Obagi Medical - Daily Hydro-Drops Facial Serum

A light serum with oil droplets, for skin that looks dull and thirsty even though you use enough cream.

Why it works

Dehydrated skin and dry skin are not the same. Dry skin produces too little oil. Dehydrated skin retains too little water, and it can be just as oily or shiny. For the latter, a thicker cream doesn't help, because you’re just putting a lid on an empty jar.

This serum fills that jar. The formula combines niacinamide and two plant oils, hibiscus and abyssinian, in a light carrier. Niacinamide supports the skin barrier and softens the appearance of fine lines. The two oils provide omega-9 and omega-6 fatty acids and antioxidant phytosterols that help seal the barrier, so that the moisture you apply stays in place.

The texture is light and oily at the same time: it feels rich upon application but absorbs completely without leaving a film. Hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and tested by dermatologists and ophthalmologists.

For whom

For every skin type, from normal to oily and from normal to dry, and especially if your skin feels dehydrated. It is also great for those with oily skin who would normally avoid oils: this formula does not clog your pores.

If you also want to treat the eye contour, the Daily Hydro-Drops Rejuvenating Eye Gel Cream belongs to the same range.

How to use it

Morning and evening, after cleansing, on the face, neck, and décolleté. You have to press the pump a few times during the first use before product comes out; that is normal.

Apply it while your skin is still slightly damp from your toner. That sounds like a detail, but a moisture-binding serum on bone-dry skin will pull water out of your own skin instead of adding water to it.

What I would like you to know

In the manufacturer's test, the majority of participants felt their skin was smoother after just the first application. I recognize that, and yet I always add a caveat: that initial feeling is hydration, and hydration disappears when you stop. The real benefit—a barrier that is less prone to drying out—is built up over about four weeks.

What I see going wrong most often: people buy this as a replacement for their cream. It is not. It is the layer under your cream. Without something on top, part of what you just applied evaporates, especially in winter or in a heated bedroom. And if your skin is truly dry at night, the Hydrate Luxe is the logical finishing step to put on top.

Questions about whether your skin is dry or dehydrated? Feel free to send me a message, and we can check it together.