Deep Dive: Revitalizing Hydrogel Moisturizer

Our Revitalizing Hydrogel Moisturizer is a refreshing gel that delivers hydrating ingredients and a punch of b-silk™ protein. These ingredients work together to hydrate and reinforce skin’s barrier function. Want to learn how it works? Great – we can talk about Hydrogel all day.

Revitalizing Hydrogel Moisturizer is our lightweight gel moisturizer. It’s breezy, it’s breathable, and it layers well under makeup. Hydrogel may be light, but it’s also mighty. Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, and bark extracts hydrate the skin while b-silk™ protein delivers long-term firming, visible lifting, and increased elasticity over time.

How does Hydrogel do it? If you’ve read our Deep Dive on Hydrate + Restore Rich Cream, you know that b-silk™ protein works to reinforce the skin barrier, leading to healthy, radiant skin. Here’s a refresher course on the skin barrier.

What is the skin barrier?

Also known as the stratum corneum, the skin barrier is the skin’s outermost layer. Its structure is similar to a brick wall, with old skin cells (a.k.a. corneocytes) stacked and held together by lipids and fats.

A healthy skin barrier performs two functions. First, it helps your skin retain moisture by preventing water loss from deeper skin layers. Second, it helps protect your skin from harsh elements like UV rays, pollutants, microbes, and chemicals. 

Your barrier’s function is a direct result of many factors, including nutrition, age, your daily skincare routine, and your surrounding environment. Over time, the barrier starts degrading and gets weaker and a little worse at performing its function. This brings on moisture loss, and lets in external aggravators, which further damage the deeper layers of skin by breaking down structural proteins like collagen and elastin. To further complicate matters, every time you cleanse, fats and lipids are stripped from the skin, weakening the skin’s barrier function.

Where does Revitalizing Hydrogel Moisturizer come in?

B-silk™ protein, our innovative key ingredient, mimics your natural barrier function and provides a breathable layer of reinforcement against the elements. Natural lipids and fats replenish your skin barrier, anti-inflammatory ingredients calm your skin, while active oils stimulate cell turnover and work to fight signs of aging.

While b-silk™ protein is doing its work, Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, and bark extracts deliver hydration, for skin that feels plumper and healthier. As Revitalizing Hydrogel Moisturizer is lightweight and refreshing, it can be worn day or night, on its own, or layered under makeup and SPF.

What’s Inside?

B-silk™ protein

Our proprietary ingredient forms a lightweight, breathable barrier that locks moisture in and keeps environmental factors at bay. When b-silk™ protein is applied, tiny silk molecules lock together to form an invisible film on the surface of your skin. Unlike many other barrier-forming ingredients, the b-silk™ protein barrier is not greasy and allows your skin to perform its function while providing vital reinforcement. Read more about b-silk™ protein here.

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is another powerful humectant found in the skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factor. And we mean powerful – HA can hold approximately 1,000 times its weight in water. HA works like a magnet to hold moisture, helping your skin look hydrated and healthy. When our skin is more hydrated, it appears plumper and fine lines are less visible.

Squalane

Squalane is a derivative of Squalene, a natural component of human skin. You may have also heard that Squalene comes from shark livers. Shark liver is a good source of Squalene, but we source our Squalene from a sustainable lab across the street from our labs in California. They produce Squalene through a vegan fermentation process. We are born with Squalene – it’s one of the reasons babies have such glowing skin – but skin loses it over time. Squalane is a non-greasy oil that acts as an emollient, getting into the gaps between skin cells to make skin feel smoother. 

Bark Extracts

Our Revitalizing Hydrogel Moisturizer contains natural bark extracts from four Boreal tree species: Acer Rubrum (Red Maple), Betula Alleghaniensis (Golden Birch), Picea Mariana (Black Spruce), Pinus Banksiana (Jack Pine) Bark Extract. These active ingredients deliver a boost of hydration that feels instantly refreshing, maintains long-lasting hydration, and works to improve skin elasticity over time.

Let’s See the Results.

B-silk™ protein is clinically shown to deliver results in just four weeks. With continued use, skin keeps getting better.

Want to see for yourself? Shop Revitalizing Hydrogel Moisturizer today to get started.

Do you have questions? Comments? Topics you want us to cover? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at thelab@eighteenb.com.