Philosophy rebooted its brand with new skincare—here's what reviewers (and our staff) think
Philosphy's skincare now has a dermatologic focus
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Reviewed / Philosophy
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Beloved skincare and fragrance brand philosophy is well-known for timeless mainstays like the Amazing Grace fragrance collection. This year, philosophy rebooted its skincare line with a new brand formulation principle: dermatologic wisdom. Two product launches followed the announcement: a high-powered reactivating serum and daily moisturizer—both dermatologist-tested formulas inspired by the brand's decades-long research into skincare.
Reviewers on the brand's website gushed about the quality of both products, so we decided to try them out for ourselves.
What philosophy products did we try?
Spend less on both products when you purchase them together from philosophy.
We tested out the Dose of Wisdom serum and the Hope in a Jar moisturizer. The rejuvenating serum costs $68 and features an oxygen-infused formula rich with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. It's formulated for all skin types, and designed to reduce visible signs of aging while giving skin a healthy appearance. It was featured in People's 2023 Beauty Awards as well as Oprah Daily's Beauty O-Awards.
Dose of Wisdom serum for $68 at philosophy
The Hope in a Jar moisturizer is formulated with glycolic and hyaluronic acids and pro-vitamin P, with a rich, creamy texture. It's designed to hydrate and brighten skin while reducing fine lines and wrinkles. The moisturizer is $48 for a 2-ounce jar.
Hope in a Jar moisturizer for $48 at philosophy
You can also purchase both products together as part of philosophy's "reactivate and smooth duo" set, which is currently on sale for $98.
What do reviewers think?
Currently a bestseller on the philosphy site, the Dose of Wisdom serum has accumulated a 4.6-star rating from over 1,000 user reviews. One shopper writes, "This serum was a life saver! It helped keep my skin balanced through the neglect I was putting it through, and helped keep me moisturized when I was lazy about it."
The Hope in a Jar moisturizer has similarly garnered high ratings, with 4.5 stars on average from over 500 reviews. Another shopper raves, "I'm a low-maintenance, less is more kind of gal, and this moisturizer is perfect for me. Its luxurious texture and barely-there fragrance is right up my alley! I'm on my second jar after scraping out literally every last drop from the last one. I also love how my skin drinks it in almost immediately."
What did we think?
Our staff writers tried out the skincare duo to see if it lived up to all the hype. According to our testers, the serum wasn't the standout part of the duo: "I wasn’t crazy about the serum," said Staff Writer Jada Kennzie. "It’s a bit watery and I haven't noticed much of a difference on my skin while using it." Senior Staff Writer Madison Durham adds, "It wasn't bad, necessarily, it just didn't add anything to my skincare regimen."
The moisturizer, however, was a big hit. Jada said, "I’m in love with the moisturizer and it might be the best one I’ve ever used! It makes my skin super soft and glowy, and it it lasts the entire day."
Madison agreed. "The moisturizer went on clean and made my skin feel extremely smooth and hydrated. As the days got colder, I realized that it wasn't quite as effective, but it was still a nice product to incorporate in my daily skincare routine."
If you're curious to try out philosophy's new skincare for yourself, but don't want to pay full price, the duo is currently $15 off on philosophy's site.
Shop the reactivate and smooth duo set
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