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Avène Cicalfate+ Intensive Skin Restorative Serum.

About this product

A lightweight, fragrance-free soothing serum from Avène, formulated for sensitive, reactive skin and designed to calm irritation, redness, burning and stinging while helping support the skin barrier.

More from Avène 31 products · Guru Score 93% →

Guru Score

80%

Yay

5 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

Burning, stinging skin is where this serum earns its keep. The gurus who tried it say one ingredient intercepts the irritation signal at the nerve, so relief arrives within minutes. On calm skin it's a quiet performer, and experts caution that no formula suits every skin, rosacea included. Gurus reach for it when skin feels raw, red or reactive.
Synthesized from 5 expert reviews · most recent take October 2026

What they liked

  • Lightweight hydrating gel texture
  • Soothes irritation and burning on contact
  • Gentle despite effective results

What they flagged

    Nothing. None of the experts who reviewed it raised a problem.

    Best for

    Type

    Where to buy

    Opens a store search. We may earn from these links.

    Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

    What the experts use it for.

    The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

    Redness2 experts

    “So it really gets at a root cause mechanism behind discomfort, sensitivity, redness, burning, stinging.”

    Dr Dray, watch at 9:46

    Rosacea2 experts

    “This particular serum is well formulated with an interesting ingredient to specifically address the needs of people with rosacea and sensitive or reactive skin.”

    Dr Dray, watch at 9:46

    Eczema1 expert

    “I really recommend Avène as a brand that formulates beautiful products, elegant products for those that struggle with eczema prone skin, rosacea and sensitive skin.”

    Dr. Jenny Liu, watch at 15:06

    Irritated or reactive skin1 expert

    “This is the product that brings the most relief to my reactive skin.”

    Kelly Driscoll, watch at 6:53

    Skin barrier support1 expert

    “and it actually helps restore the skin barrier too.”

    Kelly Driscoll, watch at 5:21

    What the gurus are saying.

    Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

    All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
    Dr Dray
    Dr Dray
    2.69M subs
    ✓Yay
    "So it really gets at a root cause mechanism behind discomfort, sensitivity, redness, burning, stinging. But as a reminder, there is no such thing as a universally well tolerated product. Even air can aggravate someone's skin. So just because it is well formulated for rosacea doesn't mean it won't aggravate someone's rosacea out there. The other thing that I definitely need to mention is this is not inexpensive. One website I saw it was $40."
    Dr. Jenny Liu
    Dr. Jenny Liu
    324k subs
    ✓Yay
    "I really love this product. I love how effective it was for me but also at the same time how gentle it was. I really recommend Avène as a brand that formulates beautiful products, elegant products for those that struggle with eczema prone skin, rosacea and sensitive skin. They do it in such a way that is very thoughtful, fragrance free, but also in their packaging too."
    No BS Beauty
    No BS Beauty
    89k subs
    ✓Mixed
    "Avene Cicalfate+ Triple Oat Serum."
    The Budget Dermatologist
    The Budget Dermatologist
    724k subs
    ✓Yay
    "This has a very short ingredient list and is designed to improve acne breakouts. It has silymarin extract and can be paired with your other acne medications or skincare routine products. If you have never tried silymarin before and want to test this ingredient out without a ton of other ingredients in the product, then start here. This product is very simple and with a price like this you cannot go wrong."
    All 2 takes from The Budget Dermatologist
    Your Avène Shopping Guide! | HITS and MISSES reviewed by The Budget Dermatologist
    "The Cleanance collection serum is worth the spend to me because of this unique ingredient, the silybum marinum fruit extract derived from the milk thistle plant, which actually decreases oil oxidation that leads to pimples and decreases the amount of oil on your skin overall. [...] It also has silica in it which helps absorb excess oil. It has an overall very simple formulation of just 11 ingredients. So this is a yes for me."
    Decrease Oily Skin | Trendy Ingredient Alert! Everything you need to know about Silymarin
    "This has a very short ingredient list and is designed to improve acne breakouts. It has silymarin extract and can be paired with your other acne medications or skincare routine products. If you have never tried silymarin before and want to test this ingredient out without a ton of other ingredients in the product, then start here. This product is very simple and with a price like this you cannot go wrong."
    Kelly Driscoll
    Kelly Driscoll
    91k subs
    ✓Yay
    "If your skin is sensitive and reactive, [...] the Avène Seal Fate [...] Serum will help. What is so amazing about this product is that it can help stop that gnawing, aching, raw, burning, stinging, irritated, reactive feeling on your skin within minutes. [...] The magic ingredient is 4-T-cyclohexanol, which stops the irritation signal at the nerve receptor level, so the burning and stinging [...] never reaches your brain, bringing immediate relief within a few minutes."
    Sponsored
    All 9 takes from Kelly Driscoll
    THIS Skincare Made My Year! | Best of 2025 🎉
    "But this made a huge impression on me. [...] This is a great cold weather serum, but also it's a great soothing sensitive skin serum. If you're going through a lot of irritation and you're looking for some relief, like fast, almost instant relief, this is one of those serums that actually calms the skin down almost on contact. It's actually an amazing soothing serum. It has a very simple, straightforward ingredients list. I would expect nothing less from Avène."
    4 Steps to Glowing Skin in Winter
    "I actually just started using it in December, and I've really fallen in love with this. It's one of those kind of quiet serums where I was like I don't really know if it's doing anything, but if your skin is red, if your skin is inflamed, if it's irritated, that's when it's going to make a huge impression on you. This is so soothing, this is so calming and skin strengthening. The ingredients list can trick you a little bit."
    This changes opinion! May Fave EMPTIES | Dr. Althea, Cosrx, Cocokind, Avene, Ritual over Routine
    "This is still doing that very, very reliably. I had a few instances where my skin just felt a little raw, like my skin barrier was just pushed a little bit too far, my sensitivities just kind of peaked up a little bit and my skin was actually looking a little bit red. And it just felt a little bit raw. I feel like that's a really good way to describe that feeling on my skin. And so I will just put this into my skincare routine whenever I'm feeling a little bit of that irritation."
    Sensitive Skin SOS: When My Skin Isn't Broken But It's Not Happy (What I Do)
    "This is the hero of tonight's skincare routine. This is the product that brings the most relief to my reactive skin. So there's a hero ingredient in this product that goes under the INCI name 4-tert-butylcyclohexanol. This is an ingredient that I want you to remember. Avène markets this under the trade name of Cicalfate+. This ingredient is the secret sauce in this product. [...] Most soothing ingredients work by calming down the skin through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits."
    How to Heal a Damaged Skin Barrier | The Complete 2026 Guide
    "Most soothing ingredients calm irritation after it's started, but this ingredient actually intercepts the irritation signal at the nerve receptor level before you fully feel it, which is why it provides relief within minutes rather than days. The formula is also extremely minimal, which is really important when your skin is compromised and reactive. So, if you are dealing with serious burning and stinging right now, this will bring immediate relief. This step is optional."
    8 Years of Skincare Testing These Are the Only 10 Products I'd Keep
    "Whenever my skin is flared up, irritated, itchy, inflamed, burning, or stinging, this on contact within a minute [...] calms my skin down like nobody's business. There's an ingredient in here [...] clinically proven to reduce burning, stinging, and irritation on contact, it's incredibly quick working and intercepts [...] the irritation signal, [...] so it doesn't just soothe the inflammation after it happens, it stops it at the source, and it actually helps restore the skin barrier too."
    My Skin Does All 7 of These in Fall. Here's What I Use for Each.
    "That is why when you use this product, that feeling—that [...] cranky feeling in your skin, like nothing makes your skin happy anymore—this serum will make your skin happy. Within a couple of minutes of putting it on, you will feel finally my skin feels relief. All I wanted was for the irritation to stop nagging at me. This serum does that and it does it beautifully. And this is such a helpful friend for me when I go through allergy season. [...] This serum saves me every single time."
    My Skin Told Me to Switch These Out. I Listened. | Fall Empties + Replacements
    "You don't have to be thinking about how irritated your skin feels. But overall, the formula, while being incredibly minimal, really suitable for sensitive skin, really helps to restore your skin as well. It's not just about relieving it. It's about restoring your skin, repairing it back to a non-irritated state. Of course, a sensitive skin girly like me needs this. This is like break glass in case of emergency type of product."
    The Right Serum for Every Skin Concern | Find Yours
    "If your skin is sensitive and reactive, [...] the Avène Seal Fate [...] Serum will help. What is so amazing about this product is that it can help stop that gnawing, aching, raw, burning, stinging, irritated, reactive feeling on your skin within minutes. [...] The magic ingredient is 4-T-cyclohexanol, which stops the irritation signal at the nerve receptor level, so the burning and stinging [...] never reaches your brain, bringing immediate relief within a few minutes."

    Frequently asked.

    What is Avène Cicalfate+ Intensive Skin Restorative Serum?

    A lightweight, fragrance-free soothing serum from Avène, formulated for sensitive, reactive skin and designed to calm irritation, redness, burning and stinging while helping support the skin barrier.

    Is Avène Cicalfate+ Intensive Skin Restorative Serum worth it?

    Mostly yes. 4 of the 5 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 80%.

    What is Avène Cicalfate+ Intensive Skin Restorative Serum's Guru Score?

    Avène Cicalfate+ Intensive Skin Restorative Serum holds a Guru Score of 80%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected.

    Who is Avène Cicalfate+ Intensive Skin Restorative Serum best for?

    Avène Cicalfate+ Intensive Skin Restorative Serum is generally suited to sensitive skin.

    What is Avène Cicalfate+ Intensive Skin Restorative Serum good for, according to the experts?

    In their reviews, experts say Avène Cicalfate+ Intensive Skin Restorative Serum is good for redness (2 experts), rosacea (2 experts), eczema (1 expert), irritated or reactive skin (1 expert) and skin barrier support (1 expert).

    Is Avène Cicalfate+ Intensive Skin Restorative Serum good for redness?

    2 experts who reviewed Avène Cicalfate+ Intensive Skin Restorative Serum say it is. Dr Dray put it this way: “So it really gets at a root cause mechanism behind discomfort, sensitivity, redness, burning, stinging.”

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