Review: Eau Thermal Avene Cleanance Purifying Anti-Shine Lotion

I'd always strolled past the Eau Thermal Avene concession at Boots, and I'm not really too sure why - possibly because their packaging is more simple and elegant than brightly coloured and shiny, which I'm generally more attracted to. Anyway, after accidentally overmoisturising my skin and ending up with some spots and oiliness, I decided I wanted a gentle toner to clear my skin out a bit, without overly drying it out.

I decided to try Eau Thermal Avene's Cleanance Purifying Anti-Shine Lotion. It has a very long name, and as with all of the products in the range, contains a high proportion of spring water. It takes the form of a dual-layered liquid which is shaken to produce an opaque fluid, which doesn't sting when applied to the skin, but does seem to lift off any excessive oil.

My skin was left feeling fresh, clean and ready to be moisturised, but I'm not particularly convinced that I experienced any less shine than usual; my t-zone can become shiny half way through the day, and still did with this product. I imagine that for someone with oily or very oily skin, it would make very little difference. For my dry/combination skin, however, this is a lovely freshening lotion, which lifts off extra oiliness without being drying.

If you're curious to try it yourself, you can find it at Boots.com, £8.49 for 200ml.