May 7, 2018

Stratia Liquid Gold Disappointing at First But it Grows On You

I purchased this item.

Stratia Liquid Gold is a lightweight moisturizer that hydrates, strengthens, and fortifies your skin’s natural moisture barrier with a combination of ceramides and fatty acids.

This one of those products that gets raving reviews but I tried it and my results were mediocre which in turn left me wondering, “Why does it work for everyone else but not me!?”

It might have been all that impressive at first but overtime it did something pretty incredible for my skin.

Stratia Liquid Gold is a fairly inexpensive moisturizer that’s 2 oz in size and $24. Sadly, it does come in a clear glass bottle which needs to be stored out of the light.

This is actually loaded with some incredible ingredients such as Sodium Hyaluronate to retain moisture, Ceramides to repair your natural moisture barrier, Niacinamide to brighten skin and prevent breakouts, and Panthenol to promote cell turn over.

As per the name it is indeed a bright gold shade which is due to sea buckthorn oil a fairly common ingredient that has been trending in Korean skincare lately which contains a host of antioxidants. Stratia actually recommends super fair skin use it in the evening as it may give you a gold cast. I had no such issues personally.

It’s promoted as perfect for all skin types but particularly dry ones but they do say that you might have the need to follow up with a heavier cream if you’re super dry. This understandable since the formula is very thin and runny with a slick texture that absorbs super fast but doesn’t leave any surface moisture behind. I’ve taken to using under my nightly moisturizer as I don’t find it terribly hydrating. This could be where my disappointment stemmed from as I thought I’d see instant miraculous results.

The results are subtle but they are there and you’ll notice after a few weeks of use how much more hydrated your skin is. This is what I noticed most after using it for nearly two months. My skin just feels much softer and I feel like I’m using less moisturizer due to this. I can’t say I noticed any brightening but my skin does look a lot less dull.

At first use, I felt like this was doing nothing but after several weeks I can definitely see results now. I’d go so far as to say I’m leaning towards being a combination skin type now with a bit of oiliness on my forehead but normal well hydrated everywhere else.

Don’t expect instant, visible results but with continued use Stratia Liquid Gold really does hydrate and repair the skin’s ability to retain moisture and keep it smooth and soft.

A great pick up that I’d happily buy again!

Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Rosa Mosqueta (Rose) Hip Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit Oil, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Squalane (olive-derived), Cetyl Alcohol, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA

I purchased this item.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Anais Bon

    The thing with this particular moisturizer is that it is incredibly occlusive. You need to build it up into your moisturization routine by letting it be the LAST product that you use (essences, emulsions, serums, and gel-based moisturizers go on first). If you use it straight up after washing and toning, it’s not going to work as well as it should because you’re creating too thick of an occlusive barrier and it will end up clogging your pores.

    • Isabella Muse

      I actually use it next to last with moisturizer on top for added hydration.

    • Tara Chevdar

      I actually use it after watery serums and before emollient cream/oil mix I do in my palm, then even at night occlude with CeraVe ointment! (And day the greasiest sunscreen known to humankind – Badger). This is just another layer of goodness for me!! In no way hydrating enough – even before tret .1% which I’m faithfully using to erase my lines (and by golly it works – but the layer upon layer of moisture is intense!)

  • Amy Baldwin

    I’m so glad you reviewed this product. I had this in my cart for a long time. Thank you!

    • Isabella Muse

      Oh my pleasure Amy 🙂 Don’t be disappointed if you try it and it doesn’t work. Give it some time and hopefully you’ll be as happy with it as I was!

  • LP

    Anyone besides me have a problem with Niacinimide causing redness? I hate that it happens, and I frequently forget about it until the dreaded redness happens, and I look at the ingredients and remember…Oh yes. It’s the niacinimide! This seemed like it would be great, because it doesn’t have a large ingredient list.

    • Isabella Muse

      not redness but on a rare occasion it makes me itchy!

    • LB

      I use Paula’s Choice brand niacinimde and it too makes my face red. I use it to clear up occasional acne on my 56 year old skin. I only use it at night now , otherwise I have to pile on my Chanel le correcteur in the green shade .

    • Tara Chevdar

      Hmmm interesting how all skin is different – I started using Niacinamide FOR redness and it worked so well my daughter thought I had foundation on my chest (used to be red Year round and I’m a spf vigilante!) YMMV a motto to live by in skincare

  • Melissa

    I’ve been lurking on your site for YEARS, mostly for the makeup reviews, and think you’re an incredible resource. Thanks for all the great content you have provided for so long. I started using Liquid Gold in January after destroying my skin barrier with a mask that was 1) left on too long and also 2) old. Liquid Gold was the most affordable highly-recommended barrier repair product I could get. And boy-o, did I need one! My skin was really rough to the touch, red in spots, dry and terribly dehydrated. ( I couldn’t afford the $ 110 serum that was also supposed to be magic in a bottle.)

    It’s been wonderful to bring my skin back to normal, and then to better than normal! I’m too dry to use this as my sole moisturizer, but it’s great to keep my skin at a good, healthy baseline. I just add an additional moisturizer at night.

    I only post this comment to let people know that the packaging is very different now. It’s a sleek looking airless pump made with a more opaque material, so it’s better than the old packaging. Mostly I care about packaging for product preservation purposes (hmm, say *that* three times fast, LOL!) But frankly, the packaging redesign is also, I think, far more pleasant to look at. It’s simple and clean looking, but not boring or too generic. I did by other products from the company that I’ve not been using long enough to make a final comment on, but they also seem to be working well for my skin so far, and the packaging design makes for a harmonious looking group of bottles.