What attracted me to this cream was the fact that it was ‘skin smoothing’ (and also because it was a free sample). I like Dermalogica products as they are for specific skin type, but of course with a price attached to it.
So what did I think after using this cream over 7 days (morning & night).
Morning: I used this skin smoothing cream like a primer. It was a bit sticky and didn’t smell very pleasant. It was fragrance free but the base smell is very potent. But after layering on my makeup routine, the smell was not noticeable. The texture was very light and smooth, and didn’t feel dry at the end of the day.
Night: The smell was very strong and more noticeable because I don’t have any other products on my face. It was easy to apply but was a bit sticky and left a slippery/greasy residue on my hands. It did however, leave me face very smooth and hydrated the next morning.
Now lets look at the ingredient listing breakdown and the highlight ingredients.
Ingredients breakdown
| Ingredient | Function/Purpose |
|---|---|
| Water/Aqua/Eau | Solvent |
| Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride | Emollient |
| Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate | Emollient |
| Stearic Acid | Emulsifier |
| Butylene Glycol | Humectant |
| Glycerin | Humectant |
| Aloe Barbadensis Extract | Moisturiser |
| Dimethicone | Emollient |
| PEG-8 | Emulsifier |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | Wax |
| Sodium Hyaluronate | Anti-ageing, Hydrating |
| Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Saccharide Isomerate | Hydrating |
| Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Arnica Montana Flower Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Hedera Helix (Ivy) Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Flower Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Parietaria Officinalis Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Ascorbyl Palmitate | Skin Conditioner |
| Trehalose | Skin Conditioner |
| Algin | Binder |
| Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate | Anti-ageing, Hydrating |
| Serine | Skin Conditioner |
| Linoleic Acid | Skin Conditioner |
| Phospholipids | Skin Conditioner |
| Phytosterols | Skin Conditioner |
| Cananda Odorata Flower Oil | Skin Conditioner |
| Urea | Hydrating |
| Hydrogenated Lecithin | Skin Conditioner |
| Pullulan | Film Former |
| Caprylhydroxamic Acid | Chelating Agent |
| Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Extract | Skin Conditioner |
| Tocopheryl Acetate | Skin Conditioner |
| Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate | Chelating Agent |
| Hexanediol | Solvent |
| Pentylene Glycol | Humectant |
| Glyceryl Polyacrylate | Film Former |
| Sodium Citrate | Buffering Agent |
| Disodium Phosphate | Buffering Agent |
| Palmitoyl HydroxypropyltrimoniumAmylopectin/Glyceryl Crosspolymer | Skin Conditioner |
| Caprylyl Glycol | Emollient |
| Potassium Phosphate | Buffering Agent |
| Citric Acid | pH Adjuster |
| Tocopherol | Antioxidant |
| Methylpropanediol | Solvent |
| Polysorbate 60 | Emulsifier |
| Panthenol | Skin Conditioner |
| Polyquaternium-10 | Skin Conditioner |
| Cetyl Alcohol | Wax |
| PEG-100 Stearate | Emulsifier |
| Glyceryl Stearate | Emulsifier |
| Aminomethyl Propanol | Buffering Agent |
| Carbomer | Thickener |
| Ethylhexylglycerin | Skin Conditioner |
| Sodium Hydroxide | pH Adjuster |
| Hydroxystearic Acid | Emulsifier |
| BHT | Antioxidant |
| Benzyl Benzoate | Allergens |
| Benzyl Salicylate | Allergens |
| Linalool | Allergens |
| Sodium Benzoate | Preservative |
| Phenoxyethanol | Preservative |
So what is the function/purpose of each ingredient? Click here to find a little summary about it!
Emollients that gives you smooth skin
If you were wondering what makes this cream feel so good? Keep reading~
1. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – second ingredient in the listing provides the spreadability, softness and smoothness.
2. Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate – third on the listing helps provide the emolliency and texture. It also creates a layer on the surface of the skin for protection and moisturisation.
3. Dimethicone – is a silicone not far from the top of the listing helps with the smooth soft feel. But it adheres to the surface of the skin making it feel a bit greasy and heavy.
If you are a fan of silicones then try this night cream.
Active Ingredients
Two actives that gives 48 hour hydration. Both these ingredients are known humectants; absorbs and retains water, and hydrates the Stratum Corneum (SC).
So pretty much hydrated face = less noticeable wrinkles = smoother appearance.
Saccharide Isomerate (aka PENTAVITIN®)
- Clinically proven corn derived ingredient to moisturise and nourish dry flaky skin.
- Derived from carbohydrates, it reproduces the effects of Natural Moisturising Factor (NMF) in the skin. NMF is like a humectant.
- The active binds to amino acids in the NMF and doesn’t easily get washed away.
- The biggest seller for this ingredient is that it can provide ’72 hour’ hydration. Like the popular ‘Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-replenishing Hydrator‘! It also shares the same active for this moisturising claim (but of course with a higher price tag).
Sodium Hyaluronate
- Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is what everyone knows as anti-ageing and a moisturiser. It’s moisture retention capacity is amazing!.
- As the skin ages the HA level also decreases resulting in loss of skin moisture.
- Sodium Hyaluronate is the sodium salt of HA with similar benefits. So, depending on the molecular size, it can penetrate into the deep layers of the skin for anti-ageing effects. On the top layers, it helps to balance water reservoirs.
- In this formula, it looks like Sodium Hyaluronate was also added in a blend. The blend (PatcH20) which is also clinically proven to provide 48 hour hydration.
The Verdict?
There were not any noticeable ‘bad’ ingredients in this skin smoothing cream. Though the only let down was the smell of the product (but each to their own). The combination of actives for the 48 hour hydration claim was definitely a big plus!
Lastly, from my experience the cap of the tube is really smooth and hard to screw back on when my hands are slippery. Otherwise, not bad at all.
Original post: December 2019
What do you think? Should I review Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-replenishing Hydrator as a comparison?