Beauty news: meet Avène’s Vitamin Activ Cg range this Friday at Chemist Warehouse Sylvia Park

My obsession with French beauty may have started with a red lipstick, but it's French skincare that really turned my head and reeled me in. Packing for Paris means leaving room in your suitcase for one heck of a lot of beauty-related purchases - after all, the city’s legendary pharmacies and perfumeries are impossible to resist.
And it’s not just the products - the philosophy that goes alongside their most famous brands is equally as alluring. French women are very much concerned about looking after their skin and their body in the long term, as opposed to the mainly-US and UK-based beauty approach that looks for results, NOW. This attitude permeates into the New Zealand Australian psyche a lot these days as well – women expect products to work over night, and if they don’t get the results they desire straight away they opt for harsh chemicals and exfoliants that may provide the wow-factor in the short term, but will irreparably damage their skin over time.
Which brings me to Eau Thermale Avène, a legendary French name that is available in New Zealand, and one of most gentle and calming skincare offerings out there. A brand centred on the use of thermal spring water and its soothing properties, all Avène products are created to heal and soothe even the most sensitive skin types. Even children.
One of the most recommended skincare brands by French dermatologists, it works to fight against irritated skin, intolerant skin and allergic skin. Its most famous offering is its Thermal Spring Water, which has calmed my skin over the years even when it’s been at its most eczema-afflicted. A naturally soothing source for sensitive skin since 1743, Avène’s Thermal Spring Water's unique composition is clinically shown by over 150 studies to calm, soothe and soften the skin. Ideal for red, sensitive or irritated skin and perfect for post-workout, travel, outdoor activities or to freshen up makeup, it is incredibly reasonably priced and a must in every bathroom.
So, the brand is famous for its gentle formulations that soothe even the most sensitive of skin, but also its highly efficacious formulations when it comes to the likes of addressing anti-ageing, sun damage and other concerns – and their newest offering takes Vitamin C to whole new levels.

The antioxidant properties of vitamin C (AKA ascorbic acid) and its role in collagen synthesis make the sunny-hued little beauty a vital molecule for skin health. Dietary and topical ascorbic acid have beneficial effects on skin cells, and some studies have even shown that vitamin C may help prevent and treat ultraviolet (UV)-induced photodamage. To break the news gently: you NEED the stuff on your face, as well as in your diet. Lucky for us there’s some clever skincare brands doing unique things with it, like the legendary Avène.
The brand trusted by the French since 1736, and recommended by dermatologists, has just launched its latest anti-aging, skin brightening powerhouses including the new Vitamin Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum and Vitamin Cg Radiance Intensive Cream. Two products to address fine lines and wrinkles while adding a radiant glow to the skin, they will undoubtably fly off the shelves and answer many a skincare fan’s prayers.
Sarah Mahler, the Product Specialist for Avène New Zealand says that the key ingredient for the brand’s Vitamin Activ Cg range is actually “a precursor of Vitamin C – called Vitamin Cg. At 1.8% it is equivalent to 20% pure vitamin C. We use a precursor so that the formula is more stable. As we know Vitamin C is an ingredient that can deteriorate with exposure to light, so some formulations do not give you the full effect of the ingredient. By using a precursor this stabilises the formulation so that your skin gets the full benefit. Immediately after product application, the skin’s complexion looks radiant, brightened and even.”

In great news for those in Tāmaki Makaurau, the band is launching these new products locally with a Vitamin Cg-inspired activation at Ultra Beauty at Chemist Warehouse Sylvia Park this Friday, 12th July. The perfect place to explore the new releases and in fact, the whole Avène range, the activation will run from 10 am -1 pm (or until stocks last), and every customer who purchases more than $60 worth of Avène will receive a 10ml skincare sample, fresh-pressed OJ, and a delicious crêpe (with either Nutella or berry toppings). Last but by no means least, everyone can try their luck at winning prizes from the Avène vending machine!
So what are you waiting for? See you at Ultra Beauty this Friday morning.