Review- Eau Thermale Avene Sensitive White Whitening Essense And The Right Way To Apply It

One of the Ingredients that I really like in my skin care products is Vitamin C, because of its never ending benefits, got acne scars, got wrinkles, lack of glow, skin is feeling low, skin is tired, skin is fractured put the glorious vitamin c on that shit and see it’s magic. The first vitamin c serum I tried was The Body Shop Drops Of Light Pure Healthy Brightening Serum and I really loved it, so  I wanted to try more products with Vitamin C and bought Avene Sensitive White Whitening Essence.

Product Description- 

This lightweight, non-greasy essence is highly concentrated in ingredients to help effectively prevent the appearance of dark spots and keep a clear and flawless complexion.

This formula contains a high concentration in Avene thermal spring water, with clinically proven soothing and anti-irritating properties. It combines a whitening ingredient , a precursor of stabilised vitamin C and a botanical myrtle extract, rich in anti-radical polyphenols, which regulates melanin production and boosts cell renewal. Day after day, the skin regains a bright and even complexion.

Its effectiveness is enhanced thanks to its moisturising agents.

Ingredients-

Avene Thermal Spring Water, Triethylhexanoin, Cyclomethicone, Propylene Glycol PEG-12, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Sorbitan Stearate BHT, Carbomer, Ceteareth-20, Chlorophenesin, Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, o-Phenylphenol Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Acetate, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Water.

Ingredients Analysis-

Triethylhexanoin -    Skin softner / emollient.

Cyclomethicone –

It is a lightweight silicone that evaporates after application. Contrary to the bad                                      reputation that silicones have they are actually very beneficial for our skin as they create a layer which keeps / seals the water in the skin, the water in our skin can evaporate leaving the skin dehydrated and disturbing the skin’s moisture which is one of the causes of early signs of aging. And no it won’t clog your pores or  suffocate it , because our skin doesn’t actually breath. However the only time I would stay away from silicones is when they are in hair products because they can cause build up in hair, but for our skin they are very beneficial.

Ascorbyl Glucoside-

A derivative of Vitamin C / Ascorbic acid,  which is a well known anti- aging superstar, it is a comparatively stable form of vitamin c i.e. it doesn’t oxidise quickly, it helps to improve spots, scars, uneven skin tone, increase collagen production and also works as antioxidant.

Glycerine –

Its a Humectant  ingredient-  it  not only attracts water from the air to the skin but also holds it which makes it very great product for hydrating skin thus making skin healthy and glowing. However the water can evaporate if you don’t layer humectants with occlusive that is the ingredients that seal everything thus protecting it from evaporation such as, silicones / petrolatum.

Phenoxyethanol- Preservative.

 And did you notice there’s no fragrance, you see that’s why love Avene products as frangrance can be irritating sometimes.

 Price- 

INR 2464 for 50 ml . I bought this on 15% discount from Nykaa.   (This hottie will make sure it creates a hole in your pocket.)😜😝

Packaging-

It comes in a airless opaque white colored pump bottle made of plastic, which ensures that the vitamin c does not oxidise / degrade due to air or light. Vitamin c gets oxidised quickly when it comes in contact with air or light, hence vitamin c products that come in jar packagings are actually useless. The packaging makes it travel friendly.

 

My Experience with Avene Sensitive White Whitening Essence-

The first product I tried from Avene was the Avene D-Pigment Light and that is like a miracle product , can you even imagine a product that can lighten your stubborn acne scars in a week, like yeah A week ,  i mean is it even possible and I fell in love with it , now this sounds more like a rave of Avene D- pigment Light than the Review of Avene Sensi White Essence, but can you believe a week. I bought two bottles of this product one for my mommy and one for myself so I’ll be writing the experiences of both of us as we both have very different opinions about this babe.  had very high hopes with this hottie because I really have liked almost all the products I have used from Avene.

This is a very lightweight serum which gets absorbed quickly, its easy to spread and leaves a slight shine/glow post application, which I really like and 2-3 pumps are enough for my face and neck..

                 Before writing this review I used this serum for 2.5 months and that’s the time it lasted for. This is a kind of product that even people with sensitive skin can use and it won’t cause any irritation, unless you are allergic to any of the ingredients and I really appreciate the fact that it doesn’t contain any fragrance as that can be irriting for some people. After using this serum my mummy was like, feeling top of the world because holy moly it worked on some of her fine lines and they were actually less visible and that’s amazing I mean it was more like sorcery, she didn’t notice any brightening effect but there was definitely a glow on her skin, may be if she continued using it there might also be some more anti aging effect but she’s like its too expensive as it lasts for a really short time but if you can afford it definitely try this babe. And for me it was nothing yes nothing, I got this for my acne scars ( Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation) but didn’t notice any difference , it just gave me a slight glow and that’s it, maybe it can show some effect if used for a longer period, and obviously your results might vary because everybody’s skin is different. But I guess it’s more of an anti aging product than a de- pigmenting product.

