My current skincare routine usually involves a hydrating serum first, then a treatment, then a moisturizer. My GOD, quarantine me is soo extra. This only happens because I’m working from home and literally roll out of bed 10 minutes before I have to be in front of the computer. Time saved on commute is enough to sleep a little more and do my skincare. I may have week-old stained pyjamas on, but my skincare is done.
The Sarah Chapman Hydrating Booster is the hydrating serum I’ve been using lately. Like a typical hyaluronic acid serum, it’s very fluid, very water-like, and dries down fast. Works very well under other skincare products and makeup, in case I need a full beat for those ocasional zoom calls.
The packaging is a solid opaque glass with a dropper, that holds 30ml. I typically use 5 drops for the whole face, less than a full dropper amount.
I got this product as a part of a bigger set, and when I went to research the ingredients (must have been in the cardboard box that it came in and that I threw away) not only did I find out this is very expensive (64£) but Sarah Chapman doesn’t list the ingredients on their website. Uh oh.
Fortunately, other online retailers do.
Sarah Chapman Skinesis Intense Hydrating Booster Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Decarboxy Carnosine HCL, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Algin, Beta-Glucan, Maris Aqua (Sea Water), Citric Acid, Rosa Damascena Extract , Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Gluconolactone, Calcium Gluconate.
Hmm. Well, from the texture, I could already tell that the product was mostly water, but what disappointed me was that the hyaluronic acid, also known as Sodium Hyaluronate, and a well known superstar ingredient when it comes to skin-replenishing properties, comes after (so, in a lower concentration) the underlined ingredient Phenoxyethanol, which is a preservative that’s only allowed to be used in a maximum concentration of 1% in cosmetics, and it’s typically less than that in most products.
Regardless of that, the second and third ingredients are also amazing when it comes to skin hydration, so the serum is very capable of delivering what it promises. Another good thing about it is that it contains no essential oils and no parfum. The Rosa Damascena ingredient is an extract, not an oil, and it’s near the end of the list, so this serum won’t be irritating and it’s fine for sensitive skin.
The formula is pretty solid and the product is easy and pleasant to use, but for what it is, it’s too expensive. I would probably stick with a hyaluronic acid serum from The Inkey List or The Ordinary, which are much less expensive alternatives. However, I’m not writing off Sarah Chapman completely. This serum is well formulated enough to make me curious about the rest of her range. I’ll be looking into it.
1 Comment