This is a long awaited review. By long-awaited I mean I've been 'trialing' this product for a whole year. I got introduced to this product when I heard about the benefits of hyaluronic acid. A super power, water-binding, ingredient that has a weird ability of penetrating into the skin layers despite its large molecular weight. Due to my dry skin I thought it was a perfect ingredient and hunted down some of the best products to see what all the hype was about. Then I stumbled upon Perricone.
Perricone's Philosophy.
His philosophy is one that I completely align with and it has partly to do with my own upbringing. He believes that one of the major causes of ageing is inflammation. His Inflammation Theory summarises the fact that our lifestyle, diet and skincare can really stress our skin, leading to damage and signs of ageing. To counter this, he provides a 3-Tiered Philosophy which outlines how an anti-inflammatory diet, nutritional supplements and clinical skincare can aid in achieving a healthy body and amazing skin. Pretty cool huh? At first it may seem airy fairy but, when you start to break it down and understand how your body has an automatic reaction to stress and trauma, you start to realise your skin would do the same.
The Product
Hyalo Plasma is advertised as a treatment moisturiser that has three forms of hyaluronic acid. These 3 forms help to penetrate deep into the skin and draw moisture from the air, leaving your complexion dewy, hydrated and plump. There's no fragrance. The texture is light a heavier gel. Think of a soft jelly texture that can hold its form but slide off your fingers (which is what happened in my swatch below).
The Application
Your skin is going to be uber soft after applying this. I chose to pop it in as a serum treatment before my moisturiser. When I applied it, the gel just smoothed over my skin and sank in, leaving me feel like I had a massive 2 litre bottle of water just absorb into my face. It wasn't sticky, I wasn't left feeling tight or dry. I felt hydrated and glowy. The real result was how my skin looked the next day.
The Result
Upon initial inspection of my skin, I could tell my fine lines were erased and clarity was restored to my tired complexion. The next day was when I could see the results twofold. My skin remained as radiant as when I first applied it and there wasn't a crease in sight. This is a massive difference to my other serums and moistusers that absorb completely by morning.
I paid careful attention to my skin in the few weeks after I used the product. Compliments everywhere. People actually noticed some difference in my skin (and that’s a rare feat). The vitamin C ester (more info below) is the ingredient I wanted to see results in the most as I was hoping to fade some acne scars. Boy did they fade. I was super happy with the product just on application and am still amazed by what it can do to my skin a year later.
The Rundown
When it comes to looking at Perricone ingredient lists, I really need to have a cosmetics dictionary on hand. I don't think it’s a bad thing, if anything, it says that he uses unconventional ingredients to deliver his claims. So, what are we looking at?
You've got a water based serum with a high concentration of dimethicone. What this says to me - the dimethicone is there to help seal in the very volatile, watery ingredients. The next few are thickening agents that double as anti-microbial ingredients (a positive seeing as most of Perricone's products are in a jar packaging). You've got the lovely niacinamide, squalane and shea butter as your main components that help to mimic the skin's 'glue' structure and maintains your bounce and texture. Then you have the key winner's of this serum - the hyaluronate. As mentioned in numerous studies, sodium hyaluronic crosspolymer is on of the smallest chains that hyaluronic acidcan form into. This means your skin will be able to quickly absorb the hyaluronate and mesh deep into the little skin matrix = your skin can remain plump and hydrated all day long. It's known to hold 50 times its water weight and is 5 times more hydrating than hyaluronic acid. Whoa.
Did I also mention it has Perricone's signature Vitamin C ester, a form of vitamin C that promotes the renewal of new skin cells by being in a form that can travel deep into the skin layers. This helps to give the skin a brighter, even complexion. Yes please!
As you can tell, I adore this product. Although there may be some dispute about the packaging or some criticisms about Perricone's ingredients, I still believe in his philosophy and his credentials. I believe he is excelling the skincare world in a time where regulations and a lack of innovation are limiting the capabilities of skincare products.