Hydraluron Revisited

I can't believe it has been three and a half years since I first blogged about Hydraluron. In response to recent questions, I thought I would briefly revisit my old friend. The information on the original post still stands, and I would suggest you read that if you want in depth info.

In answer to the most-asked questions:

How do you use it?
It's a moisture magnet, so you have to use this under a water-based moisturiser to get the best out of it. There's not much point using it under an oil. If you do my regular routine, it would look something like:
Cleanse, acid, spritz/essence, eye, serum, Hydraluron, moisturiser.

Are we doing anything wrong?
Yes. Using it on its own. Don't do it. It won't kill you, or damage your skin in any way, but you really need to put a moisturiser on top to get the benefits.

Do you (me) still use it?
Yes! Because people see a limited view of my routines on Instagram, if I don't show certain things for a while, I get asked if I'm still using them, or some people just presume that I don't. I popped open another tube of Hydraluron this morning, which is what reminded me to do this post. I don't use it daily, but it comes out when I'm dehydrated, always.

What about the other products in the line?
Although I've tried the sheet masks and the moisturiser version, and I always come back to the original. The moisturiser isn't as strong as the serum, and I know people are obsessed with sheet masks, but I, for the most part, don't have the patience. If you are young, and need a good, solid, hydrating moisturiser, you can do much worse than the Hydraluron Moisture Jelly. Similarly, if you love a mask, go for it. They're both good. I just prefer the original. ;)

Indeed Labs Hydraluron is £24.99 and available from Boots nationwide and online at Boots.com. 

My original post: www.carolinehirons.com/hall-of-fame-hydraluron

How to use.....

Sorry! I post about a lot of products - I'll add usage to the reviews in the future - for the record:

Cleanse/Tone/Pepta-bright/Hydraluron/Moisturiser

SORRY!!!!

pepta-bright from indeed laboratories - Review

My love affair with Hydraluron (Hironsluron) is well known. Well, Indeed Labs have done it again.

This is one of those products that you don't know you need until you use it and then can't bear to be without it. I wanted to use it for a few weeks to test the claims of fading scarring and pigmentation.

Let me say this from the off: if you are young, have bouncy fabulous skin and no pigmentation or uneven skin tone - you won't love it like I love it. Because bitch you may not need it. (You will still see the benefits - but they won't be as WHOA as someone my age.)

If, however, you have a face that shows you're 30+ and have lived a good life (ahem), worship the sun enjoy sunbathing, have suffered with adult acne and the resulting scarring - any of the above really - then you could do a lot worse than to check this out.

Presented as an 'Intense Brightening Treatment' it claims to do the following (with my subtle comments next to them):

1. Even skin tone - YES
2. Reduce and lighten pigmentation - YES
3. Prevent, treat and diminish dark spots - YES
4. Restore luminosity and radiance - OHMYGOD YES
5. Prevent photoaging - WHO KNOWS?
6. Stimulate cell turnover - TOO EARLY TO TELL
7. Maintain skin's hydration - YEP, USE LESS HYDRALURON AS A RESULT

In short, for me - its all about No. 2 - My acne scars are fading - and No.4 - as soon as you put this on your face it looks like someone has used QVC's soft-lighting-reserved-especially-for-you-know-who to make you look awake, alive and glowing.

What's impressive is what is left out of the formulation. 

It does not contain any:

• bismmuth oxychloride - the ingredient most commonly used to give 'radiance' in eyeshadows/eye creams - also one of the most common allergens and the reason I can't use Bare Minerals.
• hydroquinone - banned in the EU but still widely available in a lot of high-end brands - naughty
• kojic acid - like hydroquinone - skin bleach
• mercury - d'uh - its mercury
• parabens - I don't actually mind about parabens - a lot of fuss about nothing that now has a myth attached to it. Parabens don't give you cancer. Chillax.

Now a part of my staple skincare wardrobe - if you look at pictures of yourself when you were 20 and say 'GOD I look so YOUNG' - this is for you.

pepta-bright is available from Boots for £29.99 - and is at the time of posting on 3 for 2. *sits on bank card*

Sidebar: I use it AM and PM religiously. Its a commitment people. Keep it up.

