This $11 Hyaluronic Acid Serum Stands Out According to 60 Million Consumers

There is no need to invest expensive money to get “pure” serum. This ensures 60 million consumers In its August 2023 special issue on food and health. Indeed, the magazine featured 12 reference formulas among the most popular on the market, and some inexpensive products stood out.

Whether they have “anti-aging”, antibiotic, detoxifying or brightening properties, these serums have all been analyzed according to the same criteria. To receive the famous and coveted “green note” that indicates approval 60 million consumerstheir composition must be free of any substance suspected for health and/or the environment.

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Demanding standards

For example, the presence of phenoxyethanol, a preservative mandated by European Union regulations and widely used in cosmetics, has been penalized for its allergenic potential. Products containing ethoxylated compounds have also been banned, as their production process is considered “polluting”. Even BHT (a perfume) and salicylic acid (an anti-aging active ingredient) have been identified as suspected endocrine disruptors.

Admittedly, the associate review acknowledges that the daily allowances contained in serums are “minimal” and the risks are “limited,” but it chose to reward brands that “made an effort” to do without these ingredients.

Winners at low prices

On this test bench, two products stood out for their “clean” composition and a total mini price of 11 euros. This, on the one hand, is the serum with hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 from the Canadian brand The Ordinary. The report even states that its hyaluronic acid concentration is 2% higher than most other references (1.5% on average). According to the analysis, its “only drawback” is that it contains phenoxyethanol.

On the other hand, the ranking also honors BAE’s Master Skin Serum, the cosmetics range of HEMA, a chain of stores specializing in inexpensive homewares. Free of microplastics, parabens or mineral oils, this serum from its Pure Beauty collection is prized for its ‘right formulation’ at an ‘affordable price’. However, the study notes the use of EDTA to stabilize its composition, a process “that is difficult to biodegrade.” On the other hand, to the dismay of those who intended to purchase it, this product is no longer sold today.

Three other products also received the prized green sesame. With its formula compliant with the Cosmébio Charter, Eau Thermale Jonzac’s Perfect Skin Serum boasts that it does not contain any “suspicious compounds” (€20 for 30ml). Diadermine’s Active Vegetal Lift+ Regenerating Night Serum and its 99% natural ingredients are also approved but not recommended for sensitive skin due to the alcohol and perfume in its formula (€14.90 for 30ml). Finally, SVR’s Bi-Serum Densitium completes the list, despite the presence of four allergens from perfume or plant extracts in its composition (€49 for 30ml).

The best face serums according to “60 million consumers”.

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“Clean” but not necessarily efficient

However, it is important to remember that the effectiveness of the product was not tested in this study. The minimum cost and “pure” composition are not always enough to evaluate the quality/price ratio of cosmetics. “I wonder about the effectiveness of €6 serums… If the Clio was made like a Rolls, we’d know,” notes Aline Pozzo di Borgo, a consultant to the perfume and cosmetics industry, in the article. 60 million consumers related to rating.

It’s true that a brand’s packaging and reputation are “sometimes worth more than what the product contains,” recognizes Michel Sabadi, a former director of research and development for major cosmetics brands, in this survey. However, the quality of the component also affects the final price. For example, “depending on its molecular weight, quality… hyaluronic acid can cost €1,000 per kilogram. At a concentration of 10% in the product, it has a real impact on the cost,” says chemist, biologist and cosmetologist Julie Magand Castel. “Peptides range from 500 to several thousand euros per gram,” adds Joel Hovinga, Paula’s Choice Skincare brand manager for France.

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