After SkinMedica launched its HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator in 2016, it became one of the brand’s bestselling topical hyaluronic acid serums. And now, its next-in-line product, HA5 Hydra Collagen Replenish + Restore Hydrator, doubles up the original formulation’s benefits, with immediate results that last twice as long — 48 hours of dewy, plump skin in a single application, enhancing the popular legacy serum’s 24-hour glow.
“The new formulation also has twice as much of the five forms of hyaluronic acid, and this really is critical to provide that optimal hydration,” said Dr. Prithwiraj Maitra, vice president, global skin care R&D Allergan Aesthetics. “And with longer term use of the product, there is significant reduction in dry skin and improvement in the appearance of fine lines and also visible redness.”
HA5 Hydra Collagen Replenish + Restore Hydrator
A key ingredient that amplifies the hydration compared is the brand’s hydro collagen and proprietary Vitisensce technology. “It’s almost like a drink of water for your skin,” Maitra said, adding that it targets the dermal and epidermal layers of the skin as well as what’s in between — the dermal epidermal junction. The process, Maitra said, helps “restore the water holding capacity and maintaining the water and nutrient flow between the skin layer.”
The complex formula enhances hydration for immediate benefits (and over time), through additional pathways that support natural hyaluronic acid production, according to the brand’s clinical studies. “We took all that’s good from the current H5, and then we elevated both from formulation, but also biology.”
In addition to its proprietary complex of five forms of hyaluronic acid and vegan collagen, the formula incorporates botanical products such as avocado oil esters, passion fruit seed oil; vitis flower stem extract, and lotus sprout extract.
It released in August on skinmedica.com for $192, and consumer excitement was swift. “Within its first month on the market, HA5 Hydra Collagen Replenish + Restore Hydrator soared past expectations, achieving 118 percent of its initial sales goal,” the brand, under parent Allergan Aesthetics, told WWD.
The new HA serum continues to rank among the SkinMedica’s bestselling products, and as the latest innovation in its portfolio, it comes with auspicious timing — SkinMedica’s 25th anniversary.
“At Allergan Aesthetics, innovation is at the heart of what we do. We are transforming the possibilities of hyaluronic acid-based products and treatments with Skinvive by Juvederm and HA5 Hydra Collagen Replenish + Restore Hydrator,” said Carrie Strom, president at Allergan Aesthetics and senior vice president at AbbVie. “We are excited to be breaking ground in skin treatments, empowering patients to achieve healthier looking, more radiant skin.”
The latest hydrator has synergy with another new Allergan Aesthetics product, Skinvive by Juvederm — an injectable HA microdroplet gel that improves hydration, skin smoothness and radiance around the cheeks.
The HA5 Hydra Collagen Replenish + Restore Hydrator also aligns with a range of current skin care trends, including TikTok-viral glass skin and product layering, a benefit of its silicone-free formulation and cream-to-water finish. “It’s really suitable to be layered with existing skincare regimens, so we don’t need to worry too much about order of application or too many products,” said Dr. Shannon Humphrey, a board-certified dermatologist. “I think it plays beautifully in this category of positive agers — patients who are just trying to age well and take care of themselves and are really focused on natural-looking outcomes.”
Unlike typical moisturizers on the market, which are designed to keep skin from losing water, the new HA5 formula, which is silicone-free, boosts hydration and water content in the skin, and overall skin quality, making it suitable all types.
“Hydration is an interesting factor, because hydration affects how your skin looks and it affects how your skin feels to the touch, but it also impacts biomechanics, like how your skin snaps back after a force is applied,” Humphrey explained. “You can think of a grape and you can think of a raisin: A raisin is shriveled and dehydrated — it’s rough, it’s dull, it doesn’t reflect light very nicely, whereas a grape is smooth and it’s a little bit shiny and it’s firm. And honestly, that analogy works really well for skin. Skin cells and skin that is hydrated is going to look smoother, it’s going to feel firmer, and it’s going to reflect light in a way that is radiant and hydrated.”