The Right Way To Apply It-

• Ph Balance -                                                                                                                                                              This is a Vitamin C based serum, and Vitamin C is a pH dependent ingredient which means it only works on a certain pH (low pH) i.e. it will work most effectively if the ph of the product is acidic & when you apply it on your skin it starts working by reducing the ph of skin because vitamin c is water soluble and your skin has oil glands. As we know oil and water do not dissolve in each other so to pass through the oily epidermis ( Outermost layer of Skin) the product has to be acidic. If you use a low ph/ ph balanced cleanser its effectiveness will increase but most of the cleansers available in the market have very high pH (alkaline) between 9-12. So, I will recommend using low ph cleanser.

Low ph Cleanser Recommendations-

Bioderma Micellar Water (ph of nearby 5.0) ( Pink One)

Sebamed Clear Face Cleansing Foam (ph 5.5)

Sebamed Cleansing Bar (ph 5.5)

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser (ph 5.5)

Sunscreen-

                    Nobody's perfect and so is our sexy vitamin C, despite of all the brightening and anti- aging benefits it offers , it does induce your skin's sun- sensitivity i.e. your skin is more fragile to sun light, so make sure you use a good sunscreen of atleast SPF 30 and broad spectrum UVA protection or it might do more harm than good.

Sunscreen Recommendations-

Bello Photostable Sunscreen Emugel SPF 40+ and PA+++ ( Matches Skin pH )

Innisfree Daily UV Protection Cream No Sebum SPF35 PA +++

Sebamed Sun Care SPF 30 High Multiprotect Sun Spray ( Ph 5.5 and Without Perfume)

Avene High Protection Spray SPF 50+

( When using spray sunscreens do not just directly spray them on your face, take the right amount on your palm and then apply it.  If you spray it directly it won't spread evenly, covering all the areas and also you might inhale the sunscreen)

Layering SkinCare-

If you are like me and you love the whole extended skin care routine with so many layers ( I already like you), then you gotta use it strategically. As Vitamin C is one of active ingredients it would peneterate better if you apply it on your face right after washing it i.e. before applying any other product even before your toner.

Here's A Sample Routine-

Oil Cleanser / Straight Oil 

Water Based Cleanser

Avene Sensitive White Whitening Essence ( Always wait for some time after applying active                                                                        ingredients  so it would peneterate                                                                                               better. I usually wait for 15- 20 minutes)

Hydrating toner  

Essence

Serum /  Ampoule

Facial Oil

Creams / Occlusives

Sunscreen

But, This product contains Cyclomethicone which is a silicone and silicones work as occlusives, so what  they do is , create a thin layer over skin which protects moisture loss. So, any product applied after silicones won't absorb so I like to keep them in the last step of my skin care routine meanwhile Cyclomethicone evaporates soon after application so it won't stay there, but the exact time that it takes to evaporate is unknown. So, I was sceptical if I should layer my other skin care products or not.  I decided to apply my extended skin care routine only in the mornings ( I use this serum in the night time) and only use a plain Occlusive Cream over this. But you can layer your multiple products if you wish to since Cyclomethicone Evaporates.

Recommended Occlusive Creams-

Nivea Cream ( Blue Tin, the white one broke me out)

Sebamed Moisturizing Cream pH 5.5

or just, Vaseline 😉.

Increase Efficiency (Yay!!!!!) 😍😍-

If you want to buy this product because of the anti- aging benefits then, using something with Centella Asiatica along  with this will increase it's effectiveness. Studies have shown that Centella Asiatica induces the Anti- aging properties of Vitamin C based products. My mummy  used to apply a centella asiatica based product during the day and this one at night probably thats the reason why she saw amazing results.

Recommended Centella Asiatica Products-

Innisfree Bija Cica Gel

Bioderma Cicabio Cream ( The one my mom used)

La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5

Summary- 

Pros -

1.       Reduces fine lines.

2.       Gives healthy glow to skin.

3.       Spreads easily.

4.       Pump bottle is travel friendly  and easy to use.

5.       Contains no fragrance.

6.       Suitable for all skin types including the sensitive skin.

7.       Does not cause acne.

Cons –

1.       Not Affordable

2.       Doesn’t work on acne scars.

3.       Very little quantity.

Gaah, that's it for this review thanks for wasting your time. May you have a good Skin Day.