THE RAPUEZ R3 Essential Starter

Judging from the ingredient list, "THE RAPUEZ - R3 Essential Starter" works well for improving skin hydration 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 (betaine, glycerin, glyceryl glucoside, hyaluronic acid and hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid) 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). Ceramide np in this product help decrease the water evoporation from the skin, so that it stays hydrated for longer. These ingredients also soften the skin and take away the feeling of tightness and dryness.

Ingredient callouts

• We particularly like that there is a good concentration of Niacinamide (1.90% - 2.90%) 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.
• This product also contains Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid). It can be an effective active for anti-aging and evening out the skin tone, but in this moisturizer it is used for stabilizing other ingredients in the formulation. In this concentration (0.05% - 0.20%) it cannot have a noticeable benefit for the skin.
• As a plus, this moisturizer also contains Ceramides (ceramide np 0.10% - 0.30%). 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 moisturizer also contains Peptides (palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 0.05% - 0.15%, copper tripeptide-1 0.05% - 0.20% and palmitoyl tripeptide-5 0.05% - 0.20%). Peptides are a very big group of ingredients. They all consist of a different combination of aminoacids. Our skin produces Peptides naturally. Some of them work as natural antibiotics, 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 they are helpful. Peptides 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.
• Adenosine 0.10% - 0.35%. It is a chemical present inside our skin cells. A clinical trial confirmed that topical application of Adenosine in a low concentration can reduce dynamic wrinkles (these are the wrinkles that appear with age in a places where our mimic is the most active, for example, in the corners of the eyes or on the forehead).

Irritation risk

There are some common irritants in this product, including ingredients that do not have benefits for the skin. 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 for 45.36$ in the United States.

For a detailed price comparison: click here.