Jordan Samuel Skin Hydrate Facial Serum (Review)
I love a good hydrating serum – my skin seems to really enjoy hyaluronic acid and quite often I will incorporate a hydrating booster of some kind in my routine. I have tested a few different ones over the past 18 months and there have been some clear favourites (and others that I don’t love so much). Earlier this year, I decided to commit to Jordan Samuel’s Hydrate Facial Serum (it seemed like the most logical step after Plie) and now, I honestly don’t think I could ever be without this. It is truly a simple but so very effective hydrating serum that contains ingredients such as cucumber extract, aloe juice and of course, hyaluronic acid.
For those that are not familiar with hyaluronic acid, it is a sugary molecule that occurs naturally in the skin. Generally speaking, skin looks more youthful due to it containing hyaluronic acid as this molecule works to hold and retain lots of water. Skin aging is can be linked to a loss of moisture in the skin, a lack of moisture generally creates fine lines or those wrinkles many of us dread. Due to the fact hyaluronic acid attracts and retains water, it will ‘soak up’ and hold water in the skin and effectively work to plump out those fine lines – reducing the appearance of wrinkles. In a journal article written in 2014, it is said that a hyaluronic acid molecule can hold up to 6 litres for every 1g making it a fantastic solution for moisture retention of the skin. As we age, the skin naturally becomes depleted of hyaluronic acid in the skin and as an adult, the amount of hyaluronic acid is decreased to be about 5% of baseline.
In my few months of using Jordan Samuel Skin’s Hydrate Facial Serum I have noticed that my skin absolutely loves this hydrating serum. It works so wonderfully in replenishing my dry and dehydrated skin with an abundance of moisture and hydration. It has become a true favourite.
What Is It:
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Quite simply, Hydrate is a hydrating serum that helps the skin stay hydrate, plump and looking fresh that can be easily incorporated into any routine.
What Does It Do:
Jordan Samuel Skin’s Hydrate Facial Serum contains humectants, peptides and botanical extracts to give the skin a hydration boost as well as helping the skin look healthy, plump and dewy. The simplicity of this formula makes it perfect to use on its own or it can be mixed with other skincare products to keep the skin looking at its optimum.
Ingredients:
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice *, Vegetable Glycerin *c, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Xanthan gum, Gluconolactone, Tamarindus Indica (Tamarind) Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Passiflora Incarnata (Passion flower) Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-51 Amide, Sodium Benzoate, Salix Nigra (Willow) Bark Extract*
*Organic
My Thoughts:
Its pretty obvious that I love Jordan Samuel Skin’s Hydrate Facial Serum (I affectionally just call it Hydrate). I love it so much that I have nearly finished my second bottle and will be purchasing another (or few) in the next coming weeks as I don’t think I could possibly be without this. Hydrate plumps and hydrates my skin like no other hydrating serum I have ever tried and for its price point, it does the job pretty damned well.
When looking at the ingredients listing, Hydrate seems pretty short and simple, but don’t let its simplicity deceive you – the formulation as whole works so well together. The first thing that I notice when looking at the ingredients listing is that the first ingredient used is Aloe Juice and not water. Most hydrating serums I have used in the past use water as the first ingredient and whilst they aren’t terrible, I can already start to see what makes Hydrate that little bit more special. Aloe Vera Juice is normally extracted from the leaves of the Aloe plant and has been used for thousands of years due to its soothing and healing effects (ie. putting aloe vera on after sunburn is an age old remedy). Aloe has also been found to help improve the hydration of skin as it acts as a natural humectant and also uses Glycerin which works in the same sort of fashion. Humectants like these are fantastic in a hydrating serum as they work to draw water from the environment around them and also from the layers of the skin, whilst also maintaining the barrier function of the skin. It is from these mechanism that ingredients like glycerin can help maintain hydrated, soft skin. The third ingredient on the INCI listing is of course hyaluronic acid which benefits I did discuss at the beginning of this post. With just these three ingredients alone, it is obvious to see that Hydrate is filled with powerhouse ingredients which work to attract, lock in and retain hydration making it a fantastic hydrating booster for the skin. Hydrate doesn’t stop there though – it also contains botanicals such a cucumber extract (commonly used as a skin conditioning agent, which helps to soothe the skin and works as a gentle astringent), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (a stable and water soluble form of Vitamin C which helps to protect the skin from free radicals and acts to brighten the skin), Willow Bark Extract (a natural source of salicylic acid and also has soothing properties), Acetyl Hexapeptide-51 Amide (a peptide that works with antioxidants to prevent oxidative stress on the skin) and other botanical extracts, making it work a little harder than your standard hydrating serum.
