I recently went to my dermatologist and while waiting in her office, started thumbing through pamphlets on cosmetic procedures (as one does). We ended up having a 30 conversation on preventive botox for my forehead because as I learned, men have stronger forehead muscles than women and it will lead to more wrinkles and frown lines over time and it’s best to get started before these lines set in. So I went home and started researching all things anti-aging. I’d always felt underwhelmed at the fact that retinols were considered the zenith of our achievement for anti-aging skincare. The reality is that retinol really isn’t sufficient in addressing the aging process where as cells age, skin loses luster, elasticity, suppleness, and just the overall essence of youth. Then I read more – peptides, hailed as the latest and greatest advancements are “promising” but it’s still kind of a crapshoot figuring out how to make them actually “communicate” with our skin. Finally my search led me over to DECIEM, the brand sold on the promise of cutting edge science, surely they could make it work?
DECIEM is a company we’ve covered before. Their specialty is their heavy emphasis on science, and anyone acquainted with the line knows that it is not unexpected for products to have quite unconventional textures and scents. The science at the core of their products is shared among the many lines owned by this umbrella organization, targeted toward each market segment with the most advanced ingredients in the highest concentrations reserved for the high-end NIOD line, all the way to trickled down technologies passed onto the budget friendly – The Ordinary. It is a strategy that has worked in both elevating the high-end technology and specializing budget products as giving access to ingredients/processes otherwise not seen in their respective market. As someone from the finance world, it’s not lost on me how intelligently the value proposition is being managed. HYLAMIDE is their line that sits snugly in between high-end and budget friendly, and that is where I found the SubQ Anti-Age serum that seemed to be the most promising answer to my search.
HYLAMIDE’s SubQ Anti-Age Serum is a broad spectrum anti-aging serum, featuring “a highly active concentrate of advanced hyaluronic complexes, next-generation peptides, and biotechnological technologies to rehydrate on and below skin surface.” So far so good. The ingredients features the aforementioned but also pro-collagen COPPER LYSINATE/PROLINATE a derivative of the copper compound found in NIOD’s Copper Isolate Serum, and a peptide called “‘Nonapeptide-3 Retino-Complex” which is a peptide based retinol alternative. There is also a peptide called PALMITOYL TRIPEPTIDE-38, a more advanced form of Matrixyl – a well known peptide used in many anti-aging serums to trigger collagen production. On top of that, there are 5 forms of Hyaluronic Acids, all of which are also found in the higher end, editor favorite NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex . Based on the ingredients, the SubQ Anti-Age Serum seemed to promise broad spectrum anti-aging treatment and combined the technologies found in two more expensive products from NIOD, their high-end line – all for just $38, SOLD. Now it’s just a matter of whether the product could deliver what the ingredients seemed to indicate.
Despite what my research indicated, I actually went into this with pretty realistic expectations. I understood that at $38, many of the more advanced ingredients in the loaded ingredients list would probably be drastically lower in concentration, and the effectiveness could be impaired if the first ingredients: water, glycerin were too dominant in concentration.
The Experience
The serum is a clear fluid that has a slight green-blue hue in the bottle but you won’t notice that in the dropper or when dispensed into the palm of your hands. The fluid feels like most hyaluronic acid based serums in that it has a bounciness that when applied onto skin quickly dissipates with a slip. This actually felt richer than the NIOD Hyaluronic Complex, perhaps due to it’s hybrid nature with anti-aging peptides and copper isolates. There is no discernible smell.
There are two ways to add this into your routine: after cleansing and before a face mist to allow penetration and moisture binding or mixing this with a face oil after cleansing and misting skin, then pushing/pressing the milky emulsion around skin. Both methods work but everyone has their preference. I find the latter to promote more hydration.
The Results
Right after application, there was a noticeable increase in hydration. It definitely gave a boost of moisture to my regimen that kept any dryness and dehydration away even during the worst of winter. I have purchased many products that promise moisture, and found them to be inadequate – super moisturizing balms/creams would clog pores, thinner ones tended to leave my skin feeling drier after 10-20 minutes. The problem is that most moisturizers work only at the surface, but this serum has smaller molecules that work under the surface so that feeling of chronic dryness can be addressed. This is part of technological promise of the line that focuses on “multi-depth” hydration.
The morning after I applied this for the first time, my skin looked like it’s best version. What was just a passing glance turned into me obsessively examining each zone to feel its newfound plumpness, suppleness, and softness. The plumping is good for erasing fine lines while the hydration helps to prevent “shriveling” when grapes turn to raisins. This marks the first time in a long time where the introduction of a product achieved such an impressive result.
As a hyaluronic acid-collagen boosting serum, this certainly does the job, achieving results that belie it’s accessible price tag, in my opinion even outperforming it’s NIOD counterparts. I’m currently switching this serum out with a retinol serum recommended by Green Derm every other night and the system has yielded the most improvement I’ve seen in my skin yet. When my SubQ Anti-Age Serum runs out, there is no question that I will repurchase. Judging by how difficult it has been for retailers to keep this serum stocked, I suspect that I’m not the only one. Hylamide is available at a few locations, however as of publication, this serum is sold out at most. You can order it from their own site but I also found their official Amazon store which is offering this already well-priced serum for only $29.60 (22% off), hurry before that is sold out too!
Full Ingredients list
aqua (water), glycerin, hydrolyzed yeast extract, sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer, pentylene glycol, ethoxydiglycol, tamarindus indica seed gum, palmitoyl tripeptide-38, myristoyl nonapeptide-3, copper lysinate/prolinate, methylglucoside phosphate, hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate, sodium hyaluronate, ahnfeltia concinna extract, saccharide isomerate, polyglucuronic acid, lactobacillus/ eriodictyon californicum ferment extract, pseudoalteromonas ferment extract, phospholipids, lecithin, salicylic acid, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, cetyl hydroxyethylcellulose, polyacrylate crosspolymer-6, hexylene glycol, sodium hydroxide, sodium citrate, citric acid, trisodium ethylenediamine disuccinate, leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, potassium sorbate, ethylhexylglycerin, sodium benzoate, caprylyl glycol, phenoxyethanol, chlorphenesin.
