Colorful jars from Biotherm stand out on the shelves of the beauty shops, pharmacies and duty free aisles. Despite that, I happened to never buy one of them—the price point never seemed right to me for the offering, and every tester I touched was heavily fragranced.
My last few orders from an online shop included some testers each, and it got me curious. Just the «Blue Therapy» line lists at least 6 different moisturizers, there should be one suiting everyone for sure, right?
Let’s see what’s my catch was, and take a closer look on each:
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About the brand
Before we dive into specific product details, let’s talk about the brand overall: how Biotherm was created and why are they doing what they are doing?
Based on the company-provided information, the brand was founded in 1952 after co-founder Dr. Jos and biochjemist Jeanine Marissal identified the positive effects of the French thermal water for the skin, and patented its use in skincare products. The brand positions them as «products based on natural ingredients while pampering the skin in a luxurious way». Notably, Biotherm was the first brand to present skincare products for men in the premium segment (in 1985).
The brand offers innumerable skin care products in different categories that are divided into 11 product lines. In order not to get confused by Biotherm’s novelties, bestsellers and gift ideas, there is an online advisor on the brand’s website.
Personally, I find the Biotherm line hard to navigate—there are tens of very similar creams, of different colors and bottle shapes, with very small variations of the ingredients, each claiming to do the same thing: fix everything, and for about the same price. I hope this article will help you to understand the general approach of the brand to their products› formulations.
Biotherm Aquasource Creme
Despite receiving the tester very recently I was not able to find exactly the same product on the market today. There is a very similar Aquasource PS Coco Capitan Set* with a small ingredient transposition, and Aquasource Cica Nutri Cream* with a different Ceramide type. Did I already mention I was confused?
Skin type: for dry skin (producer’s claim)
Jar size: 30 ml / 50 ml / 75 ml
Price: 48 CHF / 40 EUR* (50 ml)
Texture: rich cream
Smell: intense flower scent
Ingredients
Top of the list are Dimethicone and Glycerin. Two very common but very nice ingredients leaving a smooth, silky feeling and filling fine lines. The effect is temporary though but it is still nice.
Then we have two more moisturizing ingredients: Shea butter and Apricot kernel oil. Additionally to fatty acids both contain several types of antioxidants. So far so good.
Coming up in position 5 is Alcohol denat.—that’s quite high on the list. While it’s often used in cosmetics to improve skincare penetration abilities, it’s known to dry skin out, not an effect I want on my very dry skin. I am sure there was a good reason to add it to the formula, and it can be quite beneficial for acne-prone skin, but personally, I pass.
Glancing down the list, I see some more emollients and common antioxidant components, and a type of Ceramides (though so low on the list we don’t even need to talk about it). I wasn’t able to spot anything of “Life Plankton” origin but I’ll keep assuming I just couldn’t recognise relevant ingredients.
What’s notable is the long list of preservatives, colorants and parfums—I can count at least 7. Needless to say, I didn’t try this cream on my face, and limited myself to spot-testing on my arm.
Ingredients list provided by the producer and is subject to change. Refer to the product packaging for the definitive list.
My impression
The first immediate impressions about Biotherm Aquasource Creme is the smell. It’s quite strong, flowery, and not something I want to have on my face during the day (or ever).
The cream is quite rich and a bit oily. Doesn’t change skin color and absorbs normally. I still don’t know why it’s called «Aquasource» though.
As I mentioned, I didn’t dare to try it on my face. It’s too sensitive for the amount of perfume and preservatives used in the formulation, and there is not much to expect from the ingredients to compensate for it.
Biotherm Blue Therapy Accelerated
Biotherm positions Blue Therapy Accelerated* as anti-aging, firming cream «infused with Algae of Youth» with «ultra-lightweight water in gel texture» and «no fragrance allergens». Let’s see if the ingredients can support these statements.
Skin type: unspecified
Jar size: 50 ml / 75 ml
Price: 88 CHF / 73 EUR* (50 ml)
Texture: gel-cream
Smell: strong cucumber scent
Ingredients
The first few ingredients are the ones we already discussed: Dimethicone and Glycerin. Then we have a fair share of Isohexadecane that must be responsible for lighter and more gel-like texture. Unfortunately, next I see Alcohol denat again, I start feeling it’s a signature ingredient of the series.
