Avene • Rinse-off Gel Cleanser • Cleansers

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northerngal100 on 1/29/2013 8:42:00 PM more reviews by northerngal100

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I generally love Avene, but I was not thrilled with this product. I think that the cleanser would be great for oily/combo skin, but it just shredded my skin (maybe my own fault for venturing out of the milk cleanser territory). I am also not a fan of the scent. Anything labelled for sensitive skin that has a scent makes me wonder....The packaging isn't the best either - which is odd because I generally find avene to have sturdy packaging.

Although It is very drying, it did seem to do an okay job at removing makeup. I do use a micellar as well, so perhaps that helped it along.

Anyway, sadly this stuff is going to be given away or gather dust in the back of the medicine cabinet until I can bring myself to throw it away. Dry skinned ladies, stay away!

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qingdao on 7/29/2012 10:04:00 AM more reviews by qingdao

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Black    

I suffered horrendous skin reactions to this cleaser. I ended up having to use tropical steroid upon my dermatologists recommendation. I think it has too much parfum in. If you smell it you can feel how strong it smells! If you look at the ingredients, you will also notice parfume is at the beginning of the lis. ! If it is for sensitive skin, why on earth put so much parfum in! I wouldn't like anyone to go near this product.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

NATBEAUT on 1/8/2011 9:47:00 PM more reviews by NATBEAUT

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

i have acne prone skin that is sensitive and oily combination. Even though my skin isn't really oily, it gets irritated and breaks out easily if i use anything that is rich or heavy. i like this cleanser, it is very gentle and refreshing and doesn't dry out my skin. i tried many cleansers and find that i still prefer a milk/cream cleanser at night to remove makeup and the day's grime off my face first, then follow up with a wash off cleanser like this one. i have tried just using 1 step with milk/cream cleanser or just wash off cleanser at night to remove makeup but after many experiments, i find that double cleansing at night is still best for my skin. since i do a double cleanse the wash off cleanser has to be gentle and not harsh on skin and this gentle non foaming product does a great job. i use it in the mornings too for a quick refreshing wash. During winter i will switch from this cleanser to an even gentler one like Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser or Avene's extremely gentle cleanser.

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*TOP REVIEWER* soleil_kitty on 6/15/2010 7:42:00 AM more reviews by soleil_kitty

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Blue    

I bought this gel cleanser after my cheap cheap cheap Bebe cleanser was empty. I kinda liked everything by Avène so far. With this cleanser, however, I’m on the edge. It smells nice, it has a lovely texture and it definitely makes my skin feel good. BUT it doesn’t remove all my make-up in one go. I either have to wash twice or use a toner afterwards and I’m not used to this routine. I’m used to washing once and then be done with it. So as much as I love the overall feeling of this, it doesn’t exactly deliver. Will probably return to my cheap Bebe cleanser because Avène is, for not delivering, also too expensive. I’ll give it two lippies for the scent & feeling, though.

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amatbm on 4/18/2010 11:20:00 AM more reviews by amatbm

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This is the same as the Gentle Cleanser. First of all I hate the packaging, because to close it you have to get product out, and that isn't handy at all. That's why I took one lippie out. As for the product itselt: I like it a lot! I gets all of my make-up of except for waterproof and it leaves skin hydrated but not oily. It isn't harsh at all. Would buy again.

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Dawn13 on 6/11/2009 4:29:00 PM more reviews by Dawn13

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Switched from the gel cleanser to this and like this one better. The gel cleanser indeed helped with blemishes, but also dried out my skin, which protested with producing more oil and, eventually, more blemishes (note: I have really sensitive skin that reacts to anything and I have been through the blemishes-dry them out-produce more oil-produce more blemishes-vicious circle half a million times with all kinds of products). Admittedly, this cleanser doesn't do anything about blemishes or the mild cystic acne I have, but it doesn't make it worse either - which is exactly what I want as I can deal with the pimples seperately with other products. It also last a while as you don't need a lot. I like it and will repurchase.

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ballmam2000 on 2/3/2009 3:45:00 PM more reviews by ballmam2000

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Nice simple face wash from Avene, leaves my face looking and feeling clean, not tight, after using their oily skin cleanser that left my winter skin feeling tight and dry, I wanted something simple, I've always liked the Avene products so I thought I'd give it a try, very happy with it, threw me off the first time I used it because it doesn't lather up but it does the trick, like to pump dispenser, overall very happy with it, will buy again

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*TOP REVIEWER* ClariceD on 1/4/2009 4:53:00 PM more reviews by ClariceD

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

N.B. This review also appears under Gentle Gel Cleanser.

