Avène Milk Cleanser for dry skin
Avene Thermal Spring Water Avene Aqua
Glycerin
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Glycine Soja Oil Soybean Oil
High
- HighDry Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for dry skin; a few cleansers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Highly suitable for your dry skin due to the presence of glycerin and dicaprylyl carbonate, which provide humectant and emollient actions respectively, offering moderate hydration for dry or flaky skin.
- The formulation offers excellent cleansing by gently removing impurities while maintaining skin hydration, making it a good choice for your skin type.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your dry skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this cleanser AM and PM every day to keep your skin clean. Start using it daily right away since your skin is not sensitive.
- Apply this cleanser as the very first step in your morning routine and right after your pre-cleanser in the evening. Follow with your toner and moisturizer afterwards.
- Gently massage a small amount of cleanser onto your face using soft circular motions. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Apply this cleanser on slightly damp skin for a comfortable and refreshing wash. This helps maintain your skin's natural moisture while cleansing away dirt.
- Avoid getting the cleanser directly into your eyes to prevent any irritation. Do a simple patch test before your first use to ensure your skin likes it.
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsMany users report that it leaves their skin feeling soft and supple. Some users express dissatisfaction with a recent formula change and find the fragrance to be strong. Its effectiveness for removing heavy makeup is also a point of concern for some.
Highlights
Gentle on skin Mostly Mentioned
- “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin.”
- “So gentle and non-drying on my senior skin.”
- “Works great on my sensitive skin.”
Hydrating and soothing Often Mentioned
- “Leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated.”
- “So hydrating and soothing.”
- “Leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and supple.”
Strong fragrance Often Mentioned
- “The fragrance is very present.”
- “Fragrance is so very strong.”
- “Fragrance is too overpowering and ends up burning my cheeks.”
Effective makeup removal Sometimes Noted
- “Remove a all of the makeup with ease.”
- “Cleans eyes and skin well.”
- “Removes dirt and make-up, and rinses off.”
Formula change Sometimes Noted
- “They have changed the formula recently, and it... is not as good.”
- “New formula is not good.”
- “Not the same formula.”
Poor makeup removal Sometimes Noted
- “It absolutely couldn't remove anything on its own.”
- “You need to cleanse two or three times.”
- “Unsuitable for makeup removal.”
Sources: lovi.care, aveneusa.com, lovelyskin.com, walmart.com, dermstore.com, hwahae.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Avène Milk Cleanser a great fit for dry skin?
Avène Milk Cleanser is a great fit because it contains glycerin and dicaprylyl carbonate, which help hydrate and soften dry or flaky skin. It gently cleans away dirt while keeping your skin hydrated, and it has a very safe formula that is unlikely to cause any irritation.
Which ingredients make this cleanser a good fit for dry skin?
Glycerin and dicaprylyl carbonate make this cleanser a great fit because they draw in moisture and soften dry or flaky skin. This cleanser safely removes dirt without stripping your face, leaving your skin feeling calm and smooth.
What does Avene Thermal Spring Water do for dry skin?
Avène Thermal Spring Water helps calm and soothe dry skin while improving overall skin comfort and reducing stinging. It is unlikely to alter skin thickness or elasticity, so dry skin typically needs a richer cream or lotion alongside it to lock in moisture.
The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024Experimental Dermatology, 2024
What does Glycerin do for dry skin?
Glycerin helps dry skin by drawing in moisture and keeping it locked in, which makes the skin feel much softer and smoother. It also supports your natural skin barrier to stop water from escaping easily. A product for dry skin needs extra ingredients like hyaluronic acid and soothing plant extracts to truly calm and hydrate dry patches.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008
Where does this cleanser go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This cleanser fits into your morning routine after waking up and in your evening routine after removing makeup, followed by a hydrating toner and moisturizer. Using a gentle cleanser as part of a daily skincare routine helps improve visual dryness and keeps skin hydrated.
Can I use this cleanser with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cleanser with retinol by applying the cleanser first to clean your skin gently, and then following with your retinol treatment. This cleanser is a great fit for your dry skin because it removes impurities while helping maintain hydration and is unlikely to cause irritation.
How often should I use this cleanser?
You can use this cleanser twice a day in your morning and evening routine. It gently lifts away dirt while helping keep your dry skin feeling soft and comfortable without irritation.
Can this cleanser clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This cleanser is unlikely to clog pores, cause breakouts, or lead to purging on your dry skin. It has a very safe formula that gently washes away dirt without any harsh ingredients that typically upset the skin.
Can I use this cleanser around the eyes or on my body?
Yes, you can use this cleanser around your eyes and on your body because its gentle formula safely cleanses without irritation. It is unlikely to cause any problems on thin eye skin or body skin while keeping dry areas comfortable.
Is this cleanser fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum). Behenyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Malaysian thermal spring water as an adjunct to standard acne therapy improved skin hydration, reduced dryness and stinging, enhanced overall tolerability, and improved the acne disability index in patients with mild to moderate acne.
The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024Balneotherapy with thermal water altered specific skin microbiota at genus and species levels in healthy female volunteers compared to tap water, which produced no significant microbiome changes.
Life, 2023A 2% Sphingomonas xenophaga ferment extract cream applied twice daily for 4 weeks significantly decreased facial vascular disorder scores compared to vehicle in 86 Caucasian female subjects, alongside dose-dependent inhibition of pre-kallikrein activity in vitro.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025A formulation containing vitamin C, biopeptides, hyaluronic acid, and mineralizing water accelerated cell turnover to 17.1 days versus 19.2 days for untreated skin, and reduced crow's-feet, forehead, and nasolabial folds by 9%, 11%, and 5% respectively after 28 days in female subjects.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2021The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
Ingredients
Avene Thermal Spring Water Avene Aqua Avene Aqua, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, C14-22 Alcohols, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Oil, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Parfum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glycine Soja Oil Soybean Oil, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score 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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.