Time to talk about favorite hydrating serums. So in the past doing the Top 3 I have not touched serums yet. So seems the right place to start. I have three categories. Up first is my favorite hydrating serums with a thin texture and hyaluronic acid plus more focus. If you want just a plain hyaluronic acid serum with nothing else and a nice light texture The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid serum is the best for the price. However, I prefer ones that do much more. NIOD MMHC will always be my all time favorite hydrating serum ever. It’s super lightweight yet hydrating, not sticky, never pills, layers well and has really cool technology. I’ve never had anything beat it in four years. Old review HERE. Just know the texture is phenomenal, technology is fabulous and product is well done. 100% worth the money and can’t recommend enough. The next hydrating serum to really wow me took three years after finding NIOD MMHC. Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense became is amazing. Lightweight, yet thicker than NIOD, not sticky and has a silky texture. It has hyaluronic acid combined with NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factors) like sodium PCA, glycerin, urea, proteins, sugars, 15 different amino acids, lactic acid and creatin. If you like a hyaluronic acid serum with additional things it’s definitely one to look at. Review HERE. Another hydrating serum is the new Alpha-H Hyaluronic 8 Serum. This one is definitely more hyaluronic acid focused but it’s so lightweight and not sticky for a serum of this type. It has both glycerin and multi-weight hyaluronic acid plus trehalose and urea. It has PrimalHyal™ Ultrafiller which is said to help firm, plump and fill lines. It does to some degree but don’t expect miracles from it. It’s a very nice lightweight textured hyaluronic acid serum that’s not sticky. All of these are fragrance free and have no discernible scent minus NIOD MMHC which has a light yeast like scent but it’s pretty negligible.
While most of my favorites are going to have hyaluronic acid in them combined with glycerin (I like both together) I did pick two that are hyaluronic acid free as far as hydrating serums. They also both happen to be under $7 and fabulous for their price points. While I like The Ordinary ‘Buffet’ for it’s peptides, affordability and nice price point there’s something truly unique about Amino Acids + B5 & Marine Hyaluronics. Amino Acids + B5 has a light yet really hydrating texture. It almost is like an oil emulsion. Anytime you have a propanediol base think that light oil texture though this one is mixed with water hence the emulsion or lighter feel. It has sodium PCA, panthenol, sodium lactate and amino acids. Amino acids are hydrating for the skin in a new way for me beyond just hyaluronic acid and glycerin. If you want to try something different that’s cheap ($6.80 so you can’t go wrong) that hydrates in a different way try this one. It does give a slight tingly sensation at first and I have no idea why honestly. It’s only for a few seconds. This one is hydrating yet still light. Marine Hyaluronics was a product I thought I hated and I came back to it and realized why I love it. This is a water light serum that’s going to hydrate without hyaluronic acid and add literally no added weight to your routine. It almost as light as water. Truly unique. The first bottle I had smelled like stinky marine water or something bad. I think I must have had it too long before I used it and it went bad. So make sure you don’t stockpile this one just in case. This has glycerin, marine derived extracts that hold water like hyaluronic acid plus amino acids and sodium PCA. All for $6.80 really an amazing product worth trying. Both of these are fragrance free with no scent beyond the natural ingredients which is minimal.
Lastly I thought I would talk about two more creamy style emulsion serums. PSA The Most is newer to me and it was pretty instant love. This creamy emulsion is lightweight, it has hyaluronic acid, glycerin, safflower oil, panthenol, bisabolol, sodium PCA, allantoin, kombucha, licorice, madecassoside and acai berry. So it has a little antioxidants mixed in with the hydrating serum to be more all in one. It has no added fragrance and has a light creamy kind of scent. I like the lightweight emulsion part but yet it’s really hydrating for me. I don’t find it sticky or tacky but I know some have mentioned that. I layer things after it so it doesn’t have an effect on my view of it. For the price point it’s a nice product to check out. Review HERE. You can also save 20% off PSA with code MICHELLEN20. One of the best hydrating barrier repair style serums I’ve come across has been the Kate Somerville Ceramides + Omegas Serum now DeliKate Recovery Serum. This has a gel serum meets creamy emulsion texture that’s light and never heavy, greasy or sticky. It has glycerin, cucumber oil, ceramides, peptides, sea buckthorn oil, cholesterol plus mountain pepper fruit extract (soothing). It’s kind of like a hydrating, barrier repair, soothing serum in one. It’s easily my favorite product the brand makes though it’s pricey and not cheap. The texture is phenomenal though. So I guess this is another hyaluronic acid free one to add above but it felt like it belongs in the creamy emulsion category more. As both of these serums do more than just hydrate. Both have no added fragrance and just smell of the ingredients, kind of light and creamy to negligible. All of the serums I listed are light, layer easily with no pilling. I find them not tacky or sticky. They should work for most skin types. I happen to find these serums the most elegant and beneficial. Texture is always so important in a hydrating serum.
*NIOD gifted but I purchased many in the past. All thoughts are my own.