Dr Dennis Gross, the genius behind my beloved Alpha Beta Peels, Ferulic+Retinol Serums, basic skincare boosters and of course it wouldn’t be complete without basic hydration products. DrDG line had a Hyaluronic Oil Free Moisture Cushion Moisturizer for the longest time. However early 2017, DrDG launched a new version of this moisturizer called Hyaluronic Marine Oil Free Moisture Cushion Moisturizer. Obviously the packaging changed with electric blue plastic jar and metallic lid. See right there it upgraded from Toyota to Lexus!
This post intends on unravelling the differences in formulations, performance and results. First up at the heart of the formulation is ingredient listing:
OLD Inci List: Water/Aqua/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Stearyl Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octadecane, Glyceryl Behenate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Collagen, Sodium Hyaluronate (12), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Phospholipids, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Citrus Sinensis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Acrylates/Carbamate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3, Ethylhexylglycerin, Isododecane, Ceteareth-20, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Disodium EDTA-Copper.
New Inci list (new ingredients added are in black bold font): Water/Aqua/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Stearyl Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octadecene, Glyceryl Behenate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate (11), Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract (12), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Phospholipids, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Citrus Sinensis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum (Sugar Maple) Extract, Collagen Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Acrylates/Carbamate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3, Ethylhexylglycerin, Isododecane, Disodium EDTA-Copper, Ceteareth-20, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sorbitan Oleate, Linalool, Limonene, Fragrance (Parfum), Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Citronellal, Hydroxycitronellal, Citral, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol.
Predominantly what differentiates the new formulation with the old:
- The ranking of Sodium Hyaluronate from 12th to 11th ingredient
- Followed by Caulerpa Lentilliofera Extract aka Algae Extract, which is known to be rich in essential amino acids and B vitamins, enhancing skin’s elasticity and moisture content. Also as you pursue and compare the inci list most of ingredients remain in same order.
- Tocopherol which is basically Vitamin E
- Collagen Amino Acids which is suppose to plump and firm the skin
- Finally, last two new additions to the formula include Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate and Lactobacillus Ferment (recommend reading this post to understand ferments better).
So whilst the soul of the product hasn’t changed, a tiny make over has a new improved sexy version. I didn’t feel any difference in terms of texture, consistency and smell. Continues to be light, fluffy, and the colour is same as well.
So you ask: well did all the new additions of ingredients improve the performance? My Answer is Yes. While my experience with the OLD was nice, nothing I particularly disliked. It left skin hydrated and worked well under makeup too.
The NEW formulation however kicked the OLD one’s arse. Applied beautifully, absorbs immediately (also sometimes mixed with DrDG Hydration booster), and truly leaves skin plump all day. At work, the temperature control is horrible and during winters the heating sucks every bit of moisture leaving me a lizard face 👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽
I used this through the cooler months and thoroughly enjoyed it. Its extremely rare I use the same moisturizer daily, every single day. With the new one, I didn’t miss a day. I got through it in 3-4 months. Also layering with DrDG Hydration booster worked really well. Both hydration products are light but majorly impactful.
HHW.com
xx
Sounds like something I need to try. Thanks for this!