A Wren Says

With the way that I am trying to make Drunk Elephant work for me, you would think I were a newly Sephora-obsessed twelve year old. I keep giving the brand re-dos to let me understand the hype. So that’s why I’m here trying their B Hydra Intensive Hydration serum. Let’s start with how the brand describes the product: “This daily flood of hydration replenishes skin, diminishes dullness, dryness, and the look of fine lines.” It includes pineapple ceramides to improve texture and tone and increase luminosity. Pro vitamin B5 acts as a humectant to hydrate the skin. And finally, sodium hyaluronate adds hydration. The big question: Was it the “daily flood of hydration” my skin needed?

No, not at all.

I should not have been surprised given my track record with Drunk Elephant products. But let’s start with the positives that I noticed.

Number one: Packaging. Even though that seems to be the major reason for one star reviews on the product, I actually liked the twist up motion instead of having to take off and potentially lose a cap.

Number two: That stubborn dark mark imitating a third eye finally faded. After weeks of using the product, I noticed that my skin tone started to even out. It seemed like it were fading the hyperpigmentation that had been caused by acne scars. However, I didn’t get the luminosity that the brand claimed. That was largely because my skin was so dull, because it was so dry. And that is my big negative.

There is hydra in the name, but it didn’t hydrate my skin. It is a thin gel-like serum that spread evenly across my skin, and then it quickly absorbed. The obvious answer might be to increase the amount I used. I increased the number of pumps, only for that to get absorbed just as evenly. For whatever reason, it didn’t seem to leave my skin more moist or plumper. Even with a moisturizer over top, my skin seemed thirsty.

Here’s the thing. The product seems to rely on humectants. It is getting to be winter where I live, a.k.a. the season of drier air outdoors and indoors due to constant heating. There is not moisture to draw from the air towards my skin. It is instead taking it from my already dry skin. Maybe this is more of a summertime, humid environment type product. That just isn’t the case for me right now.

I was hoping this could be the swing player who was ready to come in to assist me with added hydration to get through my lackluster moisturizers, but that doesn’t seem to be how it behaves. It is possible that it works well in concert with other products from the brand. If you already love this brand, this might be something to try. They do recommend mixing it with their moisturizers or oil. But as for me with my dry skin and in an increasingly dry environment, I will have to pass.