This is a no-frills cleanser, efficient at what it claims to do. It removes everyday city grime and light make-up, but I tend to apply sunflower oil on dampened cotton wool to my face first to remove sunscreen, foundation, waterproof mascara etc. I then add two pumps' worth of GGC to a warm damp wash-cloth, massage my face for 30 seconds or so, wipe everything off and finish with a thorough rinse. If my skin is actively irritated, I apply cleanser with my fingers. This routine leaves my face clean and refreshed without over-stimulating it.


I'm not sensitive to this product in any way as far as I can tell, which is rare for me, especially with formulations that have fragrance. I use it nightly, with a milder product in the morning (Avene's Extremely Gentle Cleanser). I'm currently on a course of Zineryt (topical erythromycin and zinc for mild acne, caused by long-term medication), which is causing irritation and rawness. GGC seems to soothe the affected areas, ditto any adverse effects from benzoyl peroxide, and my skin looks calmer when I finish cleansing.


Overall it's well-formulated and reliable, with sturdy pump packaging that somehow manages to be borderline glamorous. I can name only two drawbacks. One is (its UK) cost - I don't like something so basic being an investment and am not convinced that the ingredients warrant it. As a 200ml bottle lasts me about 9 months it's good value, but I'd rather spend less on staple skin care items and more on treatment products if necessary. The other negative is that the GGC can be ever-so-slightly stripping if my skin is going through a very dry phase, when the emollient ingredients aren't enough. It's designed for normal to combination complexions, though, so there will be plenty of people within that target group who find it leaves the optimum level of moisture.


Ingredients: Avene aqua (Avene spring water), PEG 7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sucrose Cocoate, C13 14 Isoparaffin, Carbomer, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed OiI, Ethylcellulose, Fragrance (parfum), Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Laureth 7, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Propylparaben, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium DNA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Magnesium Silicate, Sodium Methylparaben, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Zinc Oxide.
UK details: £11.50/200ml, from Boots.

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calypso_nymph on 10/19/2008 3:49:00 AM more reviews by calypso_nymph

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I switched to this cleanser from Avene's Cleanance soapless gel cleanser cos I thought this would be more suitable for my skin. Cleanance was great but it left my skin slightly dry, probably because I have combi and not the oily, blemish-prone skin that Cleanance is made for. I've been using the Gentle Gel Cleanser for more than a week now, and I love it. It leaves my skin clean and soft, but with no feeling of tightness or dry / rough patches, which is what a lot of cleansers did to me. I have combination skin, with an oily t-zone and dryness on other parts. The skin on my cheeks is also sensitive, so I do get some redness after using certain products, but this did not happen with this cleanser. The fresh and light scent is very pleasant, and it rinses off really well. I also like the packaging - a push dispenser bottle with a cap that locks when you push it to one side - which I think is great for travelling (no more worrying about cleanser leaks in your toiletries bag). All in all, another great product from Avene.

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xine_07 on 4/16/2008 11:07:00 AM more reviews by xine_07

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

This is the perfect cleanser for my combination sensitive skin. It cleans well, rinses away and leave my skin feeling clean and soft. It does not irritate or cause me to break out more than normal. The pump bottle lasts a long time, and I am on my second bottle, and will contine to purchase.

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guyana on 1/8/2008 9:55:00 AM more reviews by guyana

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I am on my second bottle and I am still happy. I am not overjoyed because I do miss a foam cleanser. However, I have sensitive combination to oily skin and this is the only product that will not cause my face to break out. I didn't notice any harsh fragrance although I expected a non-fragranced product ( oh well some companies just don't think!). The color is ok. It reflects the Avene trademark color and the packaging is ok. I would definitely repurchase this product since I have yet to see a product not cause my face to break out.

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kaori7 on 12/28/2007 5:21:00 PM more reviews by kaori7

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This is the BEST cleanser, ever.

I am overjoyed that Avene products are now for sale in the US, and at regular old drugstores, too.

