Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum

What is it?

A hydrating serum.

Who is it for?

A serum for 'women with sensitive skin looking for deep and lasting hydration'.

(Dear Vichy, Seems a tad sexist no? What about the boys?)

What’s in it?

AQUA • GLYCERIN •DIMETHICONE • PEG/PPG/POLYBUTYLENE GLYCOL-8/5/3 GLYCERIN • PEG-60 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL • DIMETHICONOL • SODIUM HYALURONATE • PHENOXYETHANOL • CHONDRUS CRISPUS (CARRAGEENAN) • AMMONIUM POLYACRYLDIMETHYLTAURAMIDE • POLOXAMER 338 • DISODIUM EDTA • CAPRYLYL GLYCOL • CITRIC ACID • BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-1 • ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER • PARFUM /FRAGRANCE

Ingredients listed on website?

Not one of the retailers that sell this in the UK lists the ingredients. Not Boots, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, Escentual or Vichy's own website. They are not even listed on L'Oreal's fancy new Derma Center store, it just says 'main ingredients'. What a wasted opportunity. 

I had to track them down via the USA.

Were it not a much-requested review I seriously would not have bothered. 

Personally, I don't think I'm being over the top to ask a retailer to take responsibility and LIST THE INGREDIENTS. We want to give you our money, we would like to know what is in the bloody thing.

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?

glycols

silicone

fragrance

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?

man-made

Tested on animals during production/sells in markets that require animal testing i.e. China?

No/Yes

What's not in it?

parabens

mineral oil

How do you use it?

Apply onto dry fingertips, spread onto fingertips of the other hand, apply directly to skin.

Where to use in your routine?

Serum, post-toning, pre-moisturiser.

What’s good about it?

This gives immediate relief for a dry, dehydrated skin, It's 'wet', which sounds strange but basically means it's a water formula, whereas Hydraluron for example, is a gel texture. I would still use this the same way, under a moisturiser, and I would still avoid a heavy silicone-led moisturiser/product and go for wet moisturisers on top of this. 

It will make sense if you've been reading the blog for a long time but:

Clinique Moisture Surge is wet.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair is silicone.

It won't be enough if you're dry, you'd still have to use a good oil-based moisturiser on top, but if dehydration is your main concern, and with the price point, I would definitely recommend that you check this out.

Sali Hughes is obsessed and synonymous with it.

What’s not so good about it?

This serum should not work. But it does.

It contains glycols, silicones and fragrance. I don't mind them, but it's the kind of product that would give Beautypedia a hernia. 

Therein lies the mantra of one size most definitely does not fit all. If you don't like those ingredients, avoid. If you're dehydrated, and of the thinking 'whatever works', go for it.

Similar products?

Hydraluron

Hyalamide

Hydraquench - Clarins 

(are we seeing a pattern here) :)

Exchange rate – does it punish the UK?

Not really. We're close enough to France. I imagine the Americans and the Australians are screwed though.

Vichy's Aqualia Thermal Serum is available in a lot of retailers in the UK priced anything from £17.00 - £22.00. 

However, none of them list their ingredients so they can jog on for a link.

Step forward vichyusa.com. 

Cheat Sheet - Dry or Dehydrated?

I change my skincare 'wardrobe' every time I change my actual clothing wardrobe over from winter to summer and vice versa. However, this weekend I realised I had probably left it a couple of weeks too late as my skin was dull as ditchwater, flat and dry to touch. That coupled with the blog posts and tweets I've seen recently about dry skin/skin feeling tight etc leads me to think this little guide might prove useful.

Are you DRY or DEHYDRATED? (or both!)

Dry and dehydrated skins have similar characteristics, but different underlying reasons.

Dry Skin - normally a skin type but can be a temporary skin condition

• caused by lack of oil in the skin
• small pores
• 'tight' feeling
• may be flaky
• milia, blackheads and spots may still be present
• skin looks dull
• skin is not plump
• doesn't absorb products easily
• easily irritated - more likely to suffer reactions to products
• aggravated by poor skincare

Dehydrated Skin - is a skin condition affecting any skin type - including DRY

• caused by lack of water in the skin
• pores can be large or small
• skin feels tight and dry although it can confusingly sometimes look oily and have breakouts
• absorbs moisturisers really quickly
• blackheads and spots are still visible
• makeup disappears (and goes patchy) throughout the day as the skin is absorbing any water in your foundation
• skin looks 'ashen' 
• aggravated by lifestyle circumstances - may suffer from a lot of headaches

Skin is made up of 70% water - around  20-30% of that is in the epidermis (top layer of the skin). In normal circumstances, your hydrolipidic film acts as a regulator and barrier - retaining moisture and protecting against germs. If - for whatever reason that is compromised, the moisture in the epidermis evaporates too quickly and the normal, healthy state of the skin is compromised.

The reality is that most of us at one time or another - but ESPECIALLY at this time of the year - are dehydrated.

Any and all of the following can cause dehydration - standby!:

1. Environment - wind, cold air, dry air, too much sun, air conditioning, central heating
2. Diet - the wrong foods, alcohol, caffeine, not eating enough water-heavy foods, not drinking enough
3. Lifestyle - stress (hello?!), poor skincare routine, using the wrong products, medication - including birth control, smoking
4. Genetics - monthly cycle, pregnancy

It is quite common to be both dry and dehydrated but if by looking at the above you have ascertained that you are one or the other - these do's and don't might help.

Do and Do Not:

• Do upgrade your moisturiser to something suitable for dry skin if you recognise the signs - go for products using the words 'nourishing'
• Do change your moisturiser to something labelled 'hydra' or 'hydrating' if you suspect you are dehydrated
• Make sure you are not using products that are too harsh or too stripping for either
• Do steer clear of foaming anything  - keep the bubbles for your dishes
• Do use balms, oils and serums for dry
• Do use milks, specified oils and treatments for dehydrated
• Do stay away from mineral oils, silicones (in skincare - not makeup), lanolins and synthetic fragrance which will make a dehydrated skin worse and make a dry skin scream for help

A word on supplements - omega oils found in either flax or fish oil supplements will help both dry and dehydrated skins - however, you'll need a good 3 months to see the benefits on your skin so if you want to think ahead for the deep winter of end Jan/Feb you could do worse than to get cracking now.