Boots Expert Sensitive Hydrating Serum Review

Since joining Viewpoints last August I have read a lot of skincare product reviews and I am always thankful to those who review products for sensitive and/or dry skin because I suffer from both.  Many times I think I would like a certain product but I'm not one for investing a lot of money into a product that I'm just not sure is going to work for me or have the same awesome appeal for me that it did for the reviewer.  Another thing is I am not a very patient person when it comes to wanting a really wonderful product but having to order it online and wait for it to arrive.

So, I was beside myself when CrystaBush reviewed the Boots Expert Sensitive Hydrating Serum and even more elated when she informed me that it could be purchased at Target.  I marked it as a favorite and Wednesday I bought my first and hopefully not the last bottle.  I researched it online before Crysta told me where I could buy it.  I found it at www.Drugstore.com for about $5.49 so I thought two things:

1. How could something so wonderful be so cheap and
2. What would I pay in a store or would I be able to find it in a store.

I also went to the Boots website; which is a sister brand or subsidy of the larger name based brand No. 7.  They were selling the product for $7.49.  Okay, it still had the grand appeal of being a wonderful product and if I purchased at www.drugstore.com I would come out about even after paying shipping.  My question was would I be able to buy it in a store?  I needed this miracle serum now, not next week.  Thanks to Crysta I was able to purchase it in a store.

I bought a 1.3 fl oz bottle for $7.49 so the prices weren't jacked up online.  When you see the box it does look like a top of the line product.  The heavily embossed name and picture makes you believe you are getting some high dollar stuff.  And then you open it and there is this plain white bottle inside.  I guess low overhead in product design allows for low cost merchandise.  I'm a veteran of Clinique and I pay $35-40 for small bottles/jars of moisturizers, facial creams, etc.

The bottle is a pump style; which I didn't have to prime to get it out.  The serum is like a lotion.  I pumped two little dabs out and put a dab on both sides of my nose, on both cheeks, forehead, and chin and then gently rubbed it in from brow, face, and all the way down my neck.  There was a slight tingling when the serum hit my nose because that is probably at this time my most dry area and after scratching and rubbing it I had irritated the skin.  The serum is fragrance free and dried quickly.  My face felt really smooth and the tingling disappeared as soon as the serum was completely absorbed.  Throughout the evening I kept touching my face and checking to see if my nose was peeling again, nope!

I've been using Boots Expert Sensitive Hydrating Serum now twice a day since Wednesday and I can say, it works!  The redness and dryness disappeared by Thursday evening, third application.  I saw some slight dryness yesterday and knew it was probably because being on the go I didn't apply anything yesterday morning.

This product is taking the UK by storm and I am glad that we have gotten it here.  The website claims the following:

Sensitive skin needs extra care, especially when it's dehydrated. This hypoallergenic serum with aloe vera is formulated to calm and soothe sensitive skin. It restores skin's barrier helping to improve comfort and boost resilience. The soft silk texture is non-greasy yet leaves you with smoothe, softer more hydrated skin.

How to use:

Apply to cleansed skin, smooth onto skin covering the face and neck. It can be used alone or before applying a moisturizer. Use day or night.

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Sweet Almond), Sodium Polyacrylate, Methylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylparaben, Potassium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben

Many people who are going natural or organic have issues with the parabens so I know this would be a concern.  I have done a little bit of research into parabens but not enough.  However, I have been a dry skin sufferer for years and if using a product with parabens is going to help alleviate my problem then I will use it.  At this point, to each his own.

I'm clinically diagnosed OCD and many times when trying a new product I will put the date on the bottle to see how long it lasts.  That gives me an idea of how much money I am spending over the life of the product.  This bottle is dated July 15th.  I will see how long it takes me to use it up.  I think it was a good investment and one that I will continue to use.  Thanks again to Crysta for introducing me to it.  By the way: While perusing the Boots products to find this specific one I came across several other products that I am hoping to try out in the near future!  They have a complete line of products for dry skin sufferers and the most expensive product I saw was $15.99.

My only complaint is not about the product but the Boots website.  They do not list the product ingredients.  I had to go to www.drugstore.com to find the ingredients.