Avène Thermal Spring Water

A first impression

A can of water, more or less – which is a peculiar thing to pay fifteen pounds for, until your skin has had one of those weeks. Avène's thermal water is the spray that sits in thousands of French bathrooms, and in most dermatology clinics, for reasons that become obvious the day you actually need it.

Why eMaison chose it

Perimenopausal skin develops a wider repertoire of complaints – flushing, heat, the new sensitivity to a serum that was fine last season. Avène's water is drawn from a single source in the Cévennes and carries a soft mineral profile along with Aqua Dolomiae, a naturally occurring microflora the lab has documented since the 1990s. It is not hydrating in the moisturising sense, but it is genuinely calming – the sort of small, reliable tool that belongs in a considered routine alongside the serious treatments. It earned its place because comfort, in this decade, is not a small concern.

How it fits into your rituals

Press the button from about twenty centimetres away, eyes closed, for two or three seconds. Allow it to settle – do not wipe it off – and pat any excess gently with a clean tissue. Use after cleansing, before a serum. Use at lunchtime when the office is overheated. Use on the plane, on holiday, after waxing, after a chemical peel, on a long walk in winter wind. Also entirely safe over makeup.

What's in it

Avène thermal spring water. That is the full ingredient list. No preservatives, no fragrance, no extras – the bottle is sealed to protect the water itself.

The honest note

It is not doing clever work. It is doing honest, quiet work. That is not nothing in a crowded routine.