Review: Uriage Bariederm Cica Daily Serum

Well, if you’re a sharp observer and you know my taste in cosmetics, you may have seen it coming…

Of course, I have nothing against a pharmacy serum completely inspired by K-Beauty, quite the contrary!

I admit that I’m not unhappy that the French pharmacy is looking for inspiration from the best, because it allows consumers like us to have more exciting products to try (I’m sorry, I know it has its fans, but you have to admit that pharmacy cosmetics can get boring quite quickly, am I right or am I right?).

They released this cute Cica serum at the beginning of 2021 and you’ll see, it’s definitely a product that fits the current trends and consumers’ demands!

Let me introduce it to you and tell you about all my experience with this Uriage Bariederm Cica Daily Serum!

Skincare My best of skincare from the French pharmacie If you’re a regular BTY ALY reader, you already know that I have a hard time making choices. That’s why I never do “favorites” posts. And I already have a feeling that this article will look more like a very long products list than a curated selection of my favourite French ‘pharmacie’ beauty products. Oh well, you’ve been warned! Read more

Uriage Bariederm Cica Daily Serum, product presentation:

I know that at the moment there’s a big trend of products that repair the skin barrier, but Uriage didn’t wait for it to be fashionable to develop some! The Bariederm line has been around for 20 years, so they certainly are familiar with skin barrier repair!

But then, if you know the Bariederm range, I think we can all agree on one thing: it’s not a sexy range. It’s effective, but the textures are not really the most exciting… (that would be a good allegory of the French pharmacy, wouldn’t it? 😜).

And please do not come and tell me it’s not made for that; that the pharmacy is for serious products! If there’s one thing I’ve learned over years of intensive skincare testing, it’s that one doesn’t (and shouldn’t) prevent the other 😉.

Anyway, I see K-Beauty has probably inspired Uriage with their latest launches (they’re not the only ones, it definitely inspired most pharmacy launches these last few months…). And the new product in this range, the Uriage Bariéderm Cica Daily Serum, reminds me an awful lot of the soothing serums I’ve been seeing in Korea for several years.

First clue, the name: “Cica“. If you don’t know, I already talked in details about the Cica trend that has been raging in Korea for several years now (it’s in this article: Focus on: Centella Asiatica (and the “cica” trend)). In short, it means that this serum contains Centella Asiatica, a soothing plant that is intended for sensitized and/or blemish-prone skin 🙂.

And with the mask being part of our daily life, this kind of product can benefit us all at the moment!

Second clue: the texture of this product! Light, fluid, almost like an essence. It’s definitely a lightweight serum. In Asia, they will probably love it (it’s a good thing, because Uriage is sold in Korea and they love the brand!).

If I summarize, with this Uriage Bariederm Cica Daily Serum, we are dealing with a 4-in-1 product that hydrates, purifies, repairs and strengthens the skin barrier. Add to that an always interesting anti-oxidant effect, and that gives us a super complete serum that can be used morning and / or evening and which is suitable for all types of sensitized skins.

Regarding the formula, this serum includes a calming Thermal-biotic complex based on Uriage thermal water, which is anti-inflammatory and rebalancing, with inulin, a prebiotic ingredient from chicory and agave extracts, added to strengthen the skin microbiome.

It also contains a cocktail of repair boosting ingredients:
– Centella Asiatica,
– Glycerin and hyaluronic acid to hydrate,
– and soothing pro-vitamin B5 (panthenol).

In its formula, there is also zinc to limit the bacterial proliferation, and a dipeptide to stimulate the cellular renewal.

In short, on paper, it’s clearly an interesting product! Now, let’s see in practice 🙂.

Uriage Bariederm Cica Daily Serum, my experience:

Do I have to tell you once again that my skin is sensitized because I use tretinoin or we’re good? 😅

Usually, my skin is not sensitive but since I introduced this famous effective but irritating anti-aging molecule in my routine, I have to treat my skin like a fragile and delicate flower.

So, yes definitely, I’m interested in a serum that moisturizes, protects and strengthens the skin barrier while purifying my skin. Thank you very much! I’ve started tretinoin to get my acne out of the way once and for all, after all 😉.

I incorporated the Uriage Bariederm Cica Daily Serum into my evening routine about 2 months ago now, and I find it really perfect for the season! The liquid gel texture is super fresh and absorbs really well without leaving my skin feeling sticky.

It does a great job of helping my skin stay calm and clear, and I also appreciate the hydrating effect. It’s a good multi-tasking serum: soothing, antioxidant, purifying and moisturizing!

I’m also a big fan of the packaging and especially of its pipette/”squeeze cap” which delivers the right amount of product by simply pressing on the cap. For the record, this particular pipette was designed by the company Virospack. It’s a “last drop” technology that allows you to enjoy the product to the last drop, with a system in the bottle to keep the pipette clean with each use, combined with a cap that offers precision dosing with each squeeze, for a more controlled amount of product utilisation!

I know this will probably only appeal to packaging geeks like me, but I love it when brands innovate for product containers too 😉.

This packaging makes the serum comfortable and simple to use, and what’s not to love, really?

In short, for me, this serum is great!

Its only flaw: its price! It retails between $35 to $45 for 30ml, so it’s not cheap (especially compared to its Korean equivalents which are often half the price… I added a few examples of K-Beauty products if you want to compare at the bottom of the page, in the part called “Discover more”).

In conclusion:

Really, I’m delighted with this Uriage Bariederm Cica Daily Serum!

Its formula is simple but effective, and it’s a very good multi-tasker.

It could suit someone with a dehydrated combination skin looking for a light purifying moisturizing serum, or someone with a more sensitive skin who’s looking for a soothing and repairing effect, or even someone who wants to just gently purify their acne-prone skin (or just reduce the maskne)!

Sure, it’s not cheap for a pharmacy product, but it’s still a super interesting serum to have in your bathroom 🙂

The Uriage Bariederm Cica Daily Serum retails between $35 and $45 for 30ml depending on the distributor.