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Avene A-Oxitive Antioxidant Defense Serum
Antioxidant serums, especially vitamin C serums, stopped being optional and became essential in a very basic skincare routine. These days, everybody seems to enjoy a good vitamin C serum to fend off free radicals or minimize signs of aging or just achieve overall radiant skin.
Well, the cookie crumbles a little differently for people with sensitive skin. Because sensitive skin requires you to be more selective with the skincare products you use and that’s exhausting. Most antioxidant serums contain a high concentration of active ingredients that increases the potential for irritation for people with sensitive, redness-prone skin.
And as someone with sensitive skin from rosacea, I’m always on the hunt for serums that make it easy for me to manage signs of aging without irritation. That’s why I always bring up Avene A-Oxitive Antioxidant Defense Serum whenever I talk about gentle anti-aging products to achieve youthful skin. And it was high time I did a whole review on it and dived deep into why it makes so much sense!
Read on for my review of Avene A-Oxitive Antioxidant Defense Serum.
What It Has
Avene A-Oxitive Antioxidant Defense Serum is a daily antioxidant serum made with a vitamin C derivative, namely ascorbyl glucoside, and vitamin E to treat and prevent free radical damage. Vitamin C derivatives like ascorbyl glucoside are gentler on the skin and don’t irritate sensitive skin like pure vitamin C might.
The great thing about the serum is that these antioxidants are microencapsulated. Encapsulation means that the ingredients are released slowly into the skin, which makes them more tolerable but also more effective as your skin absorbs them over a longer period of time.
While the concentration of these active ingredients is not disclosed, they are pretty high up on the ingredient list. I recently contacted Avene customer service and asked about the percentage and received a rather vague and frustrating response.
They said, “The product contains between 1-2% of ascorbyl glucoside”. I feel like the concentration could be higher and the response could be more specific. But I digress.
The serum also has humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin too. And it has plankton extract to enhance the skin-protecting effects of the antioxidant serum.
What It Does
As an antioxidant serum, it protects your skin against free radicals. In case you don’t know what that means, free radicals are usually caused by unprotected sun exposure and accelerate the formation of signs of aging like hyperpigmentation and wrinkles, and fine lines.
So the serum minimizes these signs of aging while protecting your skin. These are some long-term effects that will require time to work. But it also has some immediately visible effects on the skin.
The hydrating blend of hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and mineral-rich thermal water gives you instant satisfaction in the form of hydrated, and plump skin. That plumping action makes the skin look smoother with less visible lines.
In sum, its benefits are three-fold. It hydrates, fights signs of aging, and protects your skin against free radicals. And as Avene is a gentle, dermatologist-favorite brand, the serum does these gently.
Who It Is For
Avene A-Oxitive Antioxidant Defense Serum is for anyone looking for a gentle antioxidant serum. It is suitable for all skin types.
But it works especially great when you have sensitive skin, or rosacea and pure vitamin C irritates your skin. Plus, it’s non-comedogenic so even if you have oily, acne-prone skin, you can comfortably use it.
How It Feels
Unlike typical serums with a clear water-like consistency, this is in lotion form. It feels like a very lightweight liquid moisturizer.
It’s weightless on the skin and it doesn’t have a creamy, or greasy feel to it. So overall, it has a pleasant texture that will work for most skin types.
How It Absorbs
Because this has a very hydrating base, it absorbs super fast and just disappears into the skin like a hydrating serum would. Your skin drinks it up.
And the best part is that it has a subtly dewy finish. So it leaves your skin looking a little bit radiant and fresh like that wet skin look. And trust me, even if you have oily skin, you’ll love this dewy finish.
How It Smells
The serum contains fragrance and the scent is like a fresh clean scent. It’s faint and not overpowering. So it’s absolutely bearable. I’d like to point out that Avene is a dermatologist-loved brand.
And most people with sensitive skin are biased toward fragrance in skincare. And this is a good example that you shouldn’t skip a product just because it has fragrance. Again, I have rosacea and I have no problems with the formula.
How It Layers
It’s important for me that a serum layers well with other products. Because I use several products on top of each other and I need them to absorb and not pill. And this doesn’t disappoint. Though it does contain silicones, which are notorious for causing pilling, the formula is really light.
So I can use it together with other serums. I also use it with emollient night creams in the evening and sunscreen in the morning. And it layers easily and beautifully without pilling.
The Verdict
Avene A-Oxitive Antioxidant Defense Serum is one of the gentlest antioxidant serums I’ve ever tried. While giving long-term anti-aging benefits to repair signs of aging, it also has this feel-good aspect to it. It instantly plumps my skin and leaves it looking dewy. And it gives me an even skin tone by reducing redness on my cheeks and removing dull-looking, pale skin. Whether you have dry skin, sensitive skin, or oily skin, if you’re on the hunt for a gentle antioxidant vitamin C serum, this one deserves a spot on your bathroom shelf.
