Peter Thomas Roth | Water Drench® Hyaluronic Glow Serum

Why it's worth it

A ceramide-and-malachite serum aimed at chronically dry or mature skin that's stopped responding to lighter formulas. It's the most expensive option here, and it produces the most obvious change on skin that really needs it.

It's the heavyweight of the group. Where the drugstore serums add a layer of water, this one leaves skin feeling genuinely refreshed rather than just less tight. If you've worked through two or three mid-range serums and your face still feels papery by mid-morning, this is the step up that tends to register.

The ceramide complex targets fine lines, not just dryness. Dry skin and creased skin are the same problem at different stages, and the ceramide complex here is aimed at the look of fine lines and wrinkles specifically. Owners with mature skin describe the difference building over a couple of weeks of consistent use rather than showing up overnight.

From our review of 8 hyaluronic acid serums, by Sarah Wright, Editorial Associate

What we like

• +It's the heavyweight of the group
• +The ceramide complex targets fine lines, not just dryness
• +The malachite complex is the part nobody else has
• +It earns its place in a cold, dry climate

What to know

• –It's the most expensive serum here, and mild dryness doesn't justify it
• –The ingredient story is thinner than the competition's