AHC Hydrating Essential Real Eye Cream for Face

Judging from the ingredient list, "AHC - Hydrating Essential Real Eye Cream for Face" works well for improving skin hydration As we expect from a proper moisturizer, the formula includes a combo of effective humectants and emollients. These are the two different types of ingredients that are essential for improving the skin hydration and supporting a healthy skin barrier. Humectants in this product (acetyl hexapeptide-8, panthenol, urea, alanine and arginine) help to increase the water content in the upper layer of the skin. (These ingredients do so by "capturing" water molecules from the outside air or from within the deeper layers of the skin). Emollients in this formulation (ceramide eop, ceramide np, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, palmitoyl tripeptide-1 and phytosphingosine) help to reduce the moisture loss from the skin. They also soften the skin surface and relieve the feeling of dryness and tightness.

Ingredient callouts

• This product contains acids (gluconolactone and lactic acid). Their concentration is low, and they will not have a strong exfoliating effect. Instead, they work to support the skin natural acid mantle and to attract water (as humectants). PHAs (gluconolactone) especially are great for improving skin hydration. They might be even able to stimulate the production of skin's natural humectants and support the healthy skin microbiome.
• This moisturizer contains an effective form of retinoids (vitamin A): retinol 0.15% - 0.60%. Retinoids are potent multitasking actives. They work to improve and prevent early signs of aging, reduce hyperpigmentation (age spots and post-acne marks), and prevent inflamed blemishes and clogged pores. The downside of retinoids is that they can be irritating. If you are not already using a retinoid in your routine, it is best to start slowly and apply the retinoid product only a few times per week. If your skin tolerates it well, you can gradually increase the frequency to daily. Because of the irritation risk of retinoids, we recommend to have another, retinoid-free moisturizer in your routine to use on the alternative days or when your skin feels dry.
• As a plus, this moisturizer also contains ceramides (phytosphingosine 0.15% - 0.65%, ceramide np 0.15% - 0.60%, ceramide eop 0.10% - 0.35% and ceramide ap 0.15% - 0.50%). Ceramides are a type of lipids that our skin produces itself. They are a building block of the skin's barrier. Ceramides used in skincare are synthetic or extracted from plants. They work well for softening the skin surface and "patch holes" in the skin's barrier.
• We like that this moisturizer contains peptides (palmitoyl tripeptide-5 0.15% - 0.50%, palmitoyl tripeptide-1 0.15% - 0.70%, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 0.15% - 0.70%, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 0.15% - 0.50%, palmitoyl hexapeptide-12 0.15% - 0.60%, copper tripeptide-1 0.15% - 0.50%, acetyl hexapeptide-8 0.10% - 0.50%, acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester 0.15% - 0.55% and ascorbic acid polypeptide 0.10% - 0.50%). There are many different kind of peptides and they are naturally present in our skin. They all are a combination of amino-acids. Some of them work as natural anti-biotics, promote wound-healing and production of collagen. The science is still not settled on how effective peptides in skincare are, but it is very likely that they have a benefit. Peptides might help restore the skin barrier and fight the signs of aging. At the very least, peptides work as humectants: they attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improve its hydration.
• Adenosine 0.15% - 0.50% in this product adds an anti-aging property to it. Adenosine is a chemical present inside our skin cells. A clinical trial confirmed that topical application of adenosine in a low concentration reduce dynamic wrinkles (these are the wrinkles that appear with age in a places where we our mimic is the most active, for example, in the corners of the eyes or on the forehead).

Irritation risk

This moisturizer contains a bunch of common irritants, including ingredients that do not provide any known benefit for the skin. It might not be the best choice if your skin is sensitive. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be high. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here

You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.

Price

The product retails from 18.20£ up to 25.99£ in the United Kingdom, for 26.00$ in the United States and for 31.90CA$ in Canada.

For a detailed price comparison: click here.