Shiseido’s New Serum Duo Promises Filler-Like Results
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Pros:
Plays well with other active ingredients
Long-term and short-term benefits
Refillable
Cons:
Two-step process
Requires morning and night application to work
To be honest, I don't get that excited over hyaluronic acid (HA) unless it's being injected into my face as filler. HA is found in countless skincare products already, so it's not exactly rare. I've seen it work plumping wonders on some skin types in creams and serums, though I generally don't see a significant difference when I use it. And yet, when Shiseido launched its new Bio-Performance Skin Filler Serums, it reintroduced the super-popular molecule in a way that sounds like the stuff of science fiction.
Bio-Performance
shiseido.com
$295.00
shiseido.comThe old discussion around hyaluronic acid focused on its molecular size. Smaller, less potent molecular sizes of HA can penetrate into deeper layers of the skin, whereas the larger, more potent molecules rest closer to the surface, providing surface plumping. Prior to Shiseido's launch, the best you could hope for was to find a formula containing multiple molecular weights of the ingredient to reap all the benefits.
Harnessing almost 40 years of research, Shiseido created a proprietary MolecuShift Technology that completely changed the way HA can be used—and the results are likened to needle-free filler. This new serum duo utilizes the ultra-plumping, large HA molecules, but shrinks them down so they reach even deeper into the skin, transforming the look of it from the inside out. So one serum delivers the condensed HA overnight, the other does the Ant-Man-like size shift the next morning, and all you're left with is crazy-plump skin.
How I Tested
When I began testing the serums, I inadvertently gave them the ultimate challenge. I was unsuccessfully trying to incorporate a prescription-strength retinol into my regimen that left my skin uncharacteristically red, inflamed, dry, and flaky. Plus, I was driving out to visit my mom in the desert of Santa Fe. If there was ever a time for needing moisturizing and plumping, it was then.
I swapped my usual serums for Shiseido's and applied them morning and night (more on that in a second). The duo is designed to be applied as the last step before moisturizer. So after cleansing, toning, and applying either my Luzern vitamin C for day or Eighth Day Regenerative Serum for night, I applied the respective Bio-Performance serums. Then, I moisturized and applied my favorite balm to help heal my moisture barrier. In just a couple days, the retinol flaking stopped and my skin acclimated well to the desert climate.
Ease of Use
The serum works in a two-step process that is easy to remember once you understand how it works. You start at night by applying the Infill Serum of condensed HA, which penetrates the skin's stratum corneum over the next six hours. In the morning, you apply the follow-up Full Expansion Serum, which converts the hyaluronic acid molecules back to their original, larger size. Again, think of it like Ant-Man.
It can be cumbersome to try to incorporate two more steps into your regimen. Thankfully, it is easy to tell which bottle is used in the daytime versus the nighttime, because they are different colors and have completely different textures. The nighttime Infill Serum of condensed HA is watery, while the Full Expansion Serum for morning is a higher viscosity gel. It's so easy to layer under makeup.
Price/Value
A little bit goes a long way; you need only one pump per use of each.
The Verdict
I have been using the products religiously for the last two weeks. The trials indicate that wrinkles and elasticity improve in this time, and though the results so far are subtle, they are definitely noticeable. I will absolutely continue using this duo, because I am so eager to see the full effects, particularly as I have gotten filler in the past.
So much skincare talk focuses on collagen and elastin, but the fact is that hyaluronic acid is also a critical component of the skin that declines as we age, resulting in dryer, thinner skin. One of the great things about this new serum duo is that it also helps to promote the skin's own production of hyaluronic acid, thanks to Chai Hu and Red Cover extracts. The result? Plumper, bouncier skin whose benefits accumulate over time.
The bottom line for me is that this is the only hyaluronic acid product I have ever excitedly introduced and kept in my skincare regimen. If you are interested in seeing the effects of the duo firsthand, the serums are available now.
Shop Bio-Performance Skin Filler Serums, $295, online at Shiseido.com.
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