Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream, Face Moisturizer, face cream for sensitive skin, helps restore skin barrier, restorative cream, safe for infants, children and adults

I’m 52, post-menopausal, with dry, sensitive skin, and this cream is one of those products I always want to have on hand. Avène Cicalfate+ is not trendy, flashy, or exciting — and that’s exactly why it’s so good. This is serious skin support, especially when your barrier is compromised. The texture is rich and protective without being greasy. It applies smoothly and immediately creates a comforting, soothing layer over the skin. When my face feels irritated, over-exfoliated, sensitized from actives, or just dry and reactive from weather or hormones, this calms everything down quickly. My skin feels less tight, less red, and noticeably more comfortable within minutes. What I appreciate most is how effective it is without causing irritation. There’s no burning, no fragrance issues, and no unnecessary extras. It’s gentle enough for very sensitive skin and strong enough to actually help repair and protect the barrier. I often use it as a final step at night when my skin needs recovery, and I wake up with skin that feels calmer, smoother, and more resilient. It’s also excellent for targeted use — around the nose, mouth, or anywhere dryness tends to flare up. Even though it’s rich, it doesn’t clog or feel suffocating, and a little goes a long way. This is the kind of cream that earns trust through consistency, not hype. If you have dry, sensitive, post-menopausal, or barrier-impaired skin and want something reliable that truly helps your skin recover, this is a staple. It’s one of those products that quietly does its job extremely well — and that’s exactly why it’s so good.

In seeing so many negative reviews I felt compelled to weigh in as this is my favorite moisturizer. I have very dry, menopausal skin. Additionally, I have rosacea which seems to have been a nice gift from said menopause (you can only laugh, right?). It's very common for those of us in our 50's to have a compromised skin barrier and when an issue like rosacea is present, even more so. Because of all this my skin is very intolerant to most moisturizers and nearly all actives (over the last few years I've had to discontinue my retinols and chemical exfoliators). While ingredients like ALA's, petrolatum, mineral oil, parafin/bees wax, and lanolin are well tolerated and known to be quite soothing, they don't hydrate very well as they are more occlusive than moisturizing. Enter this product. Magically, it does both! It's marketed as a protective cream, which again implies occlusive, but it penetrates like no other. Gone is the tight, dry feeling that persisted even when I had a heavy layer of product on my skin (my previous moisturizer was Eucerin Original Healing Cream -- which still has its uses -- because it was the only thing I could put on my skin outside of squalane oil during a flare). Now, no topical can cure rosacea. However, the right product can calm the skin, repair the damaged lipid barrier, and improve its appearance. This moisturizer does just that and it's become my holy grail. Since starting this I've also added in the Cicalfate Serum which has only aided in repairing my skin. Another Avene product that works great for me is the XeraCalm Balm which helps with itching. I use all three of these daily and they've really helped fix the secondary issues that come with rosacea. As for the complaints about it being greasy or too heavy. I can see this not working for people with normal or oily skin (or perhaps only in moderation). But my skin loves the heavier weight and because one of the ways I soothe a flare is to keep a tiny mister bottle on hand and repeatedly spray my face so I have to guard against the drying effects of evaporation. These products are so lipid heavy that I can wet my face all day long without worrying about that, though I do reapply throughout the day. As for the watery consistency issue, I haven't had that problem but it does caution on the packaging not to expose the product to temperatures below 41 degrees F (5 C). I suspect that if it gets too cold either because of the weather or because of whatever warehouse it sat in during transit it will separate. Maybe open the package and before squeezing some out look to see if it has split and then shake it up/message the tube. So, if you have skin like mine don't hesitate to try this product. I'm leaving this absurdly long review for my struggling brothers and sisters out there with rosacea in hopes that it provides some relief! Happy moisturizing, internet strangers. ;)

When first opening lots of blue liquid came out - after putting in boiling cup of water for 15 minutes, letting it cool, massaging the tube for 5 minutes it was regular consistency. Very thick/ moisturizing. Not sure if it will stay or will have to cont. boiling it.

I rarely leave reviews but I absolutely LOVE this cream. I purchased the small tube to start and since then have purchased the large sized tube 3 times (and about to order again!). I have dry/sensitive skin with a bit of perioral dermatitis and this has absolutely changed the texture of my skin. Within a month of using it, I started getting compliments on my skin. It leaves it plump and moisturized, minimizing fine lines, and calms redness and irritation. I even turned my sister on to it and she’s just as obsessed as I am! I feel like the only people leaving negative reviews are those having issues with separation. This has only been an issue for me once and warming/massaging the tube solved the issue for me.

In love with this stuff, did you read the list of all the things it does? Read it! I will add that it also helps with crepey skin, helps with those sebaceous little cysts you get on your cheeks and around your eyes from makeup and helps with pore size- all while repairing your skin barrier! This is a thicker cream, takes a bit to absorb if you put it on thick. It is odorless. Hydrates my skin like crazy, almost feels like a pharmacy cream consistency but not greasy. Do not let the water out of the tube, it’s from the product separating from being on the shelf and temperature changes. Simply shake it up. It has an expiration date so don’t worry that you got a bad product! Is it pricey? Yes, a little…but for me you don’t have to use much at a time for it to deliver!

Esta crema me la recomendó mi cosmetóloga después de terminar mi tratamiento para el acné y las manchas, y honestamente fue un must desde el día uno. Siempre la usé después de cualquier procedimiento facial, y la piel lo agradece full. Se puede aplicar de día y de noche, pero siendo realista: mejor de noche. La textura es bastante espesa y deja un ligero tono blanco, así que hay que difuminarla bien. Para dormir, cero estrés; para el día, solo si tienes tiempo y paciencia. Hidrata, calma y ayuda a mantener la piel protegida y recuperándose. No es una crema “light”, es una crema que trabaja. Ideal si vienes de tratamientos fuertes y quieres cuidar tu rostro como se debe.

I was really looking forward to trying the Avène Cicalfate Restorative Cream after hearing so many great things. Unfortunately, when I first opened the tube, a very watery/liquid substance came spewing out. I’m not sure if the product separated during delivery or if I received a defective tube, but it was definitely disappointing and not what I was expecting. After getting most of the liquid out, I was able to dispense the actual cream and try it. It piled a bit on my skin, but the cream itself felt very soothing and nourishing on my skin. I used it at night, and when I woke up my skin felt soft, calm, and well-hydrated. Despite the initial issue, I’ll likely repurchase this product because I don’t feel like I got the full experience of using it as intended. Since the cream itself felt so comforting and effective once I could use it, I’d really like to try it again in its proper thick consistency. I have a feeling this could be a great product for my skin when it arrives as expected.

I can see the potential of this product; however, as many reviews have already mentioned, the formula arrived separated. The watery component had separated from the cream base. When I opened the tube, the liquid immediately squirted out, leaving behind a thick, gloopy cream. While the cream itself felt nice, I couldn’t fully evaluate the product or its intended performance because the ingredients were not properly mixed. Because of this issue, I returned the product. I also checked my local Target and noticed the same problem—when shaking the box, you could clearly hear the liquid separating from the cream. I’m not sure where the quality control issue is occurring in production, but I hope it can be resolved in the future. In the meantime, there are other similar products on the market that are more affordable and address the same concerns this product claims to treat.