* PR sample

New Year Skincare - Daily Beauty AM

If you follow me on twitter or Instagram you'll have already seen pictures like this - this is my morning routine of the moment. I thought I'd try and put some up here more regularly as I am always asked for further details on the products. (If you see one of these pics on twitter or Instagram and want more info just give me a kick - not literally - rude.)

Left to right are:

Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser - really enjoying this. I use it in the mornings if I'm feeling grubby. It's like a runny clay and just cleanses and refreshes without drying. It doesn't in any way foam - ignore the description on the link.

P50 - I'm back to this at the moment - my post-Christmas skin needed the exfoliation and there's nothing quite like it. 

La Roche Posay Serozinc - as this is unbelievably not available in the UK (sort it out LRP), the gorgeous Amelia brought me enough back from Europe to survive Armageddon (THANK YOU!). Spraying zinc on top of your exfoliating toner stage gives you a little hydration before Hydraluron but more importantly for me its great for preventing breakouts. I toyed with the idea of linking to a picture saying 'WHY ISN'T THIS ON SALE IN THE UK YOU MUPPETS?' but thought it would be rude. Oh. My bad.  Also sidebar: the LRP has to be one of the most confusing/long websites out there. Please also fix that. Alrighty then.

Eysilix - still using this too. It's so easy, perfect texture, great packaging and helps my dark circles - which hardly any other eye cream does. 

Hydraluron - I'm changing this to 'Hironsluron' - still using it most days. Twice a day unless I'm going for an oil or balm in the evening.

Kate Somerville Deep Tissue Repair - I think this and the Goat Cream are the Holy Grail of KS's range. This takes 10 years off of my skin upon application. It is designed as a moisturiser but I use it as a serum underneath...

Kate Somerville Nourish Daily Moisturiser - I treat this as an overcoat. It goes on last on days I am dehydrated - which in this weather and after recovering from drinking alcohol (even a little) on a daily basis over Christmas - I am.

The Kate Somerville range is still unavailable in the UK. RUDE. Please also sort that.

I'm clearly feeling very bossy today.

*the above is a mixture or PR samples, purchases and gifts. All are fabulous.

No Affiliates.

2012 Awards. Eye Cream and Launch of the Year. Eysilix, Hydraluron and Indeed Labs.

I didn't get on with Nanoblur and could never be bothered with Peptalash (just one more thing to do too far - you know?) but Indeed Labs redeemed themselves completely with these two products this year.

Eysilix is essentially every eye cream you ever bought, with added peptides, all wrapped up together for £24.99, as opposed to some of the more ridiculously priced eye creams on the market at the moment. It contains 10 peptides, which doesn't always mean anything but in this formulation, for me, they work. I've noticed if I stop using it my dark circles are worse - it doesn't fix them permanently, if you stop using any cream they will come back - but it does help them on a day-to-day basis when I am using it.

No surprises for my Launch of the Year.

Hydraluron has basically been in my routine since I wrote this review when it launched. Nothing has changed, I still use it daily - most of the time 2 x a day. I've lost count of how many tubes I've used. It has absolutely helped keep breakouts at bay and my pretty much permanently dehydrated skin loves it. 

Eysilix and Hydraluron are my Eye Cream and Launch of the Year. Both are available at Boots.

A few weeks in the life of ....Instagram August and September!

 Bloody hell.

I thought it was just September I missed out. No. Weeks and weeks. Hopefully work will steady out a little (Who am I kidding? Really?) and I can get back to some Clinics and reviews asap!

I am in the last throws of planning a Live Winter Clinic so will have details of that soon. In the meantime... some titbits from the last couple of months...

Westminster Cathedral. Pretty breathtaking.

Harvey Nichols chips. Also breathtaking - for other reasons.

Zelens, La Prairie, Caudalie, Hydraluron and Ms Somerville.

Gigi

A nice working kit!

Puma in Carnaby St gets a couple of extra window dummies.

