Hydra Serum

My lips went through a really dehydrated phase this winter. It was the first time I ever got badly cracked lips and I'm not sure why, since I spent half of December in tropical Singapore and all of January in Honolulu, HI! In any case, my lips would bleed but interestingly they didn't peel. No amount of lip balm (I swear by Remedy by Beneath Your Mask) or water chugging helped. I even tried the Rose and Honey Cream (which did relieve temporarily). Until I came across a review that mentioned applying it to lips. The serum stung a lot but the pain went away instantly. Even though the serum sunk into my lips right away I tried to let it dry completely before closing my mouth in case I accidentally ingested any! I'd then apply the lip balm to seal. I did this faithfully for a couple of days and nights and no more cracked lips! My only gripe is it's a tiny bottle, but it packs a wallop and one drop on the finger was sufficient. (Photo of the sample of Donkey Milk Cream next to Hydra for perspective.)

I have oily, acne prone sensitive skin. My skin wants to like stuff that is supposed to be made for oily, acne prone, sensitive skin. But my face is a liar, a big fat baby liar. Until Hydra. This mythical beast has made the parched, dry patches and blotchy redness fade away to a distant memory.
This is a must have for winter skin, especially the skin under the eyes and upper cheek region. I get scaly, dry patches around my chin every winter that have disappeared with this beguiling creature of mythical lore.

I was searching for a niacinamide serum, and lo and behold! SB has crafted one with no only my favorite redness reducing ingredient, but aloe, camellia oil, and witch hazel as well. My skin soaks this mix right up, and looks soft, calm, and protected. No noticeable smell either, which is great since I'm picky about scents. My only complaint is that it can leave my skin a touch shiny. Not oily, but just tight and light reflecting. I'm guessing it's the thing film of aloe. No biggie! If I want to look super matte on certain days, I just use this at night instead of during the day under makeup.

I have sensitive, combination skin and wanted something to help add moisture to the dry areas without being too heavy on the oily areas of my skin. Hydra is great for adding moisture and soothing my skin while also helping my acne. It is a real multi-tasker that is gentle, soothing, and healing. Every time I use it, my skin feels refreshed.

You know I couldn't resist the MCU reference. :P But really ... Hydra I'm loving because it adds moisture without the weight/stickiness I tend to associate with products specifically designed to moisturize. I'm not sure what in the formula is giving me this result, but I'm also finding that Hydra seems to leave my skin a little less sensitive, a little less prone to inflammation. I have chronic inflammatory issues that affect my skin as well as my GI tract, so topical anti-inflammatories that don't a) goop up and peel off; b) smother my skin until it's itching just from the formula itself; c) contain steroids I can't handle over the long term OR d) smell like a combination of Old Man's Medicine Cabinet and some ancient recipe for Horse Liniment are a big WIN in my book!
I picked up the travel size when serums were on sale almost a month ago, mainly because I wanted to get free shipping (and, spoiler: a TS of Hydra is actually $1.95 CHEAPER than the standard shipping, because Life Makes No Sense). I didn't expect to love it as much as I do. Reminds me of the Strawberry Serum from Summer 2019 - and that's saying a LOT. Wish I'd bought the full size; will definitely buy again!