Avène Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water for oily acne-prone skin
Thermal Spring Water
NitrogenHigh
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best toners for oily acne-prone skin.
- Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020
- The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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
- Offers moderate soothing and toning for your oily skin, as Avene Aqua provides calming and refreshing benefits without harsh ingredients. While supportive for acne-prone skin, it lacks targeted ingredients for effective acne management or oil control.
- The formula's primary components, water and nitrogen, offer general hydration and a cooling sensation, which is beneficial for sensitive skin.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your oily skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using your soothing toner 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply your soothing toner after cleansing, and before your moisturizer or SPF . This helps prepare your oily skin for the next steps.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the soothing toner into your skin with your hands. Avoid rubbing the product to keep your skin calm.
- Apply the soothing toner on clean and slightly damp skin to help with better absorption . This keeps your skin feeling fresh and comfortable.
- Always do a patch test before first use to check for any sensitivity. Avoid the eye area and stop use if irritation occurs.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 4.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with sensitive, reactive, or compromised skin consistently praise this product for its ability to instantly soothe redness and irritation. While some skeptics view it as merely expensive water, the majority find it essential for calming flare-ups, refreshing the complexion, and boosting hydration when applied before moisturizers.
Highlights
Soothes sensitive skin Mostly Mentioned
- “Immediately reduces redness after washing my face”
- “Lifesaver for sensitive, irritated skin”
Refreshing mist Often Mentioned
- “Perfect for cooling down on hot days”
- “Feels like a tiny spa moment”
- “Great post-workout refresher”
- “Fine mist feels amazing on the skin”
Boosts hydration Sometimes Noted
- “Helps my moisturizer sink in better”
- “Sandwiching this between serums locks in moisture”
- “Relieves tight, dry feeling after cleansing”
- “Great hydration boost for dry winter skin”
Sets makeup Sometimes Noted
- “Melts powder into skin for a natural look”
- “Revives my makeup halfway through the day”
- “Gets rid of the powdery finish”
- “Doesn't disturb makeup, just refreshes it”
Expensive for water Sometimes Noted
- “Hard to justify the price for canned water”
- “It's nice, but tap water in a spray bottle is cheaper”
- “Ridiculously overpriced for what it is”
- “Luxury item, not a necessity”
Can be drying Rarely Noted
- “Dried out my skin if I didn't moisturize immediately”
- “Made my face feel tighter after it evaporated”
- “Actually dehydrated my skin when used alone”
- “Not moisturizing enough on its own”
Faulty nozzle Rarely Noted
- “Nozzle stopped working with product still inside”
- “Sprayer broke after a few uses”
- “Stopped misting and started leaking”
- “Can depressurized before empty”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, makeupalley.com, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Avène Thermal Spring Water a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?
This soothing toner is a great fit because it provides gentle calming and refreshing benefits with zero harsh ingredients, making it very safe for sensitive or easily upset skin. It gives your face a nice cooling splash of hydration without clogging pores, though oily acne-prone skin still needs targeted acne-fighting ingredients alongside it.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?
Thermal Spring Water and nitrogen make this toner a good fit because they provide a cooling sensation and light hydration without any harsh ingredients that could upset oily skin. This formula has an excellent safety profile, meaning it is unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024
What does Thermal Spring Water do for oily acne-prone skin?
Thermal spring water helps calm oily, acne-prone skin by reducing redness, dryness, and stinging while improving overall skin comfort. It is well tolerated and may enhance the effects of your standard acne routine.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024
What does Nitrogen do for oily acne-prone skin?
Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy helps treat acne-like bumps by freezing the affected areas to clear them up. It is often used in professional treatments to manage persistent breakouts, though results can vary depending on the individual's skin.
European Journal of Dermatology, 1998Frontiers in Medicine, 2023
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?
This soothing toner goes after cleansing in your morning routine, and after cleansing or makeup removal in your evening routine. It provides a cooling sensation and refreshing benefits without harsh ingredients, making it very gentle for your skin.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this toner with your retinol, applying it right after cleansing to calm and refresh your skin before your retinol treatment. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may help reduce dryness and stinging while supporting your overall routine.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024
How often should I use this toner?
You can use this toner daily in the morning and evening as part of your routine to help calm and refresh your skin. It is very gentle and is unlikely to cause irritation.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?
Avène Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily acne-prone skin because it contains no harsh ingredients or heavy oils. It features a very safe formula that gives a cooling sensation and general hydration, though it lacks targeted acne-fighting ingredients.
The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 2024Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020
What the research says
Avène Thermal Spring Water significantly decreased postpeeling redness and reduced the overall sensitive scale of consumers by 47% compared to mineral-rich thermal spring water in human volunteers.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020Malaysian 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, 2024Non-thermal nitrogen plasma and long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser produced similar significant improvements in wrinkles and dyschromia in twenty-five patients with mild-moderate photodamaged skin, while plasma therapy additionally decreased transepidermal water loss and boosted skin hydration.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2022Balneotherapy 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, 2021Topical treatments for early-stage mycosis fungoides achieved complete remission rates ranging from 12%-82% for nitrogen mustard, 10%-60% for topical retinoids, and 18%-63% for topical steroids, based on low certainty evidence.
JAAD International, 2021Argon plasma treatment induces microscopic changes in the epidermis, dermis, and sebaceous glands without excessive thermal injury, whereas nitrogen plasma elicits energy-dependent thermal coagulation in the epidermis and dermis with remarkable neocollagenesis in an in vivo rat skin model.
Skin Research and Technology, 2020
Ingredients
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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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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