Hydrating Serum
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Price and formula checked July 2026
A simple, well-priced humectant-and-lipid moisturising layer built on glycerin, squalane and ceramides rather than a single hero ingredient. It does the basic hydration job reliably and cheaply. There is nothing here at treatment strength, so read it as a comfort layer, not a corrective serum.
- Cheap to use, about $10 a month
- 1 listed active is fairy-dusted below the 1% line
- No active concentrations are disclosed
- Evidence17 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Ceramides: moderate evidence
- Licorice Root (Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate): limited evidence
The average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency18 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Ceramides: dosed at a studied level
- Licorice Root (Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate): below the 1% line, treated as fairy-dusted
How strongly the actives are dosed, led by the strongest, not how many there are.
- Delivery & stability16 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: standard
- Packaging: airless, opaque
- No fragile actives here, so packaging barely moves the score.
Delivery tech plus packaging, and packaging only counts when actives are fragile.
- Formulation2 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 0 of 2 actives disclose a concentration
- 2 key actives (breadth credit caps at 3)
- No current-generation or synergy bonus
Disclosure, active breadth, and current-generation or synergistic actives.
- Value14 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $10 per month to use
- $15.99 for 30 ml, used about twice a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 1.7 months
What a month of use costs: full marks at $6 a month or less, the floor at $60 a month or more.
Tap any row to see how its score was built.
Ranks #64 of 84 hydration & barrier serums we have scored.
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What’s inside
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramides | n/a | Studied |
| Licorice Root (Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate) | n/a | Below 1% line |
The real headline here is the base, not a dosed active: glycerin sits second on the list, then squalane and butylene glycol, doing the bulk of the moisture-holding before Byoma's Tri-Ceramide Complex (ceramide NP, cholesterol, phytosphingosine) shows up mid-list. Dipotassium glycyrrhizate trails right at the tail end next to the preservatives. There is no hyaluronic acid in this one, despite what the "Hydrating" name might suggest. Nothing here is air- or light-sensitive, so the opaque airless pump is about brand consistency more than necessity.
How it’s delivered
Air- and light-sensitive actives (vitamin C, copper peptides) lose potency fast in the wrong packaging, so delivery and the bottle are scored, not just what’s on the label.
The actives, explained
What the research says
Over 4 weeks, a ceramide precursor moisturizer was linked with less visible dryness and a more hydrated look in dry, sensitive skin.
Improvement of skin barrier function in atopic dermatitis patients with a new moisturizer containing a ceramide precursor. Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2013. PubMed ↗
In adults with sensitive, easily irritated skin, dipotassium glycyrrhizin emollients were linked with calmer, more comfortable looking skin over 12 weeks.
Investigating the efficacy of dipotassium glycyrrhizin emollients in adult atopic dermatitis: A focused randomized parallel-controlled clinical study. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 2025. PubMed ↗
A study of the active, not this exact product. What matters for the score is whether this serum uses it at a comparable dose.
Higher-scoring alternatives
Same category, better SerumProof score. Worth a look before you buy.
Revision history
- July 11, 2026Price and formula rechecked
- July 10, 2026Review published
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Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice. The SerumProof score reflects our reading of publicly available research and formulation disclosures. See how scoring works.