The $65 K-beauty skin serum I swear by when I travel
My husband has been to more cosmetics stores in Europe than he'd planned.
We once walked half an hour to go to a Korean beauty store I found on Google Maps just to find it didn't actually exist. Luckily, he has the patience of a saint – if that had been me I would have lost it.
These fruitless expeditions have been to hunt down a moisturiser that will agree my skin. But I had secret weapon in my skincare arsenal that made the little moisturiser I had left (it was dire, I had cut off part of the tube to get to the dregs) last longer: the Laneige Perfect Renew Youth Serum.
It's actual purpose is to be an anti-aging serum as part of a five-step routine, according to the Korean skincare brand. But what I've been using it for is giving my moisturiser a boost.
When I finally ran out of my Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Calming Gel Cream I was in Albania and it was difficult to find in stores. After scouring dozens of pharmacies and stores, I settled on the Bioderma Hydrabio Gel-Cream, which had niacinamide and squalane pretty high up in its ingredients list.
Both have a "best" rating in the Paula's Choice Skincare ingredients dictionary – I use it to look up ingredients to see what they are meant to do. Niacinamide "helps visibly minimise pore size, improve dull/uneven tone, and reduce wrinkle depth", according to this dictionary. It's also meant to "fortify skin's barrier strength and boost hydration". While squalane "prevents moisture loss and restores suppleness to skin". Those are the two ingredients I usually look for as someone with combination skin (thank you, Hyram).
But it wasn't giving me the moisturisation I wanted.
My skin thrives in a warm environment with high humidity – it's never looked better in Hawaii. Right now in Albania I'm spending a lot of time in air-conditioned environments and it's a bit of a drier heat, with varying humidity levels. My skin needs more juice. So at night I've been (gently) slapping on the Perfect Renew Youth Serum. And I've noticed a considerable difference without it. My skin is still supple and bouncy when I wake up in the morning as opposed to without it – when I get dry patches. That's no surprise as the serum contains glycerin and squalane that help the skin retain its moisture.
It has a gel-like consistency and absorbs quickly into the skin without leaving a sticky residue. According to Laneige, it disappears so easily into the skin because it has "oil that has been broken down into smaller particles with 1,000 times the pressure of atmospheric pressure".
The serum is definitely on the pricier side for $87, but I've used a lot of serums in my time, and I can confidently say it's worth it. It even smells expensive with its comforting laundry powder scent. As someone who usually forgoes fragrance I was relieved the scent pretty much vanishes once you put it on.
I'm not going to lie, the novelty of the serum's dropper never gets old. It's a luxe price tag and the packaging doesn't miss. The serum comes in a purple ombre glass bottle, and it feels satisfying to pick up and put down. The 40mL bottle also lasts quite a long time. I've been using the same one for months now (for the past three months I use about two to three drops almost every night, but before that it was only at night two to three times a week). But note everyone's skin is different – I'm not the gospel on this.
If you're in need of a moisture boost in your routine, I'd highly recommend the Perfect Renew Youth Serum. I got it as a gift from my husband, but I'd buy it again and have no qualms about recommending it to anyone who will listen.
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