little white truths

I received this product in my last edit of Marie Claire's Ageless Parcel (unboxed here) and I wasn't too thrilled to see it because Bioderma is one of those brands that just doesn't work for my skin. 

It's quite a popular brand and I'm always hopeful that one of the items I receive from sub boxes will be a good one, but unfortunately I haven't found any yet and this particular cream is probably the worst I've tried from Bioderma so far. More on why below.

• Every day, pollution, stress and cold weather etc disrupt the skin's cellular activity; as a result, it becomes dehydrated, tight and uncomfortable, and loses its radiance
• Developed in our research laboratories, the Aquagenium® biological patent found in Hydrabio Légère re-trains the skin to activate its natural moisturising capacities 
• Stimulates the production of aquaporins (water channels in the skin) and retains the water skin needs to be balanced
• Hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic
• Morning and evening, 7 days a week
• For normal to combination dehydrated sensitive skin
• To use: apply Hydrabio Légère in the morning and/or evening on your face and neck, after cleansing and toning
• RRP $40.99 AUD for 40ml, but do shop around

When I received this, I thought it might be the first Bioderma cream that worked for me because it says on the tube that it's designed for sensitive, dehydrated skin and my skin is both of those things. But it wasn't until researching this post that I saw this cream is meant for normal to combination skin, and my skin is dry - even more so now that it's winter and I'm pregnant.

So I guess I can't complain too much that this cream does nothing for me because it's not meant for dry skin. Still, though, you would hope that something designed for dehydrated skin would help with my lack of moisture, and this definitely hasn't done that.

It's a lightweight, white cream with a barely detectable, fresh scent that shouldn't bother most people. It's so light that it almost feels like a gel/cream hybrid in texture, and indeed it does have that slightly sticky finish that I often associate with gels - one of the reasons I don't like how it feels when applied.

I started off by using this in place of the night cream I'd just finished, and it only took two applications to know that I couldn't use it for that because it left my skin feeling tight and uncomfortable - even after applying it over a heavy-duty oil/serum I'm using at the moment. It's almost like it negates whatever moisture I've added to my skin and sucks the nourishment out.

After that I opted to use it in the morning, when my skin is typically less in need of something with a good dose of hydration. It only took another couple of applications to know that I couldn't keep using it: my skin has fallen from the good place I'd managed to get it to with all the nourishing products I've been using, and it's already started to flake and turn red again around my nose and chin.

It's hard to imagine that a cream could do that to your skin with only four days of use, but it's the only thing I've changed in my skincare routine and I know that this is responsible because my skin feels dry, tight and uncomfortable as soon as I put it on, and the sensation doesn't leave.

So yes, this product isn't for dry skin! It's hard to imagine that it would do anything for dehydrated skin either, but it might be a good product for oily or combination skin in the warmer months. Do test it first though because you mightn't like the tacky feeling it leaves behind (the product contains glycerin and silicones, which would explain any stickiness).

I also suspect that this cream isn't being absorbed well, given that it leaves a layer on your face that you can feel, and it also doesn't deliver any amount of moisture but instead sits on top of the skin - at least for me. If anything, it seems to draw moisture out.

Blurgh. Avoid this one if you need something hydrating. I might try using this as a primer because it's tacky so it might grip onto makeup well, but I won't use it now when my skin isn't as resilient as it is in the warmer months.

Have you tried this? Let me know what you think if so.