Avène Review: The Vitamin C Serum for Sensitive Skin That Made My Skin Glow in 3 Weeks
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
Vitamin C is one of the most loved, used and obsessed-over skincare ingredients.
And for good reason.
A powerful antioxidant ingredient, vitamin C is synonymous with making the skin look brighter and more even as well as protecting it from free radicals.
Its side hustle includes helping to fade pigmentation and boosting collagen.
It’s also really good at making you look like a healthy, glowy angel.
As someone who has dealt with a dull complexion and uneven skin tone, incorporating vitamin C into my routine has been one of the best decisions.
My skin looks much healthier and more radiant.
Using a vitamin C daily has become an essential part of my AM routine along with my SPF (the ultimate power couple).
But vitamin C isn’t always an agreeable companion to all skin types.
It can be an irritating ingredient for those with sensitive skin and so it's not usually recommended for sensitive skin types.
Well sensitive skin-havers, I have some great news for you.
Avene A-Oxitive Antioxidant Defence Serum 30ml is formulated with a gentle blast of pure vitamin C along with supportive ingredient vitamin E and is made with sensitive skin in mind.
When I say “vitamin C serum”, some other popular ones might come to mind quicker than this one.
But I would say the Avène A-Oxitive serum is the underrated vitamin C you didn't know you needed.
A vitamin C dark horse!
Keep scrolling for my Avène A Oxitive serum review...
Vitamin C for Skin.
Vitamin C’s main gig is to give you a glowy, bright complexion, improve your skin tone and deliver antioxidant protection.
It’s also known for helping to fade pigmentation as it’s been shown to prevent melanin production.
You can learn more about the different types of vitamin C in our YouTube video below:
Senior Editor Amy has written a whole article covering all the important info on vitamin C as well as its main benefits.
It includes the different vitamin C derivatives.
The most common are:
- Ascorbic acid/L-ascorbic acid - Most effective, water-soluble, can be unstable.
- Sodium ascorbyl phosphate - Gentle, stable, water-soluble.
- Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate - Gentle, stable, water-soluble.
- Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate - Gentle, stable, oil-soluble.
What Is the Avène A-Oxitive Defence Serum?
The Avène A-Oxitive serum contains both vitamin C and vitamin E and has a gradual release process that transforms pro-vitamin C into pure vitamin C when it comes into contact with the skin.
What else makes this serum so spesh?
- It helps your skin defend against environmental aggressors.
- Is formulated with ascorbyl glucoside. A stable form of vitamin C that breaks down into ascorbic acid.
- Long lasting antioxidant protection thanks to the gradual release of vitamin C.
- Ideal for anyone concerned with premature ageing, small areas of pigmentation or a dull complexion.
- Promises smoother, brighter and plumper complexion.
- Contains a slow release vitamin E (also a powerful antioxidant) to help fight against free radicals.
- Also contains hydrating ingredient hyaluronic acid.
- Is formulated to be tolerated on sensitive skin.
How to Use Avène A-Oxitive Serum.
If you want to know how to use the Avène A-oxitive antioxidant defence serum, I like to apply my vitamin C products in the AM layered underneath my moisturiser and sunscreen for optimal antioxidant protection.
Usually with vitamin C serums, I’ll also pop on a hyaluronic acid for an extra dose of hydration, however the Avène A Oxitive serum already has hyaluronic acid in the formula, so I don't need to do that!
You can apply your vitamin C both morning and/or night.
Whatever works best for your skin friends!
My Avène Vitamin C Serum Review.
Ok first let’s cover texture.
The Avène A-oxitive antioxidant defence serum 30ml, has a lightweight, gel-like texture that feels silky to apply.
I love how my skin soaks it up when I pat it into my face and it leaves an instant dewiness.
If you’re not into fragrance, you might not love this, but one of the things I liked most about it was the lovely smell.
After using this serum every morning for about 3 weeks with the SPF and the moisturiser I’m currently using, my skin has been looking dewy, fresh and radiant.
I’m noticing my makeup goes on much glowier too!
Beauty IQ Uncensored co-host, dermal therapist and Adore’s Senior Content Manager Joanna is also a huge fan of the Avène A-Oxitive antioxidant defence serum.
She says, “This product is ideal for those who have experienced tingling/flushing from vitamin C's before and are looking for something on the gentler side, with a relatively affordable price tag, that'll still help to brighten, even and plump your skin.”
“It has a gorgeous, easily layered texture that works well with all the SPFs I've paired it with.”
The packaging is also a winner.
Vitamin C is known for being unstable or quickly oxidising so packaging is important for keeping the integrity of the product.
This serum comes in a twist pump with the addition of a lid for extra protection.
No chance of light or air sneaking into this airtight bottle!
Final Verdict...
If you have sensitive skin and have found vitamin Cs irritating in the past, give this one a go!
Or if like me, you want to renew your skin’s natural glow, this might do the trick!
I think I’ll go ahead add this to my ‘repurchase’ list.
See how I doubled the dewiness and the antioxidant protection with the Avène A-Oxitive Antioxidant Defence Serum 30ml and the AB LAB by Adore Beauty Dewy-C SPF50+ Facial Sun Milk 75mL in the video below:
Want some more educational vitamin C content and product recommendations? Check out one the articles below:
