Most of the time, you’re in it for the long haul when it comes to skin care. Incorporating different ingredients like vitamin C or salicylic acid into your routine allows you to see results over time. But hydrating ingredients give you instant results, with hero ingredients like hyaluronic acid (HA) offering plump skin and softened fine lines right before your eyes. That’s because the natural decrease in skin moisture that happens over time can exacerbate signs of aging like fine lines and crepeiness. One of the best hyaluronic acids out there is the Reviatilft Derm Intensives 2.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid from L’Oréal Paris. The drugstore diamond is so good that one bottle sells every 30 seconds.
L’Oréal Paris, Revitalift Derm Intensives 2.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid ($24) is made with two different weights of HA, attacking hydration and plumping from two angles. The 0.5-percent, high-molecular-weight HA works on the skin’s surface to instantly hydrate it and lock in moisture for a dewy look. The one-percent, low-molecular-weight HA seeps deeper into the skin to smooth skin texture and plump from the inside.
“Hyaluronic acid is found naturally at a high molecular weight in our tissue, but it can be broken down and found as a low molecular weight as well,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “The different weights may signal different cellular responses in the skin, triggering different pathways of healing and repair mechanisms, but they also have varying levels of penetration into the skin. The thought is that perhaps using a combination of molecular weights will trigger different complementary pathways and lead to even better results than just high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid alone.”
L’Oréal Revitalift Hyaluronic Acid also has HEPES (aka 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid). It was initially used in cell biology to help stabilize pH, but was adopted into skin care by L’Oréal for its ability to promote enzyme activity that breaks down proteins. This results in smoother, softer, and more radiant skin.
If you have a multi-step routine, apply this serum on damp skin before your others, as the HA will act like a vacuum, pulling the ingredients you layer on top deeper into the skin. Plus, “it’s important to apply HA before your other serums because it helps to seal in the moisturizer you’ll be putting on top,” adds board-certified dermatologist Shari Sperling, DO.
It also features glycerin, an underrated hydrating ingredient that gives skin care products that slippery, buttery feeling. “When I put a product on, I can tell instantly when glycerin is high up on the ingredient list,” says Heather Woolery-Lloyd, MD. “It just feels like butter.”
So if you happen to want plump, hydrated, and buttery soft skin, you’ll love the L’Oréal Revitalift Hyaluronic Acid. It’s normally $24, but at the time of publishing, if you buy from Amazon, you’ll get it for half off.
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