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We tried CeraVe’s new hydrating hyaluronic acid serum – here’s what we thought
Does the new launch from our favourite budget skincare brand deliver?
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Dermatologist-founded skincare brand CeraVe is widely adored for its simple, effective and affordable products. Since arriving on our shores in 2018, the American company has also seen sales rocket due to recommendations from its die-hard fans on TikTok, who span from normal consumers to skin specialists.
It’s not hard to see why it’s seen so much success – we love its cleansers for treating our acne, moisturisers for tackling dry skin and body creams for post-shower hydration.
Most of its products are less than £15 and there’s something to suit all skin types. While its full collection is available in the US, for us Brits there’s a much more streamlined range of everyday essentials to shop.
Read more: Is CeraVe’s cream to foam cleanser as good as its original hydrating cleanser?
As a result, new launches from CeraVe are few and far between, and they often prompt huge anticipation. In 2020, its cream-to-foam cleanser ended up rivalling its bestselling hydrating cleanser.
And 2021 is also proving to be an exciting time for fans of the no-frills, fuss-free skincare brand, as it has just unveiled the latest addition to its line-up: a hydrating hyaluronic acid serum.
Costing £16.99, the brand calls it the perfect introductory serum for your skincare routine. It contains the brand’s signature ingredients and ceramides, and it's designed to tackle dehydration and help restore and protect the skin’s barrier.
To see if it delivers on its claims, we got our hands on it and have been putting it to the test. We’ve rated it on texture, absorption rate, how it made our skin feel and any changes we noticed after using it.
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CeraVe hydrating hyaluronic acid serum: £16.99, Superdrug.com
What’s in it?
As the product’s name suggests, it’s packed with hyaluronic acid, which is a non-exfoliating acid that can hold 1,000 times its weight in water. It’s found naturally in the skin but our production of it decreases with age. Anyone with any skin type can benefit from adding it to their routine if dehydration is an issue. It works to attract and retain moisture while leaving skin feeling soft.
The serum’s formula has a lighter texture than most hydrating creams and, as a result, it can work just as well on oilier skin types as those with dry or sensitive complexions.
You’ll also find ceramides and vitamin B5 in the formula; the former forms a protective layer on the skin to prevent water loss and protect against environmental aggressors. Just like hyaluronic acid, ceramides are produced naturally in the body but reduce with age and due to other factors such as sun damage, and their depletion can result in dryness and irritation.
Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, helps your skin retain more water to improve its softness and elasticity, often having a plumping effect that can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Does it work?
On first impressions, the product is immediately different from any other hyaluronic acid we’ve tried – they’re often colourless, gloopy liquids in pipette dropper bottles.
This, however, comes in a pump tube that dispenses an opaque white cream that doesn’t look dissimilar to our regular moisturiser.
As it’s a serum, it needs to be applied on cleansed skin before moisturiser, and we found one pump was plenty enough to cover our whole face.
The texture is like a lightweight, gel-cream hybrid, but it’s pretty speedy to absorb without leaving skin feeling tacky, overly wet or sticky.
It’s instantly smoothing too – our face felt baby soft for hours after applying and it created a great canvas for our foundation.
Read more: This £12 cleanser cleared up my acne in two weeks
Over the course of a few days, using it morning and evening, we saw a big difference in texture, particularly on our cheeks, which are prone to dryness.
Instead, the area gradually became smoother and plumper, giving a healthy-looking, natural radiance that we’d previously long lost to lockdown.
The results were not drastic or life-changing, but CeraVe doesn’t claim it will be – the brand calls it an introductory serum, and we couldn’t agree more with that assessment.
It's super simple to slot into your routine and if there’s anything we’ve learned from lockdown, it’s that when it comes to our skin, less is more. Maybe it’s time to ditch the 10-step routines for something simple like this.
The verdict
This is a great, budget-friendly serum that does exactly what it says on the tin. Just like the rest of CeraVe’s range, it’s simple but effective, and an everyday essential that’s become a permanent part of our routine.
Not only that, we think it’s ideal if you’ve overdone it on exfoliating acids and want something basic and soothing to take their place, to give your skin time to recuperate from any irritation.
We suspect this will be another popular addition to CeraVe’s skincare range in the UK, and no doubt you’ll be seeing it all over TikTok soon.
For more tried and tested beauty products, read our review of Charlotte Tilbury’s new eyebrow products