ARCONA Hydrating Serum, $38 for 1.18oz @ Nordstrom (online & select Nordstrom stores), arcona.com, skincarerx.com, dermstore.com, drugstore.com, skinstore.com

If you aren't familiar with the ARCONA brand, here's what makes its products so potent (from the ARCONA site) and also explains why the company recommends using within six months from first opening:

The key to ARCONA’s effectiveness is its active ingredients and the way they are combined and processed. Cosmeceutical-grade ingredients, such as enzymes, antioxidants and amino acids, are formulated to work synergistically to deliver powerful results. These active ingredients are cold-processed at very low temperatures, in small batches, to keep them active and effective. Because cold processing is labor and time intensive, most skin care products, even the expensive ones that may begin with quality ingredients, are heatprocessed, which ultimately leaves nutrients lifeless and ineffective. 

Think of what happens to fresh vegetables when they are overcooked!

I've mentioned over several posts how I have been searching for a lightweight serum to layer underneath my moisturizer for increased hydration. I've used this off and on for over two months and it is almost exactly what I've been looking for! I've used a good number of ARCONA products, and so far this is one of my favorites. 

The ARCONA Hydrating Serum has a very faint honey scent. The consistency is somewhat runny, similar to when a gel melts - see picture below. The texture is a touch sticky, but quickly disappears within seconds. If it stays sticky for more than 20-30 seconds then you have applied way too much. 

For application, if I pump into my palm, rub my hands together and then try to apply to my face, it seems as if a lot of product is absorbed into my hands. Instead of wasting so much product on my hands, I pump the serum into my palm and then use a couple of my fingertips to apply to each area. I usually do my forehead first, then each cheek and then my nose and chin area. 

After application my skin feels very soft and more deeply hydrated than anything I have tried yet!! No mere surface moisture...this stuff gets down deep. With anything else I have used in the past, my skin looked hydrated and even felt hydrated to the touch, but there was usually some underlying and inconsistent itch I could never get rid of. This completely obliterates the itch and I finally feel hydrated from the inside out!! 

Even after being on an airplane all day, I can step off the aircraft and not feel a shred of dryness, itchiness or flakes. I did try this around my eye area a few times, but it gave me milia when used under my eye cream. I haven't tried it alone yet.

I would say this product is fantastic for dehydrated skin that is usually normal or for dry-very dry skin. Although it feels lightweight, this serum's effects are anything but lightweight so I think it might be a bit much for oily skin types. Normal skin types could be good with the serum if used alone. 

I am not a huge fan of the dispenser - I like that it's a pump, but the hole of the pump is larger than normal so it can sometimes squirt out in a not-so-neat fashion. Make sure to hold the pump close to your hand so the serum doesn't fly around! This can also make it difficult if you try to get anything less than a full pump of serum. 

Other than the pump, my other minor complaint is that the ARCONA Hydrating Serum does not give me the glow that I can obtain with other moisturizers. It absolutely leaves my skin soft, but if you are in the market for a dewy finish this isn't it...especially if you plan on using it as a stand alone product. You can achieve the glowy/dewy finish by layering a moisturizer on top or through makeup highlighters.  

Oh, I haven't yet mentioned this serum is made with a minimal list of ingredients!! For those of you looking to expose your skin to less gunk, fillers and artificial fragrances this is a product worth checking out. For that matter, the ARCONA line in general should be on your look-see list :-)

ARCONA Hydrating Serum Ingredients:

Agua (Distilled Water), Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid), Honey Extract, Honey Enzymes, Phospholipids, Sodium Lactate, Glycerine, Na PCA, Essential Oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract (Citrus Grandis)