My Guide to Hydrating Serums and Essences

Time is flying by – end of January is already in sight. Crazy, right? I spent the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 prioritizing slow time with loved ones, hence the lack of posts. The draft for this one has been in progress for over a month, but I decided to not beat myself up about it. There are only so many hours in a day and sometimes you’ve got to make sacrifices. As much as I love beauty products and writing, they’ve had to take a backseat recently (and they’re not alone). The weather has been extremely cold and depressing, so I thought it was the perfect time to talk about hydrating skin care products.

Before I get into the products, it’s important to distinguish between hydration and moisturization. One delivers and attracts existing moisture to the skin, hydrating it, the other locks in the moisture and nourishes the surface of the skin, moisturizing it. You need both. Most moisturizers do both, but very rarely do hydrating serums actually lock in the hydration, so it’s important to follow up the products I’m going to talk about with a moisturizer, otherwise their application will actually lead to more dehydration.

So, if your friendly neighborhood moisturizer does it all, why even bother with a hydrating essence or serum? Good question. For most people I’d say this is a totally optional step. I personally love the process of layering skin care from thinnest to thickest texture. I’m prone to dehydration, so for me the hydration step is justified. I can take a hydrating serum, apply it on clean skin and if I’m feeling very dehydrated, I can wait a few moments, apply another layer, and another layer… and so on, until my skin looks and feels more bouncy, at which point I finish the routine with a moisturizer and/or sunscreen.

I’ve tried a few different formulas and I’ve found my favourite, but I’m going to give a brief overview of the products I’ve tried, the pros and cons and all the other good stuff.

I had pretty high expectations for the It’s Skin Power 10 Formula GF Effector, as their Li Effector is a go-to daytime serum for me. The GF was nothing special. It felt too thick and sticky, so I used it up quite fast. Unlike the Li, the GF had a scent that I didn’t like and overall it felt like a chore to use. The formula wasn’t right for me. With that sort of thickness, I expect a product to do more than just hydrate (it’s a common theme here).

The Coxir Ultra Hyaluronic Acid Ampoule and Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum were a similar experience for me. The Coxir was quite forgettable, but the Vichy was pleasant enough that I repurchased it multiple times (it’s been and will continue to be featured in my empties). Overall the Mineral 89 is my second favourite product that I’m going to mention today. I have no issue with the formula, but it’s pretty expensive for how much and how often I used it. I also found the bottle to be inconvenient because of its tapered shape – the serum would often run down the side of the bottle, it was awkward to angle the pump onto your hand and the glass bottle felt heavy and unbalanced to use. For how expensive it is, I shouldn’t have to deal with any of that.

I was really excited to try the Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner. I’d heard a lot about this brand and its aesthetic and philosophy really spoke to me. While the serums I mentioned tended to feel too sticky and thick, the Essence Toner had the opposite problem for me – it was too thin and runny. I know some people really like the watery consistency, but for me it feels like it’s just sliding off my face and I can’t feel if I’ve actually applied and spread it evenly. Using it wasn’t a terrible experience by any means, but I didn’t notice much of an effect and for me it was a onetime purchase.

Last but certainly not least is the Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion. The “Moist” one. This is an extremely popular product in Japan. It’s very affordable and just does what it says on the tin. Lotion in this context is more like an essence. It doesn’t replace a serum with active ingredients, and that’s where this type of product makes sense for me. It’s the perfect consistency – viscous enough so I can still feel it and not so runny that it just slides off. I use it both morning and night, following it up with a serum or treatment that targets my concerns with more potent ingredients, in a way prepping the surface. In the morning I also do a little face massage and facial yoga while my skin is still damp from the lotion. The routine ends with a moisturizing product. I really love this lotion, it does what I’m looking for from a strictly hydrating product and it’s great value for money. The only downside is that getting a hold of it is pretty difficult unless you’re actually in Asia…

That’s it for my hydration ramblings. I hope it’s not too cold wherever you are and that your skins’ hydration needs are in order, or, that they will be after reading this post 😉💋!

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