Broadwick St mural

Carluccio's. *weeps*

Me in a terrifying face mask. You're welcome.

Cleanser I can never remember the name of from pharmacy in Paris, La P, Sjal, Zelens, Hydraluron, Ms Somerville and Caudalie

One of my favourite places

One of my favourite pictures ever - source unknown

Beautiful packaging

A hotel bathroom after my own heart.

Saw at Thorpe Park - or as I called it: CHRIST ON A BIKE

Stealth. Lest said the better.

Me with long legs thanks to a very low sun!

Suti, Zelens, Sjal, La Prairie, Hydraluron and SkinCeuticals SAVED my face after Thorpe Park.

Damien Hirst putting me off my lunch.

Eysilix launch. Not me - for the record.

Trialling this.

Beautiful newness from Balance Me.

And possibly one of my most favourite pictures EVER of my Babygirl - she's perfectly sane. No really.

Current high-end skincare routine (some).

I have a habit of posting my daily skincare regimen on Instagram - the above made my skin feel so lovely I thought it warranted a post of its own.

We had been to Thorpe Park and my skin had that red, windblown, been-thrown-about-on-rides-all-day look about it. Using the above worked wonders, calmed it right down and left it ridiculously soft.

Above is:

Suti Cleansing Balm - reviewed on here before - incredibly emollient, oily and nourishing without clogging pores. £26

Zelens PHA+ Bio-Peel - latest product from Dr Marko Lens - these are brilliant when used in place of your toner and then followed by a spray toner or a splash of water. The PHA attracts moisture and binds it to the skin whilst the acids in the pads set to work on your face like a gentle pac-man. Does all of this without glycolic so are perfect for people who find glycolic too strong or have allergies. Becoming a little obsessed. £65.00

Sjal Saphir Concentrate Facial Oil - I am just about as in love with this oil as it is possible to be with a product. Loaded with omega 3, 6 and 9 and infused with Blue Sapphire and Aquamarine, it is beautiful for any older skin (not 25) that is dull and revitalised. Unlike some cheaper alternatives, it has the lightest texture and penetrates beautifully. £125.00 (I know - but when you're older you stop caring)

La Prairie Advanced Marine Biology Eye Gel - not actually my usual choice of eye cream but have found it is good for my puffiness - I have been working relentlessly recently and waking not entirely 'refreshed' shall we say. This is light and hydrating.

Hydraluron - my new staple - originally reviewed in detail here. Just go buy it.

Sjal Mineral Kalla Tonic - sprayed on top of Hydraluron this is really hydrating and softening - being Sjal it is very high end and contains gold, silver and rose quartz. You can read all about it here - suffice to say it is my 'go-to' toner when my face is feeling its age. 

SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interruptor - I have been playing around with some of the Skin Ceuticals range for a while and keep meaning to blog about it - I'll be completely honest - I grabbed this because it's anti-glycation and I had eaten a lot of sugar (rubbish) at Thorpe Park. In my head I was merely trying to save my face from the inevitable spots/swollen red lumps to come as punishment from the pic'n'mix. 

The reality is that it was the perfect product to top off my night-time routine with. It's not loaded with silicone so nothing rolled, it penetrated on top of the Hydraluron and Sjal oil and was generally a lovely cream. I'm going to try using it exclusively for a while and watch the results. So far: lovely. Have a read of the science here. £143.00

* A mixture of purchases, PR samples and gifts. Love them all though.

What's in my Handbag? (bathroom shelf)

So last Friday evening the team from What's in My Handbag? raided my house and my shelving - again. Good job they are ridiculously lovely ladies - and also that Mr Hirons doesn't mind 4 women walking in on him when he is hiding in our bedroom.
 The results are now up over on the WIMH site - which if you haven't joined - you absolutely should. Nothing I like more than a good nosy into other people's bags/cupboards!

Not my shelving - but they ARE in the feature - any excuse to get a good picture of blue hydrangeas on the blog.

What's in my Handbag? 

Hall of Fame - Hydraluron

Well I'm clearly a fussy cow. I haven't done a Hall of Fame in 9 months.

