Join the WIMJ community to get skincare help and use personalized tools

Cheaper alternatives

Sulwhasoo - Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Classic
Price: $68
Find out more
Clinique - Smart Night Custom-Repair Moisturizer For Very Dry Skin
Price: $45.5
Find out more

Product summary

"Darphin - Stimulskin Plus Absolute Renewal Rich Cream" has a good moisturizing formula. The formulation is based on a combination of good humectants and emollients. Both are needed to increase the skin hydration level. Humectants in this product (acetyl glucosamine, acetyl hexapeptide-8, algae extract, dextran and diglycerin) 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 (phytosphingosine, algae extract, carthamus tinctorius seed oil, cholesterol and cucurbita pepo seed oil) 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

  • As a plus, this moisturizer also contains ceramides (phytosphingosine 0.35% - 0.65%). 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 (trifluoroacetyl tripeptide-2 0.25% - 0.45% and acetyl hexapeptide-8 0.40% - 0.65%). 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.

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 174.60£ up to 221.16£ in the United Kingdom, for 598.00A$ in Australia, from 104.50$ up to 132.65$ in the United States and for 394.00CA$ in Canada.

For a detailed price comparison: click here.