Review: Erno Laszlo Hydra-Therapy Collection (Gifted)

Erno Laszlo Hydra-Therapy Thoughts

Months ago, I posted about a lovely skin care gift I received from Erno Laszlo: the Hydra-Therapy collection (thank you, Erno Laszlo!). I couldn’t incorporate all the products into my routine at once; I’m always trying new things, so it’s taken awhile for me to get a sense of what I think. But I’m finally here to share my thoughts!

The Hydra-Therapy collection includes three products:

• Hydra-Therapy Foaming Cleanse ($50)
• Hydra-Therapy Boost Serum ($108)
• Hydra-Therapy Memory Sleep Mask ($108)

Erno Laszlo also included a mini of the White Marble Cleansing Oil (full-size, $58) and a super cute pink velvet scrunchy that I use all the time.

The Cleanser

First, let’s talk about the Hydra-Therapy Foaming Cleanse, which comes in a pretty pink tube. The cleanser has a thick, pearly white consistency that foams up quite nicely. It has a very distinct retro scent that reminds me of the products that my mom and grandmother had when I was young. For me, the scent conjures a nostalgia that I appreciate, but others might find it a little strong. Key ingredients are shea butter to nourish and condition; rice and pomegranate blend to restore and protect; and marula oil to moisturize.

This foaming cleanser does a good job of washing the day off my face, though I do find that it makes my skin feels squeaky clean. Typically, squeaky clean isn’t actually great because it often means your skin has been stripped of moisture. My skin doesn’t feel stripped or dry after using this cleanser, but it doesn’t feel particularly hydrated, either. I’ll use this cleanser up, but because I’m not in love with it (and the $50 price tag is high for a cleanser, IMO), I wouldn’t buy it on my own.

The Serum

The Hydra-Therapy Boost Serum is unique in that it’s an oil-serum hybrid; the product contains micro-droplets of oil suspended in a hydra-gel. When you pump the serum out you can definitely get a sense of the hybrid formula—the texture does feel like a thin, watery oil. And I don’t mean that in a bad way! The serum also has a fragrance similar to that of the foaming cleanse. Key ingredients include orbignya oleifera seed oil to hydrate, plump, and attract and retain moisture; crithmum maritimum extract to help rebuild the moisture barrier; and glycerin to attract and hold hydration.

This serum’s light texture is nice and makes for quick absorption without an oily or tacky feel. My skin can get super dry in the winter, though it hasn’t been quite as bad this year because our winter has been very mild (CLIMATE CHAAAAANGE). I started using this serum when the weather was cold and dry, and I didn’t feel like it boosted my skin’s moisture level all that much. I do need to try it again when the weather is warmer, but frankly, it hasn’t been hydrating enough for me…at least not enough for me to want to spend $108. Spending that much on a serum doesn’t bother me as long as it’s effective, but unfortunately this product isn’t the one for me.

The Sleeping Mask

Onward! Okay, so this Hydra-Therapy Memory Sleeping Mask is pretty cool. It’s a pink mask with a super bouncy texture intended to replenish up to 25% of the moisture that skin can lose overnight. This product is scented as well, though it smells more powdery than the other two. I don’t love the scent, though it’s not a deal breaker for me. Key ingredients are prickly pear, green ginger, and mugwort extracts to moisturize and pamper dry skin; winged kelp extract to firm and aid resiliency; and a fruit-derived Recovery Complex to brighten.

Take a look at this texture! The mask looks like a thick, milky pink jelly.

The texture is so unusual that I took a quick video to demonstrate its bounciness:

So fun, right? I have to say that my overall opinion of the sleeping mask is pretty much the same as the cleanser and serum: it’s fine and doesn’t irritate my skin, but I don’t feel like it does a great job of hydrating my skin when it’s super dry. Again, I’ll try this more once the weather warms up, but I wouldn’t buy this product on my own either…especially not for $108.

The Cleansing Oil

The White Marble Cleansing Oil mini was a nice little treat. I’m not big on oil cleansing but I made it a point to use this little guy up. The oil smells citrusy because it contains citrus extracts to brighten and soothe, along with coconut oil to hydrate and sunflower seed oils to nourish the skin barrier.

This is a thin cleansing oil, which I appreciate, and it didn’t leave an oily residue on my skin. I did second cleanse after the oil, but that’s standard when you start with an oil. This is a nice oil cleanser, but because I’m not that into oil cleansing I wouldn’t buy this one full sized.

Final Thoughts

Overall, quite honestly, this skin care collection just isn’t my favorite. Nothing is bad per se, but the products haven’t been hydrating enough for my winter skin. The retro fragrance may be off-putting to some; for me, I don’t mind it so much because of the nostalgia factor.

As always, though, just because I didn’t find my new holy grail products in this collection doesn’t mean they won’t work for you. YMMV, as they say: your mileage may vary. Truth be told, I don’t like writing lukewarm reviews. However, it’s important to me to be honest about my experiences and opinions. I wouldn’t feel okay with inauthenticity!

And of course I’m very grateful for the opportunity to try these products, so a big thank you again to Erno Laszlo!

**The brand gifted me the products in this post for consideration.**