I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: a hyaluronic acid serum is something every person should have in their medicine cabinet. Why? Because using a good hyaluronic acid serum is simply the most effective way to ensure that your skin is sufficiently quenched and nourished. Unlike moisturizers, which hydrate the surface of your skin, HA serums penetrate deep down into the skin and increase the skin’s overall water content.
And don’t think that just because summer is just around the corner you can call it quits on effectively moisturizing your skin. Sure, you can feel free to swap your ultrathick moisturizer for a lighter option. But trust me when I say this: a good hyaluronic acid serum is the soldier you’ll need to fight against the onset of dull summer skin.
Here’s the problem with most hyaluronic acid serums: they tend to either be very expensive or to come in teeny-tiny bottles that run out in four seconds. I tried, and loved, a sample of Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum recently — but the price genuinely offended me. And I adore my affordable $7 serum from the Ordinary, but it’s so petite that I find I need a new bottle practically every other week. In other words: I’ve been longing for a reasonably priced, generously sized HA serum that I could integrate into my daily routine for quite some time.
Admittedly, when Amazon announced it was launching its own skin-care line called Belei, I wasn’t too fussed. I mean, what could they come up with that I didn’t already own? But when I saw the enormous, two-fluid-ounce bottle on my editor’s desk, I couldn’t help but be intrigued.
To my complete surprise, I fell in love with this product basically right away, and it has since became an everyday staple in my routine. The serum, a mixture of five different hyaluronic acids, is a thick gel. It’s very similar in texture to Drunk Elephant’s B-Hydra Intensive Serum — one of my first-love hyaluronic acid serums that totally changed the brightness and moisture levels of my skin for the better. I actually liked the way the Belei serum made my face feel better than the B-Hydra, which tends to make my skin feel a little bit tacky, even when I apply moisturizer right after. The Belei is just as quenching as the B-Hydra, but doesn’t leave any stickiness. And it’s so hydrating that I can imagine throwing it on, applying an SPF on top, and leaving for the day — without moisturizing. This is big, coming from me. I’m the kind of person who tends to moisturize even when it’s 100 degrees out and I’ve already slathered on half a container of serum. With most of my Hyaluronic Acid serums (like my beloved Ordinary and even fancy Dr. Barbara Sturm), I can see a difference in my skin’s texture and glow after a few days of using it. But as soon as I applied this serum, my skin looked and felt plumper and more moisturized instantly.
I now apply this serum everyday in the mornings and evenings, before my moisturizer and SPF. I’ve never seen a hylauronic acid serum show it’s powers quite as fast as this lovely, two-ounce, $35 serum does. Now it sits in a power position, right at the front of my medicine cabinet.
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