In Asia skincare is HUGE. Much more so than in North America. Asian women are used to having multiple steps in their skincare routine and even welcome the addition of more! I myself tend to use around 5-6 products at night making my night time ritual seem quite complicated. Although I have been blessed with good skin, I do take very good care of it. This means that I am also quite picky about what goes on it so when I was introduced to the Korean skincare line Histolab and the Hyaluron Complex Ampoule ($49.99 USD), I had a look at the ingredients and decided to give it a try.
So, what kind of product is this? In terms of WHERE it should go in your skincare routine, this is a serum for ALL SKIN TYPES and should be used right after toning. The key players in this ampoule are: sodium hyaluronate, grapefruit extract, snail secretion filtrate and rose water all of which serve to instantly replenish moisture and keep skin soft and supple. This quartet of ingredients are what form the hyaluron complex.
The serum is administered via glass dropper and the bottle itself is blue-coloured glass. Very fancy. The consistency is a little bit slimy, but oil-free so absorbs into the skin almost instantly.
A Little Science:
Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt of the more familiar hyaluronic acid, found in connective, epithelial and neural tissue. It is used in a variety of medical treatments as a way of lubricating joints and acting as a shock absorber prior to surgical procedures. Cosmetically, sodium hyaluronate is used in plastic surgery to reduce the appearance of wrinkles as it is able to hold and bind to water molecules giving a slight “swell” to the skin. This means that it is able to keep skin moisturized and soft. Sodium hyaluronate molecules are smaller than those of hyaluronic acid allowing them to penetrate deeper layers of the epidermis and is non-irritating even to those with sensitive skin. (www.skinstore.com, August 2014).
Snail secretion filtrate. I’m sure many of you are wondering about THAT! In short, it’s that slimy mucus trail that’s left behind by our snails friends that is rich in allantoin (promotes healing), glycolic acid (exfoliant), glycosaminoglycans (binds to water molecules), proteoglycans, elastin (skin structural integrity), hyaluronic acid and collagen (skin structural integrity). This extract can be added to cosmetics in 1%-5% concentrations (New Directions, August 2014). Snail secretion filtrate is a promising anti-aging ingredient and has been shown to improve the appearance of fine lines of photo-aged skin after 8 weeks of continuous use as shown in a study by Fabi et al (The effects of filtrate of the secretion of the Cryptomphalus aspersa on photoaged skin, August 2014).
Final Verdict: It’s too soon for fine lines to have shown up on my face just yet, but I can definitely attest to the plump skin! I didn’t like the consistency at first because I don’t like snails and I kept thinking about mucus as I was applying the ampoule to my skin! I noticed right away that 1-2 drops and my skin was instantly hydrated. If you have oilier or combination skin, you might not even need to follow up with moisturizer. I used this solely at night and noticed a plumpness to my skin the next morning. It could potentially be a placebo effect, but I definitely liked what I saw!
For a product that is intended as a serum, I feel like 50mL for $49.99 is a great price. I have paid $75 or more for 30mL of serum so this is incredibly reasonable to me for the results I have observed. If anti-aging is something you are thinking about, this is a gentle product that will not do something drastic to your skin like blasting it with so much moisture that you end up breaking out. You will(hopefully!) notice a better hydration level and “bounce” to your skin that you have not had before!
Have you looked into Asian skincare products? How would you feel about putting snail extract on your skin?
PR sample sent for review. All opinions are of course my own!
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