Review: Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture Moisturiser

I blame Caroline Hirons for influencing a lot of my beauty purchases, but this one is whole-heartedly thanks to her. About 5 years ago she raved about the Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture cream so highly on her blog that I dutifully hopped on over to Cult Beauty and a couple of weeks later a little, white tub of soft, white cream arrived that would quickly become my favourite moisturiser. Her glowing review was very warranted. This is one of those products that I would pick for those silly ‘if you were on a desert island and you could only have a ridiculously small number of products’ questions. This would undoubtedly be my moisturiser of choice every time, hands down.

What Makes It Special:
What makes this product so exceptional and unique in my book is just how plain and unfussy it is. That sounds really backwards, but as someone who likes to use active serums and acid toners most evenings, a moisturiser with very little going on is kind of amazing. This fragrance-free formulation absorbs beautifully, it hydrates and adds glow but still feels like it has deeply penetrated my skin rather than just sitting on top of it. This cream is immensely hydrating which might sound like the most basic requirement for a moisturiser but I find so many gels soak in quickly and I feel dry again within an hour, and so many rich creams feel like they sit on top of my skin giving me oiliness rather than hydration. This takes care of both surface and deeper hydration leaving my skin plump, soft and comfortable.

Having said that, it works hard at being so plain. It combines Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Sunflower Oil with Olive and Oat Extracts, all ingredients known to have a nourishing and reparative effective on the skin. Plus there’s Coconut Extract which aids in moisture retention and reduces dehydration.

Why I Like It:
The Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture cream leaves my skin feeling soft, hydrated and nourished – like a hug for your face. And although the texture reads like a luxurious and rich cream it doesn’t make my skin feel greasy or look too shiny. It also works perfectly under makeup and I can use it morning or night as there is no SPF in the formulation, which I prefer because SPF in moisturiser is never high enough for my liking anyway, so I’d rather they just leave it out and I can apply my own sunscreen over the top.

I could, and have in the past, used this twice a day, every day. But now I tend to reach for this the most when my skin needs a little extra care. Whether that be post-retinol, or after trialing a new product that my skin has reacted to, or anytime I’ve had a dry, flaky nose (aka the whole of hay fever season).

What I Don’t Like About It:
The price. It is a really expensive moisturiser – not typically the step of your skincare routine where you need to be spending a lot – but it’s especially pricey when you consider that its benefit is in its plainness. Having said that, I’m yet to find an equally simple moisturiser that can compete in terms of hydration, absorption and plainness (no fragrance, actives or irritants – to my skin anyway). Other than that, it’s all thumbs up.

Application:
Apply the Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture cream you would any other moisturiser at the end of your routine in the evening or as the last step before SPF in the morning.

Product Claims:
Relieving dry, dehydrated skin – absolutely
Locking in optimal moisture – yes
Restoring youthful resilience – hydrates extremely well which makes skin look smoother and plump, but it’s not a magic wand

Ingredients:
Aqua, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, CetearylAlcohol, Butylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter,Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Xylitylglucoside, Phenyl Trimethicone,Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract,Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Acrylamide/Sodium AcryloyldimethyltaurateCopolymer, Anhydroxylitol, Isohexadecane, Chlorphenesin, Allantoin, Urea, XanthanGum, Glucosamine HCl, Xylitol, BHT, Bisabolol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, DisodiumEDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil,Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, TocopherylAcetate, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinyl Palmitate, Avena Sativa (Oat)Kernel Extract, Yeast Amino Acids, Betaine, Inositol, Taurine, Trehalose, MagnesiumChloride, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, PalmitoylTripeptide-5, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate

Available From:
Cult Beauty
Adore Beauty
Sephora
Murad

Details:
Currently only available in a 50ml pot for £60 / $120.

Repurchase:
I don’t even want to think about how many pots of this I’ve bought over the years (at least five… possibly more) but it really is the perfect antidote to rectify unhappy skin. If my rosacea flares or I’ve gone too hard with the actives, or my skin has reacted, or even just when I’m feeling dehydrated and need a layer of comfort over everything else, this is what I reach for.

I can’t imagine not having a tub of this on my shelf, and so yes, once again I’ll be repurchasing when I run out. But as always, I’ll be keeping an eye out for a discount code.