Skinceuticals HA Intensifier is the serum to buy before your next birthday

Every year, a few months before my birthday, I start noticing new features on my face – the lines under my eyes that didn’t used to be there, uneven skin tone on my forehead (how did that happen?), pores looking slightly enlarged. This year, while there were no new lines under my eyes, I noticed with dismay the lines around my mouth had gotten more prominent. Must stop smiling, I made a mental note, that Victoria Beckham was on to something.

But I needed a more practical solution, to those just visible nasolabial lines so I dug out my Skinceuticals HA Intensifier. The HA in the name, stands for Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic acid is found throughout the body, and fifty per cent of all HA in adults is present in the skin. Here it helps retain moisture to ensure skin tissue is hydrated and helps keep the collagen-elastin matrix firm and plump (think Gigi Hadid’s skin) to give you a youthful appearance. With age however, the levels of HA in the skin start to decline and you start to see crows feet, loss of firmness that leads to sagging skin, lines around the mouth – you get the picture, and it’s not pretty.

Determined to combat the drop in HA, I started using the Skinceuticals HA Intensifier diligently day and night. Given its name, it features three versions of HA – whole, fragmented and encapsulated that penetrates the deeper layers of the skin keeping it hydrated and improving firmness. Licorice root extract and purple rice extract together add antioxidant benefits and prevent any further breakdown of HA in the skin. Proxylane, an ingredient exclusive to L’Oréal (the parent company behind Skinceuticals) helps stimulate synthesis of natural HA in the skin, which in turn strengthens the collagen-elastin matrix and keep skin firm and taut.

The HA Intensifier has a gooey texture and smooths on easily. I use it after my toner or lotion and before my other serums. Unless I’m using CE Ferrulic antioxidant serum, in which case I layer it over that. It doesn’t pill when other products are used over it, including my makeup. And as skincare goes, it’s not exorbitant at S$159 for 30ml.

The thing about “new features” is that you wake up one fine morning and – bam – they’re there, sitting on your face. In this case, it was the complete opposite. Looking in the mirror to check for any “new features” that may have made an appearance, I barely notice the nasolabial lines! It’s like they filled out, and look much softer – hardly noticeable. I feel much better about that approaching birthday (I’ll be accepting cash and Sephora gift cards, thanks). And am already thinking of gifting myself another bottle of HA Intensifier.

I received this as a press sample. I think it worked fantastically for me, and I hope it does for you too!