What are the ingredients worth noting? I am glad to see Niacinamide high on the list, studies confirmed positive effects with 5% content and it’s possible it’s around this number here.
We also see Algae Extract on the list — must this be that «Blaualge» ingredient the description tells us about? Either way, there are thousands of different kinds of algaes, many not studied for skincare, so it’s hard to tell what to expect from it in a cream.
Going down the list, I can also spot a few antioxidants too: a little bit of Vitamin C in Ascorbyl Glucoside form (which’s very nice), some Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract coming from an algae as well and a tiny bit of Vitamin E.
From the list, I don’t see what to expect the anti-aging properties from. There are some studies confirming positive effects of both Niacinamide and Vitamin C, but it’s a very long game and I will not bet on this cream given we don’t know the said actual concentration of active ingredients in it.
As expected, the end of the list notes Parfum — I could have guessed from the smell. While the producer claims it should not be an allergen, in practice any fragrance can cause an irritation.
Ingredients list provided by the producer and is subject to change. Refer to the product packaging for the definitive list.
My impression
As I open the pack and smell the gel, I hear cucumber notes. It’s fresh and not too strong, but not too light either. I’d prefer unperfumed cosmetics so this is a minus on my list.
I have to say it’s a bit greasy and glycerin-like, rather than a gel consistency to me. Still, the cream sinks into my dry skin fairly easily. Patch testing overnight, I didn’t get any reaction nor unpleasant feelings about it.
Would I buy one? Even if there was an unperfumed version, for 88 Francs I will not. This is the territory where one can get a very nice moisturizer from Youth to the People or Drunk Elephant*, and both have much better value for money in my opinion.
Biotherm Blue Therapy Revitalize day
Biotherm Blue Therapy Revitalize day and night came together as a set. The «day» one promises «Nourish & Glow» and is marketed for dry skin. I am lucky to have one—let’s see how it goes.
Skin type: for dry skin
Jar size: 50 ml / 75 ml
Price: 88 CHF / 73 EUR* (50 ml)
Texture: lightweight cream
Smell: intense classic cosmetic (?) smell
Ingredients
This could be the best ingredient list of the 5 products tested. A good set of emollients and humectants and I can easily believe it was formulated for dry skin. No denatured alcohol too — looks promising!
Additionally to commonly used Glycerin and Shea Butter we already discussed, the product contains Rice Bran Oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil and Panthenol, all great for this skin type.
I can also see Vitamin E and Vitamin C on the list (both are antioxidants). The latter is unfortunately in the form of Ascorbyl Palmitate but so low on the list I would not expect it to have any noticeable effect.
Overall, this could have been a fair moisturizer suitable to be used in a balanced routine. But I don’t see any content that would justify the cost. I take Clinique Moisture Surge over it any day of the week, and for just a half of the cost.
Ingredients list provided by the producer and is subject to change. Refer to the product packaging for the definitive list.
My impression
The cream is pink, lightweight, and changes the color on the skin. It has a slight toning effect, the effect that must be responsible for the «glowing» promise. This could be nice, provided it will match your skin color, and if you are looking for this effect.
The smell is… classic? If not outdated. I can’t extract tones, again, too strong for me, but then it also reminds me of cosmetics of the 1990s.
The cream absorbed well but left somewhat greasy «foil» on the skin surface. After checking out the ingredients list, my wife decided to give it a try (she enjoyed the color-changing part) but sadly had to wash it off in an hour—her face turned red. NIOD MG* to the rescue!
Biotherm Blue Therapy Revitalize night
This is the second part of the Biotherm Blue Therapy Revitalize set, and this one is recommended for night-time routine. We are promised a «revitalizing» anti-aging night cream, a concept open for interpretation.
Skin type: unspecified
Jar size: 50 ml
Price: 88 CHF / 73 EUR* (50 ml)
Texture: rich heavy cream
Smell: intense
Ingredients
I am confused again here: if this is a set, how can one part be for a dry skin, and another—not? Anyway, let’s see what’s inside.
