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Product summary

Based on the ingredients included, "Barefaced - Hydrating Lotion" works well for moisturizing the skin. This moisturizer uses a good combo of humectants and emollients. These both types of ingredients are essentials for improving the skin hydration and keeping the skin barrier healthy. Humectants in this product (glycerin, sodium hyaluronate and caprylyl glycol) 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, phytosphingosine, cholesterol and dimethicone) 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

  • We particularly like that there is a good concentration of niacinamide (niacinamide 2.00% - 3.00%) in this moisturizer. Niacinamide is a well-studied multi-tasking active. It is a great ingredient to have in a moisturizer. It is stable, and can work well in almost any hydrating formulation. There is solid evidence that niacinamide can help support skin barrier, regulate oil production and reduce acne and clogged pores. It also helps to fight photodamage and help improve the skin tone, reducing pigmentation marks.
  • As a plus, this moisturizer also contains ceramides (ceramide eop 0.15% - 0.55%, ceramide np 0.15% - 0.55%, ceramide ap 0.15% - 0.70% and phytosphingosine 0.30% - 0.75%). 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.
  • This moistruizer also contains peptides (acetyl tetrapeptide-2 0.40% - 0.90%). Peptides is a very big group of ingredients. They all consist of a different combination of amino-acids. Our skin produces peptides naturally. Some of them work as natural anti-biotics, promote wound-healing and production of collagen. The scientists are still studying how effective the topical application of peptides is, but it is very likely that peptides in skincare are helpful. They might be able to support skin barrier restoration and even have an anti-aging benefit. At the very least, they certainly help attract water to the skin and support the hydration in this way.

Irritation risk

This formulation includes some common irritants, including ingredients that do not provide a benefit for the skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be low. 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.