This Silky Serum Uses 5 Different Peptides to Visibly Smooth Wrinkles

I remember the first time I smelled my mom’s Perlier Body Cream. The sweet almond scent stuck with me all day and I asked if she could buy me my own tub for my birthday that year. Fast-forward years later, and I’m still a big fan of the luxurious scents and textures of the brand’s body products, but I’ve also discovered some of its advanced skin care, like this Perlier Black Rice Multi Peptide Concentrate, and it’s also quite a treat. Here’s what makes it so good.

The Benefits:

Smoothing lines and wrinkles is no easy task, but when dermal fillers aren’t an option, most skin-care experts will tell you to make sure your products include peptides. Peptides are tiny pieces of protein made up of amino acids that serve as the building blocks of collagen and elastin in our skin. We know collagen and elastin diminish with age, but also with sun exposure, smoking and some other intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

The star of this formula is the blend of five peptides, which collectively work to rejuvenate the skin in various ways: acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester helps boost elasticity; tripeptide 29 and acetyl hexapeptide-1 help smooth lines and wrinkles; nonapeptide-1 has a brightening effect on the skin; and palmitoyl tripeptide-38 has a plumping effect. The supporting actor is antioxidant-rich black rice extract, which also lends a hand in the plumping department, but provides hydrating, calming and clarifying benefits, too. Due to its tiny particles, it is able to penetrate deep into the skin for maximum efficacy.

In an instrumental test, participants using the serum showed a 36-percent increase in skin hydration only one hour after applying it. After 28 days, they showed a 29-percent increase in the appearance of skin elasticity, a 31-percent increase in the appearance of skin firmness, and a 35-percent decrease in the appearance of skin roughness.

My Skin Type:

Combination. I’m drier in the cold-weather months and oilier in the warm-weather ones thanks to the high humidity on the East Coast.

Key Ingredients:

Black Rice Extract, Acetyl Dipeptide -1 Cetyl Ester, Tripeptide 29, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Nonapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

What It’s Free From:

Mineral oil, alcohol, petroleum, parabens, fragrance, sulphates and colorants

How to Use It:

Apply a few drops every morning on your face and neck. The serum skins right into my skin—it’s not greasy or heavy at all—and there’s no scent either. It instantly makes my skin look and feel smoother, and layers well with other serums I apply on top.

Price/Where to Buy:

$125, perlier.com

(You can also try it yourself if you’re one of the lucky ones to snag this week’s BeautyPass Free Gift Friday. Click here to sign up for BeautyPass if you haven’t already.)