Moisturizing Complex

The water side

Hyaluronic acid sits second on the ingredient list, remarkably high for a cream, with glycerin and butylene glycol in support. The formula loads the surface with water before it seals anything in, which is why a fairly rich cream still absorbs without weight.

The comfort compounds

Panthenol appears twice, as provitamin B5 and its acid form, alongside asiaticoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid, the three centella compounds that give cica creams their reputation for settling stressed skin. Jojoba seed oil and wheat germ oil carry the lipid side.

The antioxidant cover

Ginseng root and green tea extracts bring plant antioxidants, joined by vitamin E, ascorbyl palmitate and a trace of retinyl palmitate late in the formula for surface conditioning.

Dry, tight and weather-worn skin; retinoid and acid users who want a cushioning finish over their actives; normal and combination skin that prefers one dependable cream morning and night; and post-treatment skin easing back into routine, on your practitioner's advice.

Worth knowing

Lightly scented: the formula carries a soft jasmine note and Moroccan chamomile oil, so patch test first if fragrance tends to unsettle your skin. Contains wheat germ oil, avoid with a wheat allergy. A trace of retinyl palmitate sits late in the formula: not enough for a retinoid effect, but worth a conversation with your clinician if pregnant.

Morning and evening as the final step: smooth a small amount over face and neck after serums. Mornings, finish with SPF.

If skin runs very dry through winter, a second thin layer at night works better than a single thick one.

Use alongside

The house's classic finishing cream, sitting comfortably over Active Serum, Pro-Heal or Hydra-Cool once they have settled. Mornings it makes a clean base under Eclipse. If Reparative Moisture Emulsion already closes your evenings, keep this one for daytime rather than running both at night.