Avène vs Aēsop
Avène and Aēsop are two distinct skincare lines offering thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, cleansers, and serums to support overall skin health. The French brand, founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre, formulates its gentle products with glycerin to suit oily, acne-prone, and combination skin best. Conversely, the second maker relies on botanical and scientifically validated ingredients, creating compositions that suit balanced, combination, and sensitive skin. While both offer targeted solutions for concerns like acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin, they differ fundamentally in their core philosophies and ingredient approaches.
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 Avène and Aēsop products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Avène vs Aēsop products
People Say
Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “woke up with baby-soft skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
- “Savior of my winter-fueled dry skin. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
- “delivers deep hydration that really fills your skin — Aēsop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum”
- “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
Texture and Application Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “absorbs very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
- “lathers really well — Avène Cleanance”
- “absorbs well into the skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
- “Skin appears to be brighter, more radiant. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
Soothing and Calming Mostly MentionedOften 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”
- “saved my skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
- “Reduces inflammation overnight. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
Gentleness and Non-Stripping Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
- “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
- “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
- “Squeaky clean but soft — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
- “Leaves my face feeling soft after cleansing. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
Anti-Aging and Skin Smoothing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
- “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
- “skin instantly felt firmer — Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum”
- “I've noticed a definite improvement in the fine lines around my eyes — Avène RetrinAL EYES”
- “I used to have severe flaking... but after using this product, it's disappeared. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
Acne Clearing and Oil Control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
- “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
- “keeps skin matte — Avène Cleanance”
- “Intensely hydrating yet mattifying effect. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
Thick and Greasy Texture Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
- “Leaves a greasy film — Avène Cold Cream”
- “too thick — Avène Hydrance+”
- “sticky kinda feeling — Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum”
- “Thick, almost honey-like, and needs a moment to melt in. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
Strong Fragrance and Scent Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
- “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
- “smell is too strong — Avène Cleanance”
- “smells like carrots — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
- “Nasty smell... would not buy again. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
Packaging Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
- “Tube cracked on the side — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
- “Cap leaks in bag — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
- “Good product bad packaging. — Avène RetrinAL EYES”
- “The downside is the pump. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
Questions and answers
Avène or Aēsop: which is better?
When it comes to hydration and moisture, Aēsop does better, while Avène is better for gentleness and anti-aging. Reviewers of Avène often mention its soothing irritation and gentle sunscreens.
What is the difference between Avène and Aēsop?
Avène and Aēsop differ in focus and formulation, as Avène provides a wide range of products with high gentleness and anti-aging benefits, while Aēsop features entirely fragrance-free selections known for deep hydration and luxurious scents. Avène fits best for oily and acne-prone skin types on this page, and reviewers frequently note its strong soothing properties.
Avène or Aēsop: which cleanser is better?
For cleansers, Avène has a high fit for oily and acne-prone skin on this page, whereas Aēsop has average fits for similar skin types. Reviewers often mention that Avène offers gentle deep clean cleansers.
Which is more affordable, Avène or Aēsop?
Reviewers note that Avène is more affordable, whereas high price is mostly mentioned as a downside for Aēsop.
Which causes fewer breakouts, Avène or Aēsop?
Both Avène and Aēsop are rated as Equal for acne clearing and oil control, so neither brand clearly causes fewer breakouts than the other based on the review themes on this page.
How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of Avène and Aēsop compare?
Avène was founded in France in 1990 and is owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre, whereas Aēsop was founded in 1987 and has been owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2023.
Which brand offers products containing fragrance, Avène or Aēsop?
Avène offers products containing fragrance, as 7 of the 15 products on its page list fragrance in their ingredients, whereas every product from Aēsop on this page lists no fragrance.
What are the main skin types that Avène fits best according to its brand-focused routines?
According to its brand-focused routines, Avène fits oily acne-prone skin, combination skin, and acne-prone skin best.
Avène or Aēsop: which moisturizer is better?
For moisturizers, Avène provides a High fit for dry and sensitive skin with products like its Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm, while Aēsop offers a High fit for dry skin with its Damascan Rose Facial Treatment. Reviewers note that Aēsop excels at providing deep hydration and non-greasy balancing moisturizers.
Research behind their key ingredients
The Effect of Aloe Vera Clinical Trials on Prevention and Healing of Skin Wound: A Systematic Review
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Effect of Camellia japonica oil on human type I procollagen production and skin barrier function
An oil-soluble extract of Rubus idaeus cells enhances hydration and water homeostasis in skin cells
Comparative benefit of two thermal spring waters after photodynamic therapy procedure
Comparison of methods for assessing photoprotection against ultraviolet A in vivo
Design and in vivo evaluation of emulgel formulations including green tea extract and rose oil
Highly efficient and compatible shampoo for use after hair transplant
Treatment with Ascorbyl Glucoside-Arginine Complex Ameliorates Solar Lentigos
Evolution of lipid composition in skin treated with blackcurrant seed oil
Retrospective Review of Dermal Safety Studies of Organic Sunscreens
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.
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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
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