Avène just reformulated their Cicalfate+ Serum — and the internet is pissed. The old version healed my post-acne scabs in 48 hours flat. The new one? Different texture. Different feel. Same price tag.
The real issue: they swapped the original mineral-heavy base for a more “cosmetically elegant” silicone one. Elegant doesn’t fix a broken barrier faster.
It’s a $42 serum that claims to repair your skin barrier in 7 days. I called bullshit — then tried it anyway. Same cult-favorite packaging. Different magic inside.
New C+ Restore Complex
Copper + zinc + a patented postbiotic. Sounds fancy. Felt drier than the old formula.
Silicone Base Now
Cyclomethicone is the second ingredient. Gives that “slip” but sits on top of skin longer than the old water-gel.
Same Minimalist Pump
Still dispenses perfectly. Still no fragrance. Still won’t sting your open wounds.
Photo: Maria Lupan / Unsplash
They kept the star players — Avène Thermal Spring Water and Cicaplast — but changed the delivery system. The new formula uses a fermented postbiotic instead of the old mineral-heavy approach. It’s gentler on paper. Slower in practice.
- Avène Thermal Spring Water: calms redness within 60 seconds
- Copper Sulfate: forces cell turnover, smells faintly metallic
- Zinc Sulfate: dries out active breakouts while healing
- Postbiotic Ferment: new addition, feeds your microbiome
Photo: kimia kazemi / Unsplash
First pump — it’s thinner. Almost watery-silicone hybrid. Absorbs in 15 seconds (old was 10). Leaves a slight tackiness that makes me wait longer before moisturizer. Annoying.
Week two: my angry chin patch healed in 5 days instead of 3. Not bad. But the old formula did it in 2. The trade-off? Less redness the next morning with the new version.
Photo: Jessica Felicio / Unsplash
My barrier didn’t collapse after a week of retinol — that’s a win. But the old serum would’ve had my skin plump by day 4. New one took until day 6. Measurable difference. Not a disaster. Just… slower.
The reformulation is a downgrade for fast healing, an upgrade for sensitive skin. I’m keeping it for maintenance — but I’m hoarding the old formula for emergencies.