Hydra Beauté

As if there weren’t enough life to balance, I’ve recently added retaining moisture in my epidermis to the list. Because all we really, really want is dewy skin, glowy skin, honey skin, glass skin, plump skin, right? And, while everyday skincare has long been a matter of oiliness or dryness, I’ve seen recent narratives pointing to dehydration as the real culprit in terms of balance. To get technical about it, it’s impossible to achieve plump, dewy and glowy unless you retain moisture in the epidermis.

My first serious foray into battle – prize: one deeply moisturised epidermis – saw me armed with CHANEL’s Hydra Beauty collection. I use the Micro Sérum (micro-droplets that burst on contact with the skin) and Sérum (richer texture, more radiance) the most. I mourn the loss of the Flash Perfecting Balm (discontinued) but the whole current range (lotions, essence, creams, serums, masks, mist and lip care) is lush and so easy to incorporate into any skincare routine.

Hydra Beauty’s USP is the Camellia japonica alba plena, CHANEL’s iconic emblem. Famously Coco Chanel’s favourite flower and a decorative element on countless of the maison’s creations, it also stands out for its exceptional hydrating action. The patented Camellia Alba PFA – an ultra-pure, ultra-concentrated, ultra-powerful extract – helps the skin to actively trap and retain moisture, preserve its hydric balance and strengthen its barrier. Meanwhile, the addition of Blue Ginger PFA provides protection against environmental and physiological stress by regulating the skin’s natural defence system.

“The skin is subject to an increasing amount of internal and external assaults on a daily basis: UV rays, pollution, stress, fatigue, cigarette smoke,” explains Marie-Hélène Lair, director of scientific communication at CHANEL. “All of these factors accelerate water loss and weaken the skin barrier, thereby depleting radiance and softness, and triggering more rapid ageing.”

CHANEL Hydra Beauty says it offers a new form of hydration called “aqua-assistance”, which protects against dehydration and skin aggressors. It turns out that whether we notice it or not, our skin is in constant search of balance, adapting to changes in its environment. What it makes of the current pandemic is perhaps a mirror away (magnified and harshly lit, in my case, because I’m a realist) but, regardless, I’m relieved that CHANEL Hydra Beauty is fighting on my side.