🇫🇷France

Cetaphil vs Avène

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Cetaphil and Avène are respected skincare brands, with the former founded in America in 1947 and the latter established in France in 1990. Cetaphil is loved for its gentle cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and sunscreens formulated with glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol, while the French brand is known for soothing cleansers, moisturizers, protective sunscreens, and targeted serums featuring glycerin. Both brands suit oily, acne-prone, and combination skin best, though they differ as the American line also offers targeted formulas for mature skin and dark spots.

Cetaphil is an American skincare brand founded in 1947 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.orgcetaphil.co.uk

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

This page compares some of the most popular Cetaphil and Avène products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Cetaphil vs Avène products

People Say

CetaphilAvène
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “The only thing my reactive skin tolerates. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “No breakouts since switching to this. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “cleans without stripping — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
  • Hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “cleared up flaky skin — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “healed my dry patches — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft, not tight. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “Thick but absorbs well eventually — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
  • Texture and skin improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin felt softer after one use — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
    • “Micro-fine granules don't irritate — Cetaphil Extra Gentle Daily Scrub”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
    • “skin instantly felt firmer — Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “absorbs instantly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly into skin without residue — Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion”
    • “absorbs quickly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “absorbs very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Skin barrier repair and soothing Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
  • Packaging and texture issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “hate dipping fingers in — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “wish it had a pump — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “leaves a white layer — Avène Hydrance+”
    • “Tube squirted water everywhere — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
  • Fragrance and smell issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Overpowering masking fragrance — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
    • “Scent is overwhelmingly artificial. — Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser”
    • “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “smell is too strong — Avène Cleanance”
  • Irritation and formula change Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “They have changed the formula recently, and it... is not as good. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “burned my skin — Avène Cleanance”
    • “caused burning sensation — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
    • “New version burns my face. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”

Cetaphil vs Avène routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Cetaphil vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Cetaphil vs Avène routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Cetaphil or Avène: which is better?

Cetaphil is better for gentle, fragrance-free hydration and lightweight wear, as nearly all of its products on this page list no fragrance. Avène excels in skin barrier repair and soothing irritation with its thermal water formulas, though about half of its products on this page contain fragrance.

What is the difference between Cetaphil and Avène?

Cetaphil is an American brand founded in 1947 and owned by Galderma Group AG, while Avène is a French brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre. The products on this page show that Cetaphil offers better fit levels for dry sensitive skin, whereas Avène achieves a superior fit level for oily acne-prone skin.

Cetaphil or Avène for dry skin?

Both brands achieve a High routine fit for dry skin on the products on this page. Lovi rates Cetaphil as High and Avène as High for dry sensitive skin, while Avène is Average for dry sensitive skin.

Cetaphil or Avène: which cleanser is better?

Cetaphil is generally better for gentle cleansing, as the products on this page are mostly fragrance-free and widely noted for being gentle and non-stripping. Avène also offers effective deep-cleansing options, but Cetaphil is often preferred for sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, Cetaphil or Avène?

The provided page facts do not contain pricing information to determine whether Cetaphil or Avène is more affordable.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Cetaphil or Avène?

Cetaphil has more fragrance-free products on this page, with 26 out of 27 products listing no fragrance compared to 7 out of 15 for Avène.

Cetaphil or Avène for oily skin?

Both brands are well-suited for oily skin, with Lovi fit levels reaching High for Cetaphil and Superior for Avène. Reviewers note that Avène provides effective oil control, while Cetaphil offers lightweight and non-greasy options.

Cetaphil or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

Cetaphil is better for general hydration and moisture on this page, while Avène does better for skin barrier repair and soothing. Cetaphil offers moisturizers with key ingredients like niacinamide, which helps reduce pigmentation, and panthenol.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

Cetaphil or Avène for sensitive skin?

Both brands are a High fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page, but Cetaphil does better for sensitive skin overall. Niacinamide helps improve skin function and appearance.

Antioxidants, 2021

Cetaphil or Avène: which sunscreen is better?

Cetaphil offers superior to high fit levels across the products on this page for sunscreens like Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 and Daily Facial Moisturizer. Avène also provides options such as Cleanance sunscreen.

Cetaphil or Avène for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer products on this page that fit acne-prone skin well, with routine fit levels rated as High for both Cetaphil and Avène. Cetaphil features key ingredients like niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and melanosome transfer, while Avène focuses on soothing irritation and deep cleaning.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Cetaphil or Avène for dry sensitive skin?

For dry sensitive skin, both Cetaphil and Avène are good options, as Lovi rates Cetaphil High and Avène Average for this skin type. Cetaphil features key ingredients like glycerin and niacinamide that help support the skin barrier, while Avène is known for soothing irritation with thermal water.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Cetaphil or Avène for oily acne-prone skin?

Both brands are great choices for oily acne-prone skin, with Lovi fit levels reaching Superior for Avène and High for Cetaphil. Cetaphil is particularly noted for lightweight, non-greasy hydration and gentle cleansers, while Avène excels in oil control and soothing irritated skin.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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