Ingredients aside, Jordan Samuel Skin’s Hydrate works incredibly well as a hydrating serum. I personally like to use this on its own after toning/cleansing. When applied on to the skin, Hydrate gives an immediate cooling/soothing feeling. I also find that Hydrate immediately works to give the skin a hydration boost and works effectively to plump out the skin, creating a smoother, ‘tighter’ looking complexion. My skin also looks more dewy, healthy and refreshed as soon as I have used Hydrate due to the immediate hydration and plumping powers this serum has. I find that my skin absolutely drinks this serum up and loves it as it not only works to draw in moisture to the complexion but also helps to soothe and calm any irritation. The plumping and hydration effects of this serum seem to last all day and the lightweight feel of Jordan Samuel Skin’s Hydrate sits so well underneath other skincare products and can be layered quite nicely underneath other serums or oils. In short, my skin feels smoother, looks healthier and is filled with hydration and moisture when using Hydrate. Its effects are instant and over time, I have noticed that my skin is more balanced and no longer feels dry or dehydrated.
The beauty of Hydrate is that this lightweight serum can be used alone or can be mixed with other products for an added moisture boost, change a texture or to ‘thin’ out a somewhat potent formula. I have seen many who love to mix Hydrate with products such as oils, balms such as May Lindstrom’s Blue Cocoon (I think Jordan has done this himself), active serums that contain Vitamin C, acids or retinol and also moisturisers. The serum is just so easy to work with and its relatively simple formulation makes it so easy to mix and match with other products in a skincare routine (or to be used on its own!).
In terms of texture, Jordan Samuel Skin’s Hydrate Facial Serum has a standard viscous serum texture, which when worked into the skin becomes water like, glides easily and sinks in quickly. It does not leave a tacky finish or film on the skin, it just gives the skin a slightly more hydrated dewy glow. Hydrate doesn’t feel uncomfortable, it sinks in with little effort and once it has sunk into the skin, it feels weightless. In terms of scent, my first bottle of Hydrate had very little scent but my more recent bottle of Hydrate has a much stronger cucumber smell (and looked more cloudier in colour) and Jordan disclosed that this was due to a different cucumber extract being used. I am not sure what the most recent batches are like but if you don’t like the refreshing smell of cucumber, I would suggest to contact Jordan first before purchasing. For me, the scent was not unpleasant (I like cucumbers) and it definitely disappeared quickly when applied to the skin.
There is no doubt that Hydrate is by far one of my favourite hydrating serums and the best thing is that it doesn’t cost a fortune – at USD$29 for 30ml, it is not the cheapest but it isn’t the most expensive either. Its ingredients listing is full of substance and there is no ingredient in there for the sake of being in there – everything serves a purpose.
Overall, I really can’t fault Jordan Samuel Skin’s Hydrate Facial Serum – my skin loves this and I honestly don’t think I could be without it. The texture is fantastic on the skin, its formulation is simple yet so very effective and my skin just drinks this serum up, leaving my skin looking plump, hydrated and refreshed throughout the day and night. My only complaint about this serum? Jordan – make a bigger size please!
Repurchase YAY or NAY
This is a very simple yes. I will repurchase (and have repurchased and will be looking at repurchasing again). I don’t think I could ever be without it. It has to be one of the best dedicated hydrating serums I have ever used. Enough said.
Jordan Samuel Skin’s Hydrate can be purchased from Amazon.
Have you used Jordan Samuel Skin’s Hydrate? What did you think of it? Have you used anything else from the range? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!