Dieux’s Newest Moisturizer Saved My Dehydrated, Acne-Prone Skin

If you’re not already familiar with Dieux, the brand’s other superstar moisturizer that was launched prior is Instant Angel ($45). This lipid-rich moisturizer is designed with dry skin in mind, but it’s also labeled as noncomedogenic, so you may still be able to use it if you’re prone to breakouts. I loved this formula, but I think it was slightly too rich for my skin and ended up causing a pimple or two. I was incredibly bummed but was ecstatic when the brand dropped a lighter version for us oily folks. The brand’s co-founder Charlotte Palermino loves them both equally. “My personal favorite is layering the two,” she shares. “Because Air Angel floods the skin with hydration, I treat it almost like a hydrating serum and lock it all in with Instant Angel. Normally, I do this at night, and I’m glowing when I wake up! If I had to choose between the two, Instant Angel is my favorite. That’s because I have dry skin, and Instant Angel doesn’t sit on the skin. It sinks in and really reinforces your barrier. The glowiest skin is always happy skin, and that’s what these two do.”

Joyce de Lemos, cosmetic chemist and co-founder of the brand, gives us a bit more insight into Air Angel and what makes it really shine: “[It] was proven through clinical testing to hydrate and moisturize the skin for up to 12 hours after one application. Keeping the skin moisturized is important to maintaining a healthy and optimal lipid barrier function. Also, Air Angel was tested by people with self-perceived acne-prone skin, and it was found to be non-acnegenic and noncomedogenic.”

De Lemos also shares a few more benefits and what makes Air Angel such a smooth operator. “While Air Angel provides the same hydrolipid blend as Instant Angel, the lipid level is lower, and therefore, the texture is less rich than Instant Angel,” she says. “It’s perfect for those who simply prefer gel-creams, live in more humid climates, or have oilier acne-prone skin types that need hydration but not necessarily the heavier level of lipids. For drier skin types, Air Angel can also work great as a hydrating serum to layer underneath Instant Angel.”