This Rich, Hydrating Cream Will Save Your Skin This Winter

Last Updated on October 8, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

Fall is here. Winter’s just around the corner. It’s time. Time to up your moisturising game so your skin won’t look like a dishevelled, red prune all the cold season long. It’s a job that calls for a rich cream that gives it all the moisture it needs without turning your face into a sticky, greasy mess. It’s a tough balance to walk but Avene Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream does it perfectly. Here’s everything you need to know about this moisturizer:

What’s In Avene Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream?

MINERAL OIL TO MOISTURISE SKIN

Let’s start with the “bad.” I know a lot of you don’t like mineral oil, but it has its uses in skincare. Mineral oil is super moisturising. It creates a barrier on the skin that prevents water loss. Now moisture has no choice. It has to stay into the skin, hydrating it from within.

And nope, it’s not toxic. It may be derived from oil, but it undergoes a strict purifying process that gets rid of all its toxic impurities. At the end of this process, the chemical structure of mineral oil doesn’t resemble that of oil anymore.

They’re two different things. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t understand the science behind it. Not being rude. Just honest. I totally get it if you don’t want to use Avene Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream because of it. Mineral oil is just moisturising. It doesn’t have other superpowers, like fighting free radicals or lightening dark spots. It’s an one-trick pony. But it does that one trick really well.

Related: Is Mineral Oil Bad For Skin?

GLYCERIN TO HYDRATE SKIN

Glycerin is everywhere. For a reason: it’s a moisture magnet. Glycerin acts like a magnet, attracting water from the air into the skin. This excess moisture plumps up your skin, so your fine lines and wrinkles look smaller; it makes your skin soft and smooth; and gives the complexion a dewy glow. Just a warning: when there’s not enough moisture in the air, glycerin will steal it from the deeper layers of your skin. That has the opposite effect. Hello, dehydration!

Related: What The Heck Is Glycerin And Why Is It In All My Skincare Products?

Related: Is Thermal Water Just Fancy Water?

Struggling to put together a skincare routine that banishes dryness, flakiness, and irritation? Download your FREE “Best Skincare Routine For Dry Skin” cheatsheet:

Texture

I have to admit, when I saw the word “rich” in the name, I thought Avene Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream was gonna be like stupidly thick and heavy. But honestly it’s more like a thick lotion than what I’d call a thick cream, you know? It doesn’t feel greasy at all and sinks into your skin pretty fast.

Fragrance

It’s got this subtle floral scent that’s not overwhelming or anything. It’s one of those light fragrances that you notice when you first put it on but then it kind of fades into the background pretty quickly.

Is Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream good for sensitive skin? It depends on how your skin reacts to fragrance. The cream is great at soothing dryness, but if fragrance makes your skin throw a tantrum, I’d give this one a miss. Seriously, Avène, why put fragrance in a moisturiser for sensitive skin?!

How To Use It

You slap this on at the very end of your skincare routine before you go to bed. It’s meant to be your last step after all your serums and treatments have already absorbed in. Can you use it with retinol? Absolutely. Retinol can leave your skin dry and flaky, and this cream has plenty of moisturising ingredients to help with that. Just remember that if retinol has already irritated your skin, the fragrance in this cream may not do it any favours.

Packaging

It comes in a white tube that squeezes out just the right amount of product without giving you way too much. The tube design is actually pretty practical because you’re not sitting there wrestling with it trying to get product out or accidentally squeezing out way more than you needed.

Performance & Personal Opinion

If you’ve got oily skin, you’ll find Avene Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream as rich and greasy and greasy as the name implies, but this cream isn’t for you. My dry skin laps it up with pleasure. I prefer to use this at night, but if you need an extra dose of moisture during the day, the cream’s a good base for your makeup. It won’t make it slide off.

The cream does a great job at keeping my skin hydrated at night. When I wake up in the morning, it looks plumper, smoother and a little glowy. The combo of moisture + silicones makes my fine lines look smaller, too (but the effect is only temporary. Boo hoo!). What really impressed me is how quickly it fixes dry, flaky skin. I had a cold a few weeks ago and my nose was all red and flaky. It kept itching all the time and was just so uncomfortable.

I slathered on a little cream and… instant relief. The itchiness stopped. My skin started to heal. Finally. If you’re looking for a no-frills cream to soothe and hydrate dry/itching skin and don’t mind using a separate antioxidant serum, this is worth checking out. I just wish Avene did away with the fragrance (yes, I’m still banging on about it!!).

What I Like About Avene Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream

• It hydrates my dry skin really well and keeps it moisturized all night long so I wake up with plumper, smoother skin that’s got a little glow to it.
• The combo of moisture and silicones makes my fine lines look smaller, even though it’s just temporary and they come back later.
• It fixes dry, flaky skin crazy fast – like when my nose was all red and flaky from a cold, this stopped the itching instantly and my skin actually started healing.
• The texture is way lighter than you’d think from the name, so it sinks in fast and doesn’t leave you feeling sticky.
• You can use it during the day as a makeup base if you need extra moisture and it won’t make your makeup slide off your face.
• The tube is actually pretty smart because it gives you just enough product instead of exploding all over your hand when you squeeze it.

What I DON’T Like About Avene Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream

• The fragrance is totally unnecessary and can irritate sensitive skin, so I wish they’d just skip it altogether.
• If you’ve got oily skin this is gonna feel way too rich and greasy for you, but honestly it’s not meant for oily skin anyway.
• It doesn’t have any antioxidants in it so you need to use a separate serum if you want that kind of protection.

Which Skin Types Is Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream Best For?

This works great if you’ve got dry skin and you want something that actually hydrates and soothes without being super heavy. It’s perfect for fixing dry, flaky, itchy skin fast and keeping your face moisturised overnight. But if your skin is oily, stay away because this will feel way too greasy on you.

What about acne-prone skin? Mineral oil and dimethicone have a bad reputation for clogging pores, but they’re not automatically acne triggers. Shea butter isn’t guaranteed to break you out either. If your skin is dry and acne-prone, this cream could work for you. But if you’re oily and prone to breakouts, I’d skip it. There are plenty of lighter moisturisers out there that won’t feel like too much.

Does Avene Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream Live Up To Its Claims?

Price & Availability

$42.00 at Boots, Dermstore, and Look Fantastic

Is Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream Worth Buying?

If you’ve got dry skin that’s constantly begging for more moisture, this cream is worth a try. It gets rid of those annoying dry, flaky patches, keeps your skin soft and smooth, and doesn’t leave your face feeling like an oil slick. What’s not to love?

Well, the fragrance, for starters. I wish Avène would ditch it already! And if you’re looking for a moisturiser that does more than hydrate, this isn’t it. But if all you want is a reliable cream that keeps dry skin happy, Avène Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream gets the job done.