Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum

A few months ago I purchased a number of skin care products to test and write about. Vichy’s Aqualia Thermal Serum was one of them and I’m happy to report that I really like this product. I’ve been using it all summer (I do switch off from time to time with my home made hyaluronic acid gel) and it’s really delightful to use. Read on for why products like these are good for our skin.

Serums are often an important part of any woman’s skincare routine but they are especially important for those of us over forty. I use several different products every single day and one of them is always a product containing hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a water-binding agent and when it’s an ingredient in a skincare product, it draws water (moisture) to the skin so that the skin can be hydrated. So yeah…it’s important. Now you can use activated hyaluronic acid (which will be in gel form) and then apply moisturizer right after and it basically gives your skin an extra shot of moisture. In some preparations (like this one), the hyaluronic acid is part of a serum that includes other moisturizing agents. Either way, I use this product just like I use a hyaluronic acid gel---right before my moisturizer in the morning and evening.

Aqualia Thermal Serum is a light liquid that feels “slick” on the skin and blends in beautifully. It’s not sticky or gummy and really adds a dose of moisture to the skin. This particular product can also be used as a sort of primer before foundation due to the addition of dimethicone, which is a type of silicone (a VERY common ingredient in primers). Silicone is one of the ingredients that causes it to feel silky and it also helps to smooth out skin imperfections, which makes it possible for foundation to provide a nice finish. The list of ingredients is below.

AQUA/WATER • GLYCERIN • DIMETHICONE • SERINE • ALCOHOL DENAT. • PEG-60 • PROPYLENE GLYCOL • HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL • GLYCERYL ACRYLATE/ACRYLIC ACID COPOLYMER • DIMETHICONOL • SODIUM HYALURONATE • AMMONIUM POLYACRYLDIMETHYLTAURAMIDE • DISODIUM EDTA • CAPRYLYL GLYCOL • CITRIC ACID • BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-1 • PARFUM/FRAGRANCE

The first two ingredients, water and glycerin, are important moisturizing ingredients. Water is important because 70% of our skin is water and glycerin is an emollient and moisture absorbing ingredient. As I mentioned above, dimethicone provides the silky feel and is also labeled as a “skin protectant.”  Serine is an amino acid that is described as a skin conditioning agent which can aid in collagen production (something our skin loses as we age). Denatured Alcohol (the fifth ingredient) is a controversial ingredient in skincare products because alcohol is generally considered a drying agent which is not good for skin and hair. The “denatured” part of it means that something has been added to make it taste bad/smell bad so people won’t drink it. It is kind of an odd agreement but my research shows that it may have been included in the formula to aid in “absorption” of the other ingredients into the skin. Other ingredients include an alpha hydroxy acid, preservatives (which are definitely needed in skincare products), humectants and delivery agents, surfactant, skin conditioning agents, hyaluronic acid, stabilizing agents, and fragrance. I’m not a chemist or expert, but unless I’m missing something, there doesn’t seem to be anything either revolutionary or disappointing in this ingredient list (although some people won’t like the alcohol but it’s not a big deal to me). The thing about ingredients is this---there are very reputable sources on the internet that will tell you what these ingredients actually do---and I’m not referring to the “crunchy” sites that state that everything causes cancer or the manufacturers’ sites that claim that literally everything is safe. I think it’s good to be an educated consumer!

A little of this serum goes a long way which is good, since it costs $36 but it does do what it says it will. The marketing for the product is a little over the top (Vichy thermal water? Aquabioryl? Really??? These things are not “special” from what I can see) but if you can get beyond that, this is a decent and, most of all, convenient hyaluronic acid serum.

Would I purchase this again? Possibly but I can make a homemade version of this with no problem. Do I recommend this product to my friends and family? Sure!

Have you tried Vichy’s Aqualia Thermal Serum? How do you like it?

Ages of Beauty rating: ***