The first half of the list follows closely the day counterpart, with a notable exception the night variant also includes Alcohol Denat. Then we see hyaluronic acid in its basic salt, Sodium Hyaluronate form. Nothing particularly stands out, except: Resveratrol.
Resveratrol is a well studied variety of antioxidants found in red grapes, it showed good results in fighting ultraviolet stress. Some brands even have products fully focused on this ingredient, e.g. The Ordinary Resveratrol*. One small detail is I, personally, have Resveratrol intolerance (yes, I can’t drink red wine too). From patch testing I can confirm, the cream does contain this ingredient and its effect is real for me. But! It’s quite rare to have this reaction.
Ingredients list provided by the producer and is subject to change. Refer to the product packaging for the definitive list.
My impression
The cream is quite heavy and rich, as one would expect for a night cream. Unfortunately, it also has a greasy film afterfeel I didn’t enjoy. The smell is also rich to match the texture.
Coming back to the «anti-aging» promises, I can’t say which ingredient is expected to have this effect. Some moisturizers and antioxidants are present, but these could help prevent some damage at best. I am not aware of any study of any other component of this cream that could help reverse aging.
And I once again have concerns about the price point and value for money. If are looking for a rich heavy night cream, I strongly recommend Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream* instead. I tried it recently and was very happy with it (but not with its availability in Switzerland). And for the price difference you can pick an antioxidant serum suitable for your skin.
Biotherm Homme Aquapower Gel
As a bonus, we have one item from the Biotherm Homme lineup, positioned for the men audience. Personally, I do not believe in gender marketing in skincare (modulo parfum) but some brands still do it. Let’s see what’s behind the name.
Skin type: men (I am not making this up…)
Jar size: 75 ml / 100 ml
Price: 49 CHF / 41 EUR* (75 ml)
Texture: gel-cream
Smell: intense «aftershave»-kind
Ingredients
This moisturizing gel has Alcohol Denat. as the second ingredient. Normally, this would put me off, but given the target audience I think it makes sense here—after all, it’s positioned as an after-shave soothing moisturizer, and with shaving often come cuts. I can see how it is important to make sure your aftershave does not resemble a Petri dish.
Going down the ingredients list we can see a large number of various humectants and emollients including Glycerin and Panthenol, as well as some antioxidants like Vitamins E and C. The latter is unfortunately not in the best form (Ascorbyl Palmitate) but given it’s in the very end of the list I’d expect no effect.
Overall, the contents look decent but mind the Parfum—Aquapower Gel contains 9 different ingredients considered parfuming. We can expect a strong aroma and a high potential for skin irritation.
Ingredients list provided by the producer and is subject to change. Refer to the product packaging for the definitive list.
My impression
This smell… Very strong and very familiar. Not immediately but I realized what it reminds me of — my first shaving gel from Gillette. I wouldn’t tell the difference in a blind test. I even expected it to turn to foam at application (it did not).
I liked the texture, a light gel-cream, it was easy to apply, absorbed quickly and left a nice feeling and a smooth skin. Overall, it’s probably my favorite product from the ones tested today and it can be a good fit if you shave daily. Of course, provided both you and your significant other can handle the smell…
In this case product marketing is correct and the product is indeed well-suited for men—it’s clearly designed for face skin damaged from blades, and is strongly perfumed to resemble an aftershave. I would still suggest adding a hyaluronic acid -based hydrator and SPF to the routine.
Summary
I have to say Biotherm will not be a brand endorsed by me. I was not impressed by the ingredients lists, and the amount of fragrance in every product is a red flag to me. Additionally, with this price point, the value for money is really low in my opinion.
This is just me though, I am sure the products have their fans—I can understand many people enjoy an experience of smell and color as part of their skincare routine. If you are new to the brand, I strongly recommend getting a tester first, and doing a patch test, before committing to an 80 francs bottle.
If you have a sensitive skin though, you may want to consider unperfumed alternatives instead. Allow me to suggest a few options I believe would be better substitutes to the products reviewed above:
