Looking for a summer moisturizer that delivers moisture and a glassy skin finish? This fragrance and oil-free gel packs hyaluronic acid to water deliver hydration and glycerin to lock it in — all at a price that won't break the bank.
Mega hydrating is right: just the teensist amount of this ultrarich gel was needed to quench our particularly parched skin, wake up our under eye area and restore a bit of bounce. While some fans use a more generous portion as an overnight mask, a little more than a pea-size is just the amount needed for wear under makeup: any more might cause foundation to pill.
If you're looking for a gel cream that acts more like an easy-to spread lotion than slippery jelly, try this version. It's made with prebiotics and probiotics to nurture the microbiome and bolster the skin barrier and sinks into skin easily. Bonus: the formula leaves a demi-matte and slightly tacky finish that doubles as a primer for makeup.
Don't let the feel of this gel cream (which is similar to a lightweight ointment) throw you. Although it's a bit thicker than others we tried and takes a minute to absorb, it also packs a couple of Dr. Palm's key hydrating and skin-supporting ingredients: glycerin and niacinamide. "If skin is dry, glycerin is perhaps one of the most important moisturizing ingredients to create a protective coat that retains moisture in the skin," she says. "Niacinamide calms and treats acne, and reduces redness and irritation to the skin including rosacea."
Come the stickiest days of summer, this is the gel cream we'll be reaching for when even a simple lotion feels too thick or greasy to apply. The fluid formula goes on like a serum, but packs heavy-hitting moisturizer ingredients, like peptides (which can help improve the skin microbiome, according to Palm), niacinamide and calming cica.
