Up until last week, I could safely say my skin was “combination'. Just your run of the mill complexion punctuated by the occasional breakout on the chin. Then, one day, I woke up to an angry, irritated and very red face staring back at me in the mirror. I'd even go so far as to describe certain areas as scaly. You get the gist.

How this happened baffles the mind, and how to fix it proved to be an even more perplexing dilemma. The mainstay lotions and potions that I adore and slather on with abandon were suddenly too harsh. The best bet was to do as little as possible...but my skin was so tight and dry that it needed something. I remembered that Avène's infamous Thermal Spring Water mist is known (and beloved by many a makeup artist and model) for its soothing properties, so I did some research into their line. Lo and behold, they recently debuted an über-gentle cleansing milk that's 88% Thermal Spring Water. My parched skin soaked up the product almost as quickly as I smoothed it on. The key ingredients (aside from that miracle eau) include Ruscus Extract, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone and Dextran Sulfate, which, thank God, ease heat sensations, tingling, you name it. A thorough misting of Thermal Spring Water allowed me to wipe off any residue with another cotton pad, revealing a much happier, albeit “sensitive' complexion.