Dieux Skin Instant Angel Is The Most Heavenly Summer Moisturizer

I’ve recently experienced random patches of dryness on my usually oily complexion, and my normal gel-based moisturizers just haven’t been cutting it. While I’m sometimes so desperate that I’ll use two different moisturizers to address specific parts of my face, I’m pleased to have finally found just one that does the job: Dieux Skin Instant Angel.

The hype around Dieux is real. Beloved by beauty editors and celebrities, you may have spotted the brand’s Insta-famous, reusable eye patches on your feed (Hailey Bieber is a devoted fan). Curious to see if Dieux Skin’s latest offering could help hydrate the flaky patches on my skin without smothering the oily, acne-prone parts, I put Instant Angel to the test.

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Fast Facts

• Price: $45 for 45 grams
• Best for: Dry skin
• Key Ingredients: Ceramide NG, glycerin, squalane, urea, and meadowestolide
• Our rating: 4.8 / 5
• What we like: It has a velvety smooth texture to it and leaves skin feeling softer and more plump.
• What we don't like: It is on the pricier end for the amount you get.

The Dieux Skin Instant Angel Skin Restoring Moisturizer

Dieux Skin became a social media hit with its reusable Forever Eye Mask. Its follow-up product, the Deliverance Serum, did not disappoint and immediately amassed a long waitlist. So when it came out with its third launch earlier this year, fans were excited to see if it would live up to its predecessors.

Described by the brand as “your skin’s barrier protector,” Instant Angel is a deeply hydrating face cream with a rich texture and fragrance. It contains moisturizing powerhouses such as glycerin and squalane to help with dryness, plus ceramides and peptides that help strengthen your skin’s natural barrier to lock in moisture. “[It] is made of the best trifecta for moisturized skin: cholesterol, ceramides, and fatty acids,” says board-certified dermatologist and founder of Parkland Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery Dr. Alexis Stephens, MD. “These help to support the natural building blocks, the ‘brick’ (keratinocytes) and ‘mortar’ (lipids) of our skin barrier. Additionally, Instant Angel is full of amazing humectants like glycerin and urea that are like magnets for water and help to plump up the skin improving both the appearance and the health of the skin.”

Board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology Dr. Marisa Garshick, MD, agrees and adds that ceramides are what help strengthen and support the skin barrier, as ceramides are the key to keeping our skin cells “glued together.” It also contains meadowestolide, a plant-derived mix of lipids which she says works similarly to ceramides to prevent moisture loss.

You can use it twice a day, though Stephens recommends opting for it at night as the summer months approach. She says it will help seal in all your previous skin care products and keep you moisturized at night. “This is especially important as most of us sleep with the air conditioner on, which is notorious for causing skin dehydration,” she adds.

Both Stephens and Garshick say that those who are acne-prone might want to proceed with caution, as rich moisturizers might result in more breakouts. (As someone who always deals with acne, this moisturizer did not make me break out.) To be on the safe side, it’s always smart to do a test patch or consult with your dermatologist before trying a new product.

The Packaging

The moisturizer comes in an aluminum tube and you have the option of including a squeeze key to help you get all the product out of the tube in your purchase at checkout. Dieux Skin is big on transparency and accountability, so making products that will impact the environment as little as possible is a top priority (hence, aluminum vs. plastic). “In the US, we came to terms that plastics are just not recycled very often,” it reads on the site. “Aluminum is easily recycled, even more so than glass.” The tube is made of 30% recycled aluminum and it hopes to get to 100% by 2023.

First Impression

It feels velvety smooth when worked all over my face and even though it’s described as a heavier moisturizer, it doesn’t feel too rich for my oily and acne-prone skin. It also feels soothing on the dryness I experience around my eye area and my nose.

The Results

I went to bed loving how it feels locking in the rest of my skin care. When I woke up the next morning, I didn’t wake up with more breakouts (which is usually what happens when I try heavy moisturizers). Instead, I woke up to soft glowing skin that looks more even and feels so soft.

Is Dieux Skin’s Instant Angel Moisturizer Worth It?

My answer is yes. While $45 is a big ask for a moisturizer that I can see myself finishing in about two months, the results really do speak for themselves. I’ve been using it only at night so that I don’t run out of product too quickly, and even then, I’m so impressed that I’m willing to hand over the cash in exchange for soft, dewy skin every morning.

I love how soft my skin feels and how radiant it looks the morning after. After a couple of weeks of incorporating this into my routine, I’ve noticed so many of my other skin concerns — such as dryness around my eye area and uneven texture — are minimized. And if you’re anything like me and love to look dewy, this gives you the radiant glow of your dreams.