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Can I confess something? I think I might be the only person on the planet who doesn’t watch Love Island. Certainly I’m the only one on team StyleCaster who doesn’t. But! That doesn’t mean I don’t love Love Island star Leah Kateb. She graced us with her presence earlier this year for our Love on TV issue and cover, sharing makeup and skincare picks, and revealing what’s inside her purse. I’m just so in love with how relatable the 25-year-old is, and how she and I share some of the same skincare faves.
That includes the French drugstore cult-favorite moisturizer, Avene Cicalfate+, an intensely emollient multi-purpose cream that almost feels like a diaper rash cream when applied, and leaves the skin supple and dewy when it absorbs the complexion-loving ingredients.
Avene Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream
“I use [the Avene Cicalfate+]
and I put this all over my face. This is so hydrating, especially for someone who was on Acutane. Even though I’m not on it anymore I still use it, just because I feel like it makes my skin so plump and makes it feel good,” Kateb says in a recent skincare routine TikTok.
It makes sense that Kateb’s moisturizing go-to is the Cicalfate+. For someone who went through Accutane (aka the extremely potent acne medication isotretinoin which controls blemishes and inflammation, but often leaves the skin barrier very dry even years after use), a barrier-restoring and protecting moisturizer like Cicalfate+ is key.
While I’ve never been on Accutane, I do use dermatologist-prescribed acne medication and OTC retinol, and both irritate my skin if I don’t nourish it. Plus, my skin has been through a bunch of hormonal changes since getting pregnant and giving birth—one week it’s dry, the next it’s overproducing oil and I’m breaking out. Cicalfate+ is the one formula that I consistently use every night to keep my complexion balanced.
Why Avene Cicalfate+ Is so Good
And derms love the formulation, too. Dermatologist Dr. Dara Spearman, MD, FAAD tells StyleCaster that the biggest ingredient standout is the C+ postbiotic, explaining, “It’s an ingredient that supports your skin’s natural repair process and microbiome. The texture is rich, and it’s free from common irritants making it a gentle option for all skin types, including sensitive skin.” The other key ingredients, like Avene’s signature Thermal Spring Water, “is super calming for sensitive skin” while copper and zinc “support healing and keep the skin’s environment clean.”
Spearman also adds, “The formula is fragrance-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, alcohol-free, silicone-free, non-comedogenic, making it generally safe for those with sensitive skin and acne prone skin.” The formula lineup comes together to “give the skin what it needs to recover, especially when it’s red, cracked, or overly dry…This product is very universal and a good staple.”
It’s a good enough product for dermatologist Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky to use herself. She tells SC, “As a dermatologist, and someone who uses Cicalfate+ for everything, I love that the product not only speeds up skin recovery but also supports the skin microbiome. It soothes, protects, and helps restore the skin faster, all while being gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin. There’s almost nothing it can’t fix!”
It reminds me a lot of La Mer’s Creme de La Mer—the OG version. It’s extremely thick, and goes on skin almost chalky-like. You really have to rub it in. I own Creme de La Mer, and was using it for years before I was introduced to Avene Cicalfate+. Once I started using Cicalfate+ for my dry, irritated skin, I realized I didn’t have to keep shelling out hundreds of dollars for jars of La Mer anymore (I love La Mer, but I love my bank account reserves more!!).
The formula is very, very similar: Creme de La Mer’s anchor ingredient is the “Miracle Broth” which is made of sea kelp that’s been bio-fermented for months (the formula allegedly uses a tiny little bits of the Miracle Broth from the very first batch of Creme de La Mer), while Cicalfate+’s is infused with Avene Spring Water and a proprietary postbiotic which similarly heals the skin barrier. Both creams contain a special sauce that really does transform and nourish skin quickly. The major difference is Cicalfate+ is as low as $14 a tube if you grab it on sale.
Tl;dr: Kateb isn’t exaggerating about her tube of Cicalfate+, it really does work skincare magic.
