Deciem Hylamide SubQ Anti-Age

What is it?

'A highly active concentrate of advanced hyaluronic complexes, next-generation peptides and biotechnological technologies to target rehydration on and below skin surface, while visibly improving lines, wrinkles, sagging skin and textural damage.'

Who is it for?

Everyone. Especially those with signs of ageing, problems with dryness and dehydration.

What’s in it?

aqua (water), glycerin, ethoxydiglycol, hydrolyzedyeast extract, sodiumhyaluronate crosspolymer, pentylene glycol, tamarindus indica seed gum, pseudoalteromonas fermentextract, hydrolyzed sodiumhyaluronate, sodiumhyaluronate, polyacrylatecrosspolymer-6, trisodiumethylenediamine disuccinate, lactobacillus/eriodictyoncalifornicum fermentextract, saccharideisomerate, copperlysinate/prolinate, palmitoyl tripeptide-38, myristoyl nonapeptide-3, ahnfeltia concinna extract, ethylhexylglycerin, methylglucoside phosphate, cetylhydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcyclodextrin, polyglucuronic acid, hexylene glycol, salicylic acid, lecithin, phospholipids, caprylyl glycol, sodiumhydroxide, citric acid, potassium sorbate, sodiumbenzoate, sodium citrate, chlorphenesin, phenoxyethanol, leuconostoc/radish rootferment filtrate.

Possibly acne/allergy/troubling for some ingredients?

Nope.

Natural? Organic? Man made? Vegan?

Most definitely man made and vegan.

Tested on animals/sold in China?

No/No

What's not in it?

Mineral oil

Fragrance

How do you use it?

Serum stage. After toning, before moisturiser.

What’s good about it?

This is an excellent serum. Despite its claims of penetrating deeper than ever before, you can't reinvent the wheel. Nothing penetrates that deep without a needle. You can, however, make your delivery system the best it can be and this certainly does that.

Hylamide instantaneously hydrates for the immediate gratification effect, yet skin still feels hydrated at the end of the day.

Contains 5 forms of hyaluronic acid of differing molecular weights to target all areas of dehydration/dryness including fine lines and surface dehydration - the two most visible. Matrixyl Synthe 6 is an updated version of the Matrixyl peptide, used widely in skincare to help boost collagen and support existing collagen, and copper lysinate/prolinate to aid penetration, enhance stability and again, aid collagen support and production.

It's a hefty serum without a hefty price tag. However, I would have rather they added a fiver to the cost and changed the packaging.......

What’s not so good about it?

If you really are 'next-generation' you might want to stop using 1920's apothecary packaging.

The eye product is even worse. The product is really good, but it's too runny to be in a dropper. Where you want to use a couple of drops you end up with enough to use around your eyes, lips and elbows if you're even a little heavy-handed. Sorry Deciem.

*Update

I received the below from Brandon, the owner of Deciem shortly after this review went up. As always, I'm happy to give brands a response to any post on here and Brandon's was very interesting:

'The biggest formulation nightmare is always the same: your skin likes oil and repels water (contrary to popular belief). Since almost all good technologies are water soluble, for a serum to be truly absorbed into the skin (very different to below the skin in the comparison you made to injections), you need very good delivery mechanisms (and they really really do exist today) and these systems generally yield very thin liquid formulations when in water-only formulations.

Most premium products (or most products really) offer emulsions of oil and water (creams, emulsion "serums", etc.) to simply offer a thicker, richer formula that "feels" more effective and lovely but, as importantly, opens the door to any type of packaging you wish to have but this viscosity adjustment does nothing other than impede absorption of water technologies in any formula. It's simple: If you feel something on your skin, less got in.

When you avoid such systems, you're left with highly liquid formulas. With such low viscosities, airless pumps are definitely the wrong choice as the pressure causes a harsh spurt to come out and splash in your hand. Regular air (pump) systems have the same problem to a lesser extent. The other alternative is truly very narrow nozzle tubes which waste about 15% of the product that cannot get out at the end. Please believe me. We were not being cheap. Those simple glass bottles and droppers with a label cost about 50% more than the most sophisticated airless bottles. I am sure there will be a solution soon in the world. It's just not obvious today.

As a result of this position, our most complex formulations in Hylamide, NIOD and WhiteRx are in dropper systems. We really were not trying to look apothecary or cheap. The alternatives were simply more problematic and I didn't want to sacrifice the formula.'

Thanks Brandon. Isn't it great when brands take the time to make their point/case clear?

Similar products?

Not really. This is quite unique. It matches up to most collagen-led serums on the market, is more affordable and does work. If you can get past the packaging, it's brilliant.

Exchange rate – does it punish the UK?

No. Deciem tends to launch their products here so we lead the way.