When it comes to winter skin, I'm definitely in the camp of really needing to pay attention to keeping my skin hydrated, like so many others. For a long time, intense dryness and dehydration was a big problem for me in the winter, causing both discomfort and annoying breakouts and irritation. Over the past few years, as I've started to get a better understanding of what my skin needs, I've been trying a lot of different things to maintain my winter skin. This past couple of months, I've been testing out these three products from the VICHY Aqualia Thermal line, a line that I've had a lot of success with in the past year or so when it comes to really solid hydrating products.

Keep reading for my thoughts on the VICHY Aqualia Thermal Boosting Essence Water*, the VICHY Aqualia Thermal Light Cream*, and the VICHY Aqualia Thermal Night Spa*.

VICHY Aqualia Thermal Boosting Water Essence*

This essence is formulated to travel deepest into the skin and boost the benefits of your skin care routine, by enabling your serum and cream to deliver their optimal efficacy. Vichy Thermal Spa Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Aquabioryl^TM and λ-carrageenans, crafted in their smallest form, deeply penetrate the skin and create a path of penetration leaving the skin more receptive to the active ingredients of other skin care to follow.

Admittedly, I haven't tried a lot of essences in my time, but I have really enjoyed the ones I've tried and this is no exception. I've found that every time I use this, I can really see and feel a difference in the overall plumpness and hydration of my skin. I recall hearing someone refer to an essence as an "extra" and I do think that's actually a really good way to describe it. It's not something that I think should really be used on its own, particularly since it's intended to improve the efficacy of serums and creams, but I do think it definitely has a place in my skin care routine.

This product has a light, gel-like formula that I find thicker than I was expecting it to be, but still quite light and smooth on the skin, with a light, fresh scent like other products in the Aqualia Thermal line. I use this after I use a toner, before serums, oils, and creams and I find that it's a great preparation step for those products. It has a very lightweight feel and sinks into the skin quickly to a barely there feel that really has a noticeable effect on the look and feel of my skin. Like I said, I think an essence is an extra, but I have to admit that I'm a bit addicted to this one and I've been using it morning and night and I've been loving it.

VICHY Aqualia Thermal Light Cream*

Dynamically re-hydrates dry and dehydrated areas of the face by evenly spreading water throughout all facial zones, for a 24H lasting hydration.

Because my skin is fairly normal, with dryness in the winter, the Light Cream appealed to me much more than the Rich Cream. I've been using this as a daytime moisturizer, generally on days when I need a little bit more hydration that others, and I find that it works beautifully with my skin type. The texture of this cream is absolutely gorgeous. It's light and spreads easily over the skin without feeling sticky or greasy in the least, but I can really feel that it's packing a punch of hydration without the heaviness of some other similarly hydrating creams.

For me, the biggest reason that I love this during the daytime is that I feel like it really helps to both keep my skin feeling hydrated all day, but also really preps my skin for and sits well underneath makeup. Of the three products I'm reviewing here, I think this one might be my favorite simply because of how functional it is for me. Okay, maybe it's a tie with the Boosting Water Essence. Either way, I absolutely love it!

VICHY Aqualia Thermal Night Spa Replenishing & Soothing Sleeping Mask*

This ultra-comfortable, velvety sleep mask infuses the skin with moisture and minerals during the night, when skin is most receptive to treatments. Skin is replenished, soothed and supple by morning.

I do really love a sleeping mask and this one is definitely no exception. In fact, I would venture to say that this has been one of my favorites. Like others that I've tried, this mask has a gel cream texture that feels fairly light, but still holds some cling to the skin so that it does feel like a mask rather than just a night cream. Of course, when you're me, those two things can be interchangeable and I find myself reaching for an overnight mask in the winter just as often as I do a night cream to really make sure that my skin gets that boost while I sleep.

When I wake up in the morning after wearing this mask, I do find that it's doubly important that I give my skin a good cleanse because this can leave behind some residue - which is exactly what I want from an overnight mask. The hydration this gives is absolutely fantastic and I really feel like it helps to keep my skin feeling just overall better in these colder, drier months here on the prairies.

Yet again, VICHY has really knocked it out of the park for me with these three products. I've been loving using all three of them consistently over the past couple of months and I'm happy to report that my skin has really been staying more hydrated this year than it has in any winter in recent memory. I think that all three of these products hydrate without ever leaving my feeling greasy or causing the clogged pores that I can be susceptible to with hydrating skin care products. Honestly, I think over the past year the VICHY Aqualia Thermal line has eked out the VICHY Idealia line as my favorite from the brand and I find myself recommending them really often.

French pharmacy wins again! VICHY products are available in drugstores nationwide in Canada as well as on Vichy.ca!

Thanks for reading!