"Proper hydration is crucial for maintaining a healthy skin barrier. My favorite way to incorporate hydration is by adding a hydrating serum to any skincare routine. This PGA serum works to capture and retain water in the outermost layers of the skin while leaving it plump and glowing." - Sam Ellis, Founder

Dry skin, the clinical term being xerosis cutis, is a skin condition that can be caused by change of season or climate, increased age, side effects of medication, over exfoliation, a compromised skin barrier, and skin conditions such as eczema or rosacea. Dry skin can be a constant state of skin for some but transient or temporary for others. Dry skin is characterized by inadequate moisture or oil in the skin that leads to common dry-skin symptoms such as tightness, discomfort, flakiness, itchiness, and redness. Skin can appear dull, uneven, and wrinkles and fine lines become more pronounced. On darker skin tones, dry skin can be seen as ashy or gray. While there are several causes of dry skin, there are also several approaches to reduce it. Occlusives, emollients, and humectants are classes of ingredients that are added to skincare products to reduce skin dryness.

Occlusive ingredients in cosmetic products are oil based ingredients such as petrolatum that form a barrier on the surface of the skin. These occlusive ingredients lock in moisture that the skin is losing through evaporation called transepidermal water loss. This is a helpful approach if your skin’s lipid barrier has been compromised. Emollients, rather than sitting on the surface of the skin like occlusives, distribute in the lipid barrier to also reduce transepidermal water loss. Finally, humectants are water based ingredients that are hygroscopic or attract water bringing it to the stratum corneum. This is a helpful approach if the water content of the stratum corneum is low or your skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factors (NMF) have been disrupted.

Our Multi-Quench Plumping Hydration Serum is a humectant based serum with the star ingredient polyglutamic acid (PGA). Polyglutamic acid is a non-exfoliating peptide made up of several glutamic acid molecules. PGA is a moisturizing polymer that can be synthesized in the lab or created from the fermentation of natto and similar to hyaluronic acid, the molecular size dictates its function or skin benefit. Our Multi-Quench Plumping Hydration Serum contains 1% pure PGA and a 3% PGA complex with two different molecular weights. The low molecular weight (70-100 kDa) PGA penetrates below the skin surface and can help even skin tone and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation. The high molecular weight PGA (2600 kDa) forms a flexible film on the surface of the skin to enhance moisture binding. Some studies suggest that the high molecular weight PGA can retain moisture better than hyaluronic acid but the unique benefit of PGA is its ability to increase the skin’s NMF. While most consumers are aware of the skin’s lipid barrier and its role in maintaining healthy skin, the NMF is not often mentioned. The stratum corneum is composed of around 10% NMF, humectant molecules that keep skin hydrated, elastic, and supple. The skin lipids repel water but skin cells in the stratum corneum, corneocytes, need water based hydration which is provided by the NMF, which originate from filaggrin. NMF is needed for water retention in the skin and normal desquamation or cell turnover. By not only drawing water to the stratum corneum but enhancing skin’s own hydration system, PGA can restore skin to a more supple, elastic, and plumped state. Hydrated skin appears more radiant because there is less flaking or texture so the light reflects better off the skin. Wrinkles and fine lines are also less pronounced as skin is more hydrated, offering an immediate visual improvement.

Our oil-free Multi-Quench Plumping Hydration Serum also contains 10% glycerin and a blend of osmolytes. Osmolytes are molecules that can be found in water stressed plants that regulate water retention within cells, preventing dehydration. When used on the skin, osmolytes restore water balance through osmoregulation, provide immediate, and long term hydration, and support skin barrier function. They can also improve the skin’s resilience to environmental stressors. Our osmolytes include ectoin, erythritol, and betaine from wild rosella. Our blend rehydrates dry skin cells, restoring water balance and minimizing cell shrinkage. This volume recovery can help with visual plumping while reducing water loss in the stratum corneum.

Our Multi-Quench Plumping Hydration Serum is fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, allergy-tested, non-comedogenic, suitable for all skin types, safe or sensitive skin, and safe for eczema-prone skin. Reference our blog post, How to Layer Your Skin Care Products, to learn how to include the serum in your routine.

DISCLAIMER: All skin care articles are intended to help educate on specific ingredients and skin care topics. Our articles are written to be informative and informational. Any reference to a specific patient experience is not a medical suggestion for treatment. Please note that any Prequel products with referenced ingredients are formulated for Cosmetic Use Only and NOT intended as replacements for physician advice and/or pharmaceutical product recommendations.