Hyphen Barrier Care Face Cream, Oily & Combination Skin Review
Review
Hyphen’s barrier care face cream for oily & combination skin is an okay moisturiser.
It would have been better if it didn’t have fragrance.
Any good moisturiser should do two things:
hydrate the skin by adding hydration and retain hydration.
This moisturiser has ingredients that can hydrate the skin.
When it comes to retaining hydration, a moisturiser adds a layer on top of the hydration and prevents it from evaporating from the skin. This retention works for as long as the moisturiser is on the skin.
This product has some ingredients that can help retain hydration this way.
Some moisturisers also have ingredients that can strengthen the skin’s barrier function and equip it to retain hydration. The effect of these moisturisers stays on the skin long after the moisturiser has wholly gone because they have ingredients that can strengthen the skin in the retaining department.
This moisturiser contains ceramides and peptides that strengthen the skin’s barrier function.
A strong barrier helps the skin retain hydration and also protects the skin from attacks from environmental nasties.
The product also contains oat kernel extract. A different version of oatmeal extract, colloidal oat extract, is a good ingredient for strengthening the skin. This product uses a lesser version of colloidal oat extract.
This moisturiser will not feel greasy, and it works well for oily skin.
While it strengthens the skin barrier, it doesn’t to the extent its marketing material claims. The words ‘deeply nourishing’ are a bit of an exaggeration.
The product has fragrance. Fragrance has no functional role. It can irritate and inflame the skin. If a skincare product that is supposed to strengthen the skin barrier function ends up irritating the skin, then it will be counterproductive.
How to use the product?
Cleanse your face. If you plan to use a serum, apply that first.
Top it with this moisturiser.
If you plan to apply makeup, apply it on top of the moisturiser.
Sunscreen should be applied on top of makeup. Sunscreen should always be the topmost layer of skincare.
Ingredient 1 – Aqua
Function: Solvent
It helps in dissolving other ingredients in the product.
Dissolved ingredients can spread better on the skin.
Ingredient 2 – Glycerin
Function: Humectant
Glycerin is a powerful humectant.
Humectants are water magnets. They attract water, like sponges. When applied to the skin’s surface, they draw water molecules from the atmosphere into the skin.
Humectants hydrate and plump up the skin.
Ingredient 3 – Propanediol
Function: Humectant, Emollient, Solvent, Texture enhancer
When applied to the skin’s surface, it draws water molecules from the atmosphere to the skin and thus hydrates the skin. It also forms a thin surface on the skin’s surface and helps to retain the hydration (reduces the evaporation of hydration into the atmosphere).
It helps in dissolving other ingredients in the product.
It enhances the texture of the product.
Ingredient 4 – Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Function: Emollient
It forms a thin layer on the skin’s surface and reduces the loss of hydration from the skin into the atmosphere through evaporation, thus helping to keep the skin hydrated.
Ingredient 5 – Aloe barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Extract
Function: Humectant, Anti-inflammatory
It holds on to water molecules and prevents them from leaving, thus hydrating the skin.
It calms, soothes and reduces inflammation in the skin.
Ingredient 6 – Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Almond) Oil
Function: Emollient
It forms a thin layer on the skin’s surface and reduces the loss of hydration from the skin into the atmosphere through evaporation, thus helping to keep the skin hydrated. It also softens and smooths the skin.
Ingredient 7 – Sodium Acrylate / Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Function: Thickener, Texture enhancer
It binds ingredients and thickens the product. It also enhances the texture of the product.
Ingredient 8 – Hydrogenated Polydecene
Function: Emollient
It forms a thin layer on the skin’s surface and reduces the loss of hydration from the skin into the atmosphere through evaporation, thus helping to keep the skin hydrated.
Ingredient 9 – Ceramide NP
Function: Skin-barrier strengthening
It strengthens the skin’s barrier function. A stronger skin barrier function means more hydrated skin.
Ingredient 10 – Ceramide AP
Function: Skin-barrier strengthening
It strengthens the skin’s barrier function. A stronger skin barrier function means more hydrated skin.
