Review: Ella Bache Hydra Hyaluronic Cellular Serum

Who doesn’t love a hydrating serum?! Hydrating serums and products should plump the skin, make it feel comfortable and soft, plus diminish any dry patches, to leave your skin glowing! Sounds straight forward enough right? And yet so many hydrating serums in my experience have been weirdly sticky. I hadn’t tried an Ella Bache skin care product before the Hydra Hyaluronic Cellular Serum appeared  on my bathroom shelf (only their famous Great Tan Without Sun cream for the body, which I highly recommend) so I had quite high hopes for this serum. Ella Bache is an French salon cosmetic brand (in the same category as Thalgo and Payot) on the department store spectrum when it comes to price. As a salon brand, you also expect the products to be luxurious in use (like you are at the salon after all!). So did the serum live up to this expectation? I think so! 😀

This ultra hydrating treatment serum is formulated with Hyaluronic Acid and Polarised Thermal Water Liposomes to saturate dehydrated and extremely dry skins that feel taut, dull and flaky. The exclusive Ella Baché Hydracell Complex tones the skin, while refining and smoothing skin texture; and Apple Polyphenols provide anti-oxidant protection. The result is ultra-hydrated radiant skin that is visibly smoothed and regains its tone.

The main star in the serum’s formula is hyaluronic acid as you can guess! Hyaluronic acid is a natural moisturising factor (NMF) which is found naturally in the skin already, however, due to various stressors, our skin may not produce as much of it as we need.  NMFs also help prevent water loss in the skin (evaporation – TWL). If our NMFs get depleted, the result is surface roughness,  flaking, fine lines and a tight uncomfortable feeling. Within the skin, biologically-formed NMFs are made of amino acids and their metabolites, and are found exclusively inside the cells of the uppermost layer of the skin (the stratum corneum). Natural NMFs maintain moisture in the skin, even under low humidity, and provide an optimal environment for enzymatic functions (Futurederm). Because hyaluronic acid plumps up the cells in your skin (stabilizing and maintaining the complex intercellular-skin matrix), it ‘fills’ out any wrinkles you may have and hence companies call hyaluronic acid ‘anti-ageing’. NMFs however, need to be constantly ‘topped up’ in the skin, so they don’t work long term in the skin after application – but they works preventatively in that your skin can function at an ‘optimal’ level.

The Hydra Hyaluronic Cellular Serum is a light clear serum, which feels a little watery if not gel like…. It spreads over the skin really easily and is not sticky what-so-ever. It almost absorbs into the skin instantly, so your skin feels automatically hydrated and soothed. It leaves your skin feeling really, really soft and smooth. It does have quite a strong fragrance for a serum, which I would describe as fruity and a little floral. Most salon-branded products tend to be quite scented – so you get another ‘sensory’ experience from using the product. It can be overkill sometimes, but this scent I don’t mind.

I like to use the serum on top of another serum – so either my retinol serum (which I use at night) or chemical exfoliant (also a night-time product) because it helps counter-act any irritation and adds another burst of moisture to my skin. Because it is so light and non-sticky, your skin does not feel greasy or ‘overwhelmed’ with product. You could easily use it in the mornings also (on it’s own under your moisturiser or on top of another serum, like a vitamin C serum) without needing to worry about your makeup sliding off. Because it isn’t greasy in the slightest, it works brilliantly on oily skin as well as seriously dehydrated and dry skin. If you have sensitive skin, I would only be concerned about the fragrance in the product. I like that the product also contains an antioxidant – apple polyphenols, but I wouldn’t replace this serum with my daily vitamin C serum. Apple polyphenols can also inhibit melanin production, so it helps keep new pigmentation at bay. Teamed up with a vitamin C serum, I think it would work best!

The packaging is quite simple and the serum is housed in a pump bottle, which is non-messy and keeps the serum ‘fresh’. Overall, it’s a great hydrating serum and has combated the dryness I have started to experience now going into Winter here in Aus! You get 30ml of serum (standard size) for $90 which is a little pricey. I don’t use the serum everyday, but rather, just when my skin is feeling a little dry. This way, the serum lasts me a long time. It’s a good idea to have a hydrating serum in your beauty cupboard for when your skin needs a little more TLC! It is I think, one of those basic skincare products everyone could use at different times of the year – just listen to what your skin is trying to tell you! 🙂

I bought my Hydra Hyaluronic Cellular Serum from Adore Beauty (free post is included for all Australian orders).  I would repurchase this serum when all used up, as it’s probably the best hydrating serum I have used to date (the Tatcha Luminous Memory Serum Concentrate is also a favourite – but I use that serum a little differently and it can be difficult to get a hold of…). I am quite fickle though, so let’s see if any other hydrating serum entices me in the near future (especially a cheaper offering!) 😉

Do you use a hydrating serum Beauties? What has been your favourite hylauronic acid serum to date?

Catch ya next time!

Beauty Bee~

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