The stars of the show here are hyaluronic acid and polyglutamic acid (PGA), the latter of which is starting to become a real cult favorite in the beauty industry. “Polyglutamic acid is a powerful humectant that can hold four times more water than hyaluronic acid,” board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D., previously told mbg about the ingredient. (Hyaluronic acid, for reference, holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water1; so that means PGA can hold up to 4,000. Talk about a superb hydrator.)
Not to mention, PGA can actually help stabilize the hyaluronic acid you already have in your skin. See, your hyaluronic acid gets broken down by enzymes as you age; PGA can actually inhibit these enzymes so your skin is able to hold on to more of its own HA naturally. Neat, no?
And while PGA is a humectant—meaning you should layer occlusives on top to keep the moisture from evaporating—it also has some skin-barrier-supporting abilities. “It also forms a protective barrier over the skin that can help hold in the moisture,” says King.
Aside from these lovely humectants, the Kjaer Weis formula also features lavender flower water, which offers soothing properties. And like many of the brand’s other formulas, it also has organic dioscorea batatas extract, an antioxidant-rich Chinese yam known to gather light ether in its roots (Kjaer Weis refers to it as the “root of light”). All of these ingredients work harmoniously to plump the skin with moisture, prep the skin for makeup, and provide that elusive, lit-from-within glow.
