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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream versus Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion .

Published on February 17, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances and silicones

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

General Moisturizer French Brand France
Emulsion French Brand France

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Emulsion

A lighter version of moisturizer, usually with a gel-consistency.

Price

Shop

Buy Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream

Starts at $35.00
Shop

Buy Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion

Starts at $34.99

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Brightening

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger
Rosacea
Eczema (2)

Benefits

Hydrating
Brightening

Concerns

Rosacea
Eczema (2)
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.

Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.

Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.

Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.

Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning

Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate isn't fungal acne safe.

Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream contains this as ingredient number 7.

Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion contains this as ingredient number 5.

4
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

In products that are water-based, this ingredient can help stabilize perfumes and fragrances. It can also help make the texture of products softer and more smooth.

Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream contains this as ingredient number 9.

Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion contains this as ingredient number 7.

5
What it does: Masking, Preservative
Community Rating: Disliked

Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.

The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.

In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.

The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.

Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.

Learn more about Benzoic Acid

Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream contains this as ingredient number 12.

Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion contains this as ingredient number 11.

6
What it does: Masking, Perfuming
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream contains this as ingredient number 16.

Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion contains this as ingredient number 13.

7
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream contains this as ingredient number 20.

Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion contains this as ingredient number 18.

8
What it does: Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer and cleaning agent. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.

As an emulsifier, Sorbitan Isostearate prevents oils and water from separating.

Due to its isostearic acid base, it may not be safe for Malassezia or fungal acne.

Learn more about Sorbitan Isostearate

Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream contains this as ingredient number 21.

Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion contains this as ingredient number 19.

9
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream contains this as ingredient number 22.

Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion contains this as ingredient number 21.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

17% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
61% are disliked or very disliked
9% have no rating yet
19% are loved or liked
14% have mixed ratings
43% are disliked or very disliked
24% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream 23 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating

Avène Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion 21 ingredients

Hydrance Light Hydrating Emulsion hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Alternatives

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