This is a gentle, non-foaming gel cleanser that does a good job leaving my skin feeling clean but not dry or tight. Kind of like Cetaphil but Cetaphil doesn't give as good a "clean" feeling. I have rather sensitive skin so I love this cleanser. The fragrance doesn't bother me, it's actually another reason why I like it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* CharismaSL on 12/7/2007 1:24:00 PM more reviews by CharismaSL

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I like this product as it's gentle. I tried using this twice daily but it seems that I was breaking out with it. Well it's not really the cleanser's fault because I break out to anything and everything. If i change the slightest thing in my cleansing routine, my skin will break out. So to calm my skin down I changed back to my previous cleanser (which is so damn pricey) and now I use this as my night time cleanser and the Avene one as my morning cleanser. This seems to be a much better setting considering the fact that I don't have to use up my pricey cleanser so fast and will last me longer. The only downside to this regime is that I have to alternate which is a bit of a hassle but anything to prevent from dishing out so much money for a cleanser on a few months basis. So in all, the cleanser is a good cleanser for morning use. EDIT: I added a lippie because I feel that after using it for over a month now, my skin feels much much better. It feels supple and well moisturized. I also like the clean feeling i get after using this cleanser. Also like the slight fragrance. In all, will definitely purchase again! EDIT: Couldn't get myself to purchase again since it's nothing extravagant. Just so-so.

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disillusioned on 9/15/2007 5:49:00 AM more reviews by disillusioned

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

Even though this doesn't particularly do anything special for my skin in terms of improving my skin quality, this is the only cleanser which doesn't dry out my skin or irritate it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* miranets on 8/29/2007 10:44:00 PM more reviews by miranets

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

At one stage when my skin was somewhat sensitised to acne treatments and oily out of control, I actually RE purchased an Avene cleanser - I believe this was the second. This was more because I could not find any other moderately priced gentle cleanser back in 2003.... Now that I think of it, it was OK for removing grime, but still left my skin hella taut. I still suffered flaking and dryness around the mouth. Sorry, nothing special. Better gentle gel based cleansers out there like A'kin and Zenbiotics.

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voodoo_cat07 on 5/28/2007 1:31:00 PM more reviews by voodoo_cat07

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I bought a huge tube of this on promotion, but it was really not too cheap. However, considering that I've used this for nearly half a year now, the product does last quite long. This cleanser is definitely gentle, but the cleansing properties are not as strong a I would like. After this I still have to use toner and find alot of traces of makeup still left on the cotton pad. Not a bad product, and I would repurchase this because it doesn't cause my skin to break out, but I would want to try Cetaphil next before coming back to this.

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MsMe on 5/25/2007 1:44:00 PM more reviews by MsMe

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Bought this product on a whim. At first, I was ready to pitch the pump into the garbage when my otherwise oily/combination skin started to sprout barnacle like postules (white heads). I freaked! But I stuck with it after a friend told me that it will not work miracles overnight....give it a week or two in order to see a difference. I did and I must say, despite the hefty price $25CAD, it was worth the wait. My skin was calmed, my T-Zone was no longer blinding people when I walk outdoors, my cheeks did not have that tightened, irritated look. My only qualms would be that I had to really scrub in order to get my eye makeup off and the fragrance was a bit strong at first, but other than that it is the best product I have ever used.

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*TOP REVIEWER* prettiesnow on 4/6/2007 2:16:00 PM more reviews by prettiesnow

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

It's similar to cetaphil, doesn't removes make up or sunscreen as it claims. It doesn't helps with my acne prone skin though, prefer the cleanance soapless gel for my oily skin. However, it's a very gentle cleanser that you can use when your skin is dehydrated and irritated. However, I wun repurchase this again as I love my soapless gel more!

Updated: I just tried this again when my skin was badly dehydrated. I have more combi skin now, and this was wonderful, not as drying as the soapless gel cleanser and moisturising, does a decent job in cleaning the face too. I have 2 bottles of these now! I love this cleanser!

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CloudyBourbon on 3/26/2007 9:42:00 PM more reviews by CloudyBourbon

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I'd heard good things about Avene. I ran out of cleanser, so I figured I'd give this a try. It is a gooey gel that comes in a glass pump jar, is pinky/orange in color, and was $15USD at CVS. I can sum this awful stuff in one word: OUCH. For sensitive skin, my a$$. This does not remove makeup, has a horrid fragrance (I will never understand why companies promote things for sensitive skin that have fragrance), and this burns like a #!$@#$^. Spot test first! This is going right back to the store.

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forsythia19 on 2/15/2007 2:45:00 PM more reviews by forsythia19

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

This is my first Avene product and so far I am impressed. While this cleanser is not effective at removing makeup, it is great for morning use. This has a thick, gel consistency that does not irritate my skin at all and has not caused any breakouts. I do not find that this leaves a greasy film on my face at all. I find it rinses quite clean and prevents my skin from feeling tight or stripped. This may not be quite strong enough for my combo/oily skin in the summer, but for a winter morning cleasner, this is great!

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