotchy face which is why I bought these to try. I’ve used both Avene and Clinique skincare off and on for several years and I’ve had some hits and misses with both brands. Warning close-up of my face ahead!
Avene on the left, Clinique on the right
My skin after applying Avene Diroseal Tream Cream for localised redness
The Diroseal Treatment Cream is quite thin and gave my skin a Frankensteinish tinge, I know it is green to correct the redness but it gave me a sallow hue. I found this to be quite sticky and tacky in texture and it just sat on my face and didn’t absorb. I left it on for a few minutes before applying foundation but it didn’t make much of a difference and actually made applying foundation a messier affair than normal.
This didn’t dry fast enough for me and I certainly wouldn’t be happy just to wear it without foundation. The only thing that I thought was useful was the long nozzle which prevents too much product coming out. This is available from Boots at £22.oo for 30ml, but as you are probably aware Avene is often part of their skincare events so you may be able to get it cheaper.
My skin after applying Clinique Anti-redness Daily Protective Base with SPF 15
This absorbs much more quickly then the Avene, and the texture is light and easy to apply. I don’t know if it’s because the Clinique cream is a lighter green but it makes my skin look a lot better. I don’t think the redness actually goes away as such, but it gives my face a bit more luminosity which improves the look of it in my opinion.
I’ve also been using Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturiser SPF 20, and Even Better Makeup SPF 15 so it makes sense that the Daily Protective Base works well with the other two. I’ve never been one for using all of my skincare or makeup from the same brand but as a trio these work well together. This is available from Clinique at £14.50 for 40ml.
If you suffer from redness what colour correcting products do you use?
If you have sensitive skin you will always find quite a few products that treat your skin if it is on the drier side. There are lots of serums (which are banned in my house) and other products to help calm and soothe irritated skin. Cleanance is one of the few face washes I’ve found for sensitive oily skin. I personally won’t use cleansers that don’t lather as I feel like I haven’t washed my face properly. The creamy tissue-off type cleansers in my opinion are better for dry, tight skin.
I already use other Avene creams for when my face flairs up, which it has been doing lately. I think my skin knows that Autumn (dare I say it) is around the corner and it’s just itching to freak out on me. I love Cleanance because it works with other Avene sensitive skin products but also works well with the bazillion other skincare products I use.
This fresh smelling face wash is very concentrated with a lovely thick texture that lathers really well and rinses clean. With it being so concentrated you only need about 5p size amount to mix with water to wash your entire face. Because it is also soapless and contains Avene thermal spring water, your skin still feels soft afterwards and not stripped of it’s moisture. You can’t tell from the picture but the cap on the bottle has a sturdy locking mechanism so you can throw this in a gym bag and you don’t have to worry about it leaking. A bottle of this lasts for ages so it’s worth the money. If you are regular at Boots you can usually find Avene products on their 3 for 2 skincare promotions which makes them an even better deal.
Sometimes I really hate shopping at Boots. The main one in Nottingham’s Victoria Shopping Centre is a nightmare because it’s a like Piccadilly Circus most days. Thankfully the sales people at this Boots are quite helpful and this is how I discovered the Avène range. After explaining to a member of staff about my red blotchy skin that seemed to flair up out of nowhere, she gave me some samples of different products to try but specifically recommended the Avène range.
Avène products are made with thermal spring water from the Saint Odile spring which is located in the small spa town in Southern France. Normally I wouldn’t buy into the whole ‘spring water’ hype but I love my Avène lotion. It sinks right in and over the course of the day I can see a definite improvement in the texture and tone of my skin. I use the light cream in the warmer months and use the Anti-Redness Rich Moisturising Cream in the colder weather. I also use their Skin Recovery Cream for intolerant skin. This cream is great for my really bad skin days. Having used both Clinique’s Redness Solutions and Avène, I feel that Avène range delivers more consistent results for my skin. I would recommend trying to get a sample of any of the lotions or creams so you can see for yourself how well they work.
