UV rays. Pollution. Blue light from your phone and laptop. Your skin’s under attack every single day – no matter if you hide in the office or not.

You need a shield to protect your skin from all that damage. But what?

Well, sunscreen for sure. A moisturiser. A serum to fight antioxidants. Something for the blue light… Before you know it, you’ve got 10 layers of products on your skin.

What if you could use just one? Alpha-H Essential Skin Perfecting Moisturiser SPF 15 is a 5-in-1 cream that promises to futureproof skin against all its enemies.

Rumour has it, it acts as a moisturiser, primer, shield against blue light and pollution and UV filter. Does it deliver? Let’s find out:

Key Ingredients In Alpha-H Essential Skin Perfecting Moisturiser SPF 15

Shea Butter And Niacinamide To Moisturise Skin

Alpha-H Essential Skin Perfecting Moisturiser SPF 15 contains one of my fave ingredients ever: niacinamide.

Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B that strengthens the skin’s protective barrier and increases hydration. In other words, it keeps skin soft and moisturised for hours.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Niacinamide is a multitasker that also:

• Fights wrinkles
• Fades away dark spots
• Soothes redness and rosacea
• Helps treat acne

Whatever skin woe you have, niacinamide can help you fix it.

The other moisturizing star in Alpha-H Essential Skin Perfecting Moisturiser SPF 15 is shea butter. It’s one of the most moisturising things on this planet.

It works by creating a barrier on the skin that keeps it soft and supple for up to 8 hours. Plus, it has a few antioxidants that help fight wrinkles.

The catch? Shea butter can be TOO moisturising for oily skin. Sometimes, it may even break you out. Here, it’s not in the top 5, so it shouldn’t clog pores.

Related: 5 Reasons To Add Niacinamide To Your Skincare Routine

Antioxidants To Shield Against Blue Light And Pollution

What do blue light and pollution have in common? They generate free radicals, the nasty molecules that give you wrinkles and dark spots.

Fighting them is a job for antioxidants. They patrol your skin looking for free radicals. When they spot one, they neutralise it because it can start destroying your collagen, elastin, and… well, everything.

Alpha-H Essential Skin Perfecting Moisturiser SPF 15 contains a few including:

• Bilberry leaf extract: studies show it can protect your eyes from blue light, but I couldn’t find any proof it does the same for skin (mind you, it may just be that such a study hasn’t been independently done yet).
• Pine Bark Extract Enzogenol: in-vitro studies show it has antioxidant properties that fight free radicals.

A promising start, but I’d love to see even more antioxidants here. When it comes to them, my skin can’t get enough.

Related: How Antioxidants Help You Fight Premature Ageing

UV Filters To Protect Skin From Sun Exposure

Alpha-H Essential Skin Perfecting Moisturiser SPF 15 uses synthetic UV filters:

• Octocrylene: an UVB filter that helps avobenzone last longer, coat the skin better and make the sunscreen water-resistant.
• Homosalate: aka Octyl Salicylate, an UVB filter with a slightly oily consistency and a mild floral scent.
• 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor: a.k.a. Parsol 5000, it’s an UVB filter not yet approved for use in the US.
• Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane: aka avobenzone, an UVA filter that’s very unstable (i.e. stops working quickly when exposed to light) and is absorbed by the body. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, avoid.

These filters work by absorbing UV light and transforming it into a less damaging form of energy (heat). They’re safe too, if you’re not a baby, pregnant or breastfeeding.

The catch? They don’t last long. As they neutralise UV rays, they get deactivated and slowly stop working. At the beach, they become useless after 2 hours. That’s why you need to reapply sunscreen so often, by the way.

FYI, moisturizers with SPF provide adequate sun protection only when you apply enough (1/4 of a teaspoon). If that’s too much for you (it is A LOT of product), you’re better off with a separate sunscreen.

Related: Do Moisturisers With SPF Provide Adequate Sun Protection?

Let’s Put It To The Test: Personal Use & Opinion

Alpha-H Essential Skin Perfecting Moisturiser SPF 15 is a pinkish beige in colour. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think it’s a foundation. Then, you realise it’s so sheer, it doesn’t really cover anything.

But, it blurs. The colour blends in with my skin tone, blurring out small imperfections like large pores and creating the perfect smooth canvas for makeup. My foundation goes on so smoothly over this.

The best part? It sinks in immediately without leaving a sticky or greasy residue behind. Just a lovely soft feeling and plumped up skin.

To recap, how does Alpha-H Essential Skin Perfecting Moisturiser SPF 15 fare as:

• Moisturizer: love it. Unless you have super dry skin, it leaves skin soft and smooth for hours without clogging your pores.
• Primer: another thumbs up. It blurs small imperfections and creates a smooth canvas for makeup.
• Sunscreen: good, IF you apply enough (but this is true for ALL moisturisers with SPF).
• Blue light and pollution fighter: ok. I’ll neutralise some free radicals (I just wish it had even more antioxidants).

Sure, there’s a little room for improvement. But overall, it’s a lovely daytime moisturiser that’ll suit most skin types.

Available at: £39.99 at Adore Beauty and Cult Beauty

[penci_review]

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Have you tried Alpha-H Essential Skin Perfecting Moisturiser SPF 15? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Dicapryl Carbonate, Octocrylene, Dicaprylyl Ether, Homosalate, 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (Vitellaria Paradoxa (Shea) Butter), Sodium Polyacrylate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Sorbitan Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Vaccinium Myrtillus Leaf Extract (Vaccinium Myrtillus (Bilberry) Fruit Extract), Caprylyl Glycol, Caffeine, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil (Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Oil), Pinus Radiata Bark Extract, Diisopropyl Adipate, Disodium EDTA, Lecithin, Propanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Acrylic Acid/Acrylamidomethyl Propane Sulfonic Acid Copolymer, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Xanthan Gum, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Hexapeptide-10, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool.

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About Gio

Hi, I'm Gio. I'm a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever - every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what's worth the splurge and what's best left on the shelf - using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.