Vichy Skin Care Review

The story behind Vichy Skin Care

Vichy Skin Care was created in 1931 by Dr. Haller, medical director of the thermal treatment center in Vichy, France, after he discovered the therapeutic benefits of Vichy Thermal Water. Originating more than 2,000 years ago in the heart of Auvergne’s volcanoes, the thermal water was found to improve skin quality, soothe sensitivity, and accelerate the healing of skin wounds. Today, Vichy Thermal Water is still sourced from the same location in France, and is at the core of all Vichy Skin Care formulations. 

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What are the best selling Vichy Skin Care products?

Vichy Skin Care products are divided into 15 unique lines to treat a variety of skin concerns, such as acne and oily skin, dark circles, puffy eyes, dry skin, uneven skin tone, signs of aging, and more. If you’re not sure where to get started with this brand, check out these best selling Vichy Skin Care products. 

Vichy Mineral 89 is a lightweight, oil-free, fragrance-free face moisturizer that is said to provide 24-hour hydration while protecting skin against environmental aggressors that can stress and fatigue its appearance. Vichy Mineral 89 can be used both morning and night. 

Vichy Liftactiv Vitamin C Serum is a brightening antioxidant serum that is said to create a brighter complexion, smooth the appearance of skin texture, and reduce the look of fine lines in as little as 10 days. Vichy Liftactiv Vitamin C Serum is recommended to be used in the morning and followed with a moisturizer. 

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream is a soothing dry skin moisturizer that is said to provide immediate and long lasting 48-hour hydration. This facial cream is also claimed to smooth fine lines and help skin to recover its natural glow. Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream can be used both morning and night. 

What are the key Vichy Skin Care ingredients?

As we mentioned above, Vichy Skin Care was inspired by the skin healing benefits of Vichy Thermal Water, which can be found in all of the brand’s products. We know what you may be thinking: what’s so special about this water? Let’s take a closer look at what sets Vichy Thermal Water apart from just plain ole H2O. 

Vichy Thermal Water is unique due to its 15 essential minerals, including iron, potassium, calcium, and manganese. These minerals are gathered as rainwater passes through the magmatic volcanic rock, over 4,000 meters under the earth’s surface. The mineralizing water has been shown to soothe the skin, rebalance pH, and protect against external aggressors like pollutants and weather. Now that you know the benefits of Vichy Thermal Water, let’s take a look at the other key ingredients you’ll find in the best selling Vichy Skin Care products mentioned above. 

In addition to providing your skin with 89% Vichy Thermal Water, the Vichy Mineral 89 moisturizer contains sodium hyaluronate as a key ingredient. Sodium hyaluronate, the salt form of hyaluronic acid, is an exceptional ingredient for adding hydration to the skin. In fact, sodium hyaluronate is able to hold more water than any other natural substance—up to 1,000 times its weight in water. This is possible because sodium hyaluronate is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG), a long polysaccharide (sugar molecule) composed of disaccharides called amino sugars and uronic acid. GAGs are negatively charged and thus tend to attract positively charged sodium and potassium ions. In turn, this causes the GAGs to absorb and hold a large amount of water, which helps to maintain skin hydration. 

Vichy Liftactiv Vitamin C Serum combines 15% pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which is well known to provide several benefits to the skin, such as protecting against free radicals, stimulating collagen production, fading dark spots, and improving uneven skin tone. The serum also contains hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, a low molecular weight version of hyaluronic acid. Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid will help to attract moisture to the skin, resulting in smoother, softer skin with decreased wrinkles and a more plump appearance. 

Of note, the Vichy Liftactiv Vitamin C Serum lists alcohol denat as the third highest concentration ingredient in this formula. Alcohol denat is an abbreviation for denatured alcohol, which functions as an astringent and solvent in cosmetic products. When high concentrations of denatured alcohol are used in a formulation, this ingredient can cause drying and irritation. In fact, this serum contains more denatured alcohol than hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, which may defeat the purpose of even using hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid. 

Unfortunately, Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream is another product that contains more denatured alcohol than hyaluronic acid! While Vichy claims that this cream will help your skin to stay moisturized, the opposite may occur due to the high concentration of denatured alcohol. 

Where is Vichy Skin Care sold?

Vichy Skin Care is sold on the brand’s website, as well as third party online sellers such as Dermstore, Skinstore, Amazon, Target, Ulta, and more. You can visit the brand’s website to view authorized online sellers, and also use the store locator to find brick-and-mortar stores that sell Vichy Skin Care products near you. 

What is the Vichy Skin Care return policy?

The Vichy Skin Care return policy states, “Products must be returned within 30 days from the date the order was received. Empty products cannot be returned. Only items purchased on vichyusa.com may be returned to vichyusa.com. Items purchased in a Vichy retail store must be returned to their original point of purchase.”

Is Vichy Skin Care cruelty free?

Vichy Skin Care is not cruelty free since the brand is owned by L’Oreal, a company that tests on animals. L’Oréal does not conduct animal testing on their products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law. Since L’Oréal products are sold in China, they must test their products on animals by law.

Vichy Skin Care reviews

Vichy Skin Care reviews on the brand’s website are overall positive. Vichy Mineral 89 has received the most customer reviews (over 700) with an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars. There are quite a few Vichy Skin Care reviews for this product that mention it is great for those with sensitive skin and that it helps the skin to look and feel soft, plump, and hydrated. 

Vichy Skin Care reviews for the Liftactiv Vitamin C Serum mention that this products really does help to improve dullness, fade dark spots, and even out skin tone. But there are a handful of reviews from customers who didn’t see any noticeable difference after using this product. 

Lastly, the Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rich Cream has a mix of positive and negative reviews. Positive reviews for this product confirm that it moisturizes the skin well without feeling greasy. However, there are several reviews that say the exact opposite, mentioning that this cream was quite drying. 

What are some alternatives to Vichy Skin Care?

Overall, we like that Vichy Skin Care combines their unique thermal water with tried-and-true ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. However, we’re pretty disappointed that several Vichy Skin Care products contain more denatured alcohol than hyaluronic acid! If you want to avoid putting your skin at risk of dryness and irritation due to denatured alcohol, we have an alternative for you to consider: Formulyst. 

Reap all of the benefits of hyaluronic acid with Formulyst’s Super Hyaluronic Water Moisturizer. This lightweight formula includes sodium hyaluronate, which attracts atmospheric moisture and transforms it into intense hydration for your skin. This moisturizer also contains jojoba oil and apricot kernel oil to balance oil production. Both of these botanical oils are non-comedogenic, so you don’t have to worry about clogged pores or breakouts. Overall, Formulyst Super Hyaluronic Water Moisturizer can help the skin to feel softer and smoother while promoting a healthier, more youthful appearance.