Drugstore Delight: Olay Age Defying Advanced With Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Gel Cream Moisturizer

This Drugstore Delight review comes courtesy of my husband, who point blank refuses to do anything with his skin unless he's reminded to. You might remember that the last time I got him to try a face mask, five years fell off his face. Well, since then he's lapsed into his usual habits (or lack thereof). And even though he has excellent skin genes working in his favour, things have been looking a little ashy and dry lately. A couple weeks ago I offered to do my home facial routine on him, and afterward I handed him Olay Age Defying Advanced With Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Gel Cream Moisturizer.

The moisturizer had arrived in my latest P&G Beauty Beauty United mailer, and although it's not the sort of product that could easily slot into my elaborate skincare routine, it's exactly the sort of all-in-one wunderkind that's perfect for someone like my husband. For one, he tends to get dry patches on his cheeks and overly oily around his T-zone—this is partly due to genetics, and partly due to dehydration as his skin overproduces oil to compensate for dryness. He also despises the feeling of anything that feels like product or residue or a film on his skin, so layering multiple products is out. And oh yeah, did I mention he's lazy and forgetful when it comes to skincare?

Olay Age Defying Advanced With Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Gel Cream Moisturizer boasts an oil-free gel formula that won't clog pores and is so lightweight and refreshing, it feels like a drop of water against the skin. The first time Hubs applied it, the fine dehydration lines and ashiness immediately disappeared and his skin had a lit-from-within freshness. The difference was so dramatic I couldn't stop staring at his face and marveling. So dramatic, in fact, that I notice on the days that he forgets to use it!

The ingredients list is not all-natural—it does have fragrance and parabens—but it also contains vitamin B3, vitamin E, and pro-vitamin B5 to nourish skin, along with classic moisturizers like panthenol and glycerin. Healthy skin needs oil and water, and the Olay moisturizer contains ingredients to re-balance both in skin.

Of course, the star ingredient of the show is hyaluronic acid. If you've heard of it but never understood what it is, consider this a quick primer. Hyaluronic acid (or sodium hyaluronate) is a humectant, meaning it draws water into skin and binds it there. Skin cells are layered over each other like roofing tiles to keep outside substances out, making it hard for skincare ingredients to penetrate the outer layers. But hyaluronic acid can have a small enough molecule size to be able to slip down between skin cells and draw water in to plump up skin from within. That's why it's such a lauded ingredient among beauty bloggers, editors, and aestheticians.

Alas, even the best moisturizer formula in the world doesn't make up for the fact a person doesn't use it regularly. Thankfully this Olay moisturizer has a lightweight, easy texture on the skin, so even someone as finicky as Hubs is about having "stuff" on his face likes it enough to keep using it through winter. Now if only I can convince him of the benefits of face cleanser.

Shop the post