I've been using this for 3 days. Three days - and it's in the Hall of Fame. I think that's a bit of a world record. Even for me.

Ethos:
Manufactured by Indeed Labs whose objective is to 'eliminate all marketing hype and costs and deliver real results cost effectively'.

• World's first hyaluronic acid that is 100% free of animal derived raw materials and organic solvent remnants
• Paraben free
• Propylene glycol free
• Fragrance free
• Suitable for all skin types

The science:

Hyaluronic acid is found in the body and is responsible for maintaining a 'reservoir of water' in the top layers of the skin. We produce it ourselves but as we age our ability to do so decreases dramatically - one of the reasons we naturally lean towards dryer, baggier skin as we get older (how rude). 

Hyaluronic Acid is capable of absorbing up to 1000 times its weight in water. Basically it acts like a magnet to anything you put on top of it - so you apply this, put your moisturiser on - and it stays there - the water in your moisturiser takes longer to evaporate off the surface of the skin. 

It has a whole host of benefits throughout the body - but more importantly for me personally, a lack of hyaluronic acid in the skin leads to a slower healing time and a higher risk of bacteria on the surface of the skin - which for me, means acne. 

Acne that scars and won't heal (swine).

What's in it?

It being sold exclusively at Boots - the ingredients are obviously not listed on their website - something I've complained bitterly about for a long time.

As the print is fairly small I've re-typed below.

Water, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ahnfeltia Concinna extract, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol

What's good about it?

A lot actually.

• Not dressed up as some fancy ridiculously expensive serum
• Not full of rubbish
• Does what it says on the box
• Makes no fancy claims such as 'this is all you need' - they actually recommend using underneath your usual products
• Gives instantaneous feeling of moisture
• Plumps skin
• Makes skin super-soft
• Gives the skin a healthy glow
• Makes your other products last much longer as you use less of them

What's bad about it?

I want a bigger size and I'd like my picture on the tube with a big thumbs up like a geek.

That's about it.

Really.

Verdict:

Everyone should own this product. Everyone except pre-teens with that perfect baby bouncy skin.

Judging from the comments in my Clinic alone, 95% of you are dehydrated at some point or another.
Get one and keep it for when you need an extra boost. Post-partying, post-travel, post-illness, or all of them.

Worth checking out for people who:

• Are on medication and can't use much on their skin
• Use/have been using incorrect products (without knowing)
• Fly
• Use any kind of public transport
• Sit in an office with either air conditioning or heating
• Are stressed
• Don't have the perfect diet
• Have the audacity to enjoy alcohol

Teens/20+

Younger skins that are dehydrated through overuse of harsh foaming products, apricot kernels *god forbid*, partying, boozing, smoking, anything that puts stress on your skin - you need this in your emergency go-to stash. 

30+

Skin starting to look a little drab on occasion? Makeup sinking into your skin? A little Hydraluron under your moisturiser will fix all that.

40+++

Welcome to my world. I have no doubt your skin will be improved from using this product - unless... erm... unless you have a perfect diet, no stress at all in your life and have a facial every week. Not Gwyneth Paltrow? Buy it. (No offence Gwynnie but you get my drift)

I had a teeny tingle on the first use - lasted about 3 seconds and hasn't been back since.

You only need a little - it goes a long way. Use it where you feel dehydrated/dry/makeup usually fades the quickest - for me that's cheeks, entire nose area, jawline and lower brow line. 

Packaging - 5/5 - plenty of info on the box, nice soft poly tubing and a glorious pink

Texture - 5/5 - not sticky at all - which really surprised me. If it's sticky - you're using too much.

Performance - 5/5 - instant gratification, stays hydrated throughout the day

After effects on the skin - soft, smooth to the touch, visibly plumped (thus hydrated), looks healthier after one use

Hydraluron is £24.99 and is available from Boots. I've seen testers in store so you don't have to take my word for it. Go smear it all over your face. Tell them I sent you. And while you're at it - ask why they don't list ingredients on their website please?



*PR Sample - but I will be repurchasing. I have no business affiliations with Hydraluron whatsoever.