Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm for acne-prone skin
Avène Thermal Spring Water
Glycerin
Caprylic Capric Triglyceride
Squalane
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
High
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few moisturizers fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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 combination skin, this balm effectively moisturizes with shea butter and squalane, which hydrate and support barrier resilience, while arginine and citric acid offer mild exfoliation beneficial for acne and blemishes.
- The inclusion of Avene Thermal Spring Water and glycerin further balances oil and dry areas, enhancing overall skin comfort.
- The product is safe for your acne-prone skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients and includes soothing components.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizer twice a day in your AM and PM routines. Apply it daily to help keep breakouts under control.
- Apply after your cleanser and toner, and make sure to use your SPF right after in the morning.
- Gently spread a small amount of moisturizer over your face using soft motions. Let it absorb into the skin for a minute before getting dressed or applying makeup.
- Apply on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture. This keeps your combination skin balanced without feeling heavy.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Stop using if you feel any irritation.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 4.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this product is highly effective at calming and hydrating hypersensitive, reactive, and allergy-prone skin, with users frequently reporting relief from redness, tightness, and irritation. It is also often praised for its ability to restore the skin barrier and for being fragrance-free and gentle. A moderate number of users note that it absorbs quickly without greasiness, while some find the price to be high. A low number of reviews mention breakouts or insufficient hydration.
Highlights
Soothes irritated skin Mostly Mentioned
- “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before.”
- “My skin immediately feels soothed and settled.”
- “This balm is very soothing to irritated red skin.”
Fragrance-free and gentle Often Mentioned
- “Love that there is no scent at all!”
- “I have no irritation from this product.”
- “Fragrance-free and contains minimal, gentle ingredients.”
- “No burning, itching, or tight feeling!”
Restores skin barrier Often Mentioned
- “This repairs my skin barrier without fail.”
- “The only moisturiser that my skin tolerates when my skin barrier is compromised or absolutely destroyed.”
- “Great for post peel or winter time also.”
- “It makes a good barrier for the skin and protects the skin.”
Absorbs quickly Sometimes Noted
- “Absorbs into skin without residue.”
- “Provides a non-greasy texture that absorbs well into skin.”
- “Lightweight yet nourishing texture that absorbs well.”
- “Hydrates with a mess free application bonus.”
High price Sometimes Noted
- “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!!”
- “But it's soooo expensive for an ounce of product.”
- “It's a bit pricey for the amount of product.”
- “This Tolerance Skin Recovery Cream is pricey, but it's a life saver.”
Causes breakouts Rarely Noted
- “When I first tried it, I woke up to two pimples on my 58-year-old dry skin.”
- “After using it twice... the next day i had 5 new BIG pimples, small bumps around my jaw.”
- “Leaves bumps and redness.”
- “It stings my face upon application... and leaves bumps and redness.”
Not hydrating enough Rarely Noted
- “Not hydrating enough and my skin feels so dry even right after applying the cream.”
- “This lotion dried out my skin.”
- “I think the consistency is not very rich... not enough to hydrate dry skin in my opinion.”
- “It will not fix the fundamental problems that dry skin has.”
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Questions and answers
What makes Avène Tolerance Control Balm a great fit for acne-prone skin?
This balm is a great fit for your acne-prone skin because it moisturizes with shea butter and squalane while using arginine and citric acid to gently clear blemishes. Thermal spring water and glycerin help balance oil and dry areas so your skin stays calm and comfortable without any harsh ingredients.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This cream is a great fit for your acne-prone skin because it contains arginine and citric acid, which offer mild exfoliation beneficial for acne and blemishes, alongside soothing thermal spring water, glycerin, squalane, and shea butter. These ingredients help balance oil and dry areas while keeping your skin calm and comfortable.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013
What does Avène Thermal Spring Water do for acne-prone skin?
Avène Thermal Spring Water helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing dryness, stinging, pain, and itching when used alongside your regular acne treatments. It improves overall skin comfort and tolerability while keeping your face feeling soft and smooth.
The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2007
What does Glycerin do for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep acne-prone skin hydrated and calm without clogging pores or feeling heavy. It supports the skin barrier so it stays soft and smooth while handling everyday treatments.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This moisturizer goes as the third step in your morning routine after a cleanser and hydrating toner, and as the final step in your evening routine after your treatment. Daily use of a gentle moisturizer helps keep your skin balanced and comfortable while supporting your skin barrier.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol by applying the moisturizer first to help soothe and protect your skin while improving comfort during retinization. Using a barrier-enhancing moisturizer with treatments like retinoids is unlikely to cause irritation and may help you stay consistent with your routine.
How often should I use this cream?
This balm is a great fit for your acne-prone skin and is typically used daily to keep skin comfortable and balanced. Using it regularly helps hydrate dry spots while soothing and supporting your skin barrier.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This cream is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores on acne-prone skin, as it contains no harsh ingredients and features soothing components that help calm the face. Reviewers rarely report breakouts from this product, and its gentle formula works well to keep skin comfortable.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
This cream is well suited for the thin skin around the eyes and body because it contains gentle, soothing ingredients like thermal spring water and glycerin that keep skin comfortable without irritation. Regular application in these areas is unlikely to cause issues and helps maintain soft, balanced skin.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A Tris/Arg-formulated cleanser significantly decreased noninflammatory and inflammatory acne and pore size with keratotic plugs compared to an AEC/AC cleanser in male Thai subjects with mild to moderate acne over 4 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Daily treatment with a facial serum containing multiple acids reduced post-inflammatory hyperchromia lesion grade and number by 29.4% at 56 days, and decreased skin oiliness by 30.7% at 7 days in Brazilian patients with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021A 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, 2017A novel composition containing salicylic acid, capryloyl salicylic acid, HEPES, glycolic acid, citric acid, and dioic acid showed similar tolerance and efficacy compared with clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in subjects with acne vulgaris.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013Balneotherapy 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, 2023Malaysian 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, 2024A 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, 2025The 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, 2012Topical application of an emollient emulsion containing 15.0% caprylic/capric triglyceride doubled the amount of urocanic acid isomers and increased skin hydration with reduced transepidermal water loss in healthy subjects, though it did not prevent ultraviolet-induced urocanic acid isomerization.
Life, 2023Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025
Ingredients
Avene Thermal Spring Water Avene Aqua Avene Aqua, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Squalane, Beeswax Cera Alba Cera, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetyl Esters, Aquaphilus Dolomiae Extract Filtrate, Arginine, Citric Acid, Tromethamine, Water, 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
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