Dieux's New Air Angel Moisturizer Left Me Hydrated to the Heavens

As the brilliant poet Mary Oliver once wrote, “Only if there are angels in your head will you ever, possibly, see one.” In other words, you have to imagine magic before you see it in the real world. This is a concept that Dieux knows quite well; it’s exactly how their small-but-mighty product line came to be, after all.

In their own experience as beauty consumers and professionals, founders Charlotte Palermino, Joyce de Lemos, and Marta Freedman didn’t see the products and brand qualities they were looking for—so they created them. Dieux was founded on the idea that “products should do what they say they are going to do,” with offerings (including an eye gel, serum, moisturizer, and cult-favorite reusable eye masks) developed to be price-transparent, science-focused, and sustainable. 

Now, there’s a new miracle available IRL: Air Angel ($44) is a deeply hydrating gel cream developed to reinforce the skin barrier. Perfect for oily and acne-prone skin, the one-time glimmer in the founders’ imagination is now available for anyone looking for a lighter daytime moisturizer.

Cue the clouds breaking and light streaming in—and keep reading to discover more about the launch, and our honest review.

The Inspiration

The fifth product in Dieux’s line, Air Angel is the lighter, airier version of the brand’s Instant Angel moisturizer (last year, we gave it 4.7 stars), specially formulated for breakout-prone skin.

“Why a gel version of our award-winning, lipid-rich moisturizer? There are two main reasons, the first being that Instant Angel might be too rich for some people. Some people do not like the feeling of heavier creams. Some people don’t need it. If you have really oily skin, you’re already self lubricating,” shared Palermino in an Instagram Reel that compared the two moisturizers side by side. “Air Angel focuses on hydration, and keeping that hydration.”

The Formula

A true (and impressive) story: de Lemos worked through 14 formula iterations to get Air Angel just right. The cosmetic chemist “wanted to create something that supported and reinforced the skin’s barrier without being heavy on the skin,” according to the brand.

The gel cream is packed with hydrating ingredients including a barrier repair complex (featuring a blend of emollients to help repair age-related skin damage) and a moisture complex (with glycerin, sodium PCA, urea, trehalose, and sodium hyaluronate to keep skin quenched). A big part of the Dieux brand is transparency, so you can view an entire ingredient breakdown—including dosages—on their website. The product is also vegan, non-comedogenic, non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and clinically tested for its ability to retain moisture all day long.

How to Use It

Depending on your skin type, Air Angel is choose-your-own adventure. To use it, you’ll gently massage 2 to 3 pumps onto your cleansed face and neck—but when you use it is up to you.

“If you’re an oily angel, you’ll love this on its own or as your daytime moisturizer with Instant Angel at night,” wrote Palermino in a caption for the above reel. “If you’re a husk like moi… I use this under Instant Angel on days when my skin feels extra dry. Travel days, when I bathe myself in tretinoin. You get the picture. Is it everyday? No. But I use Air Angel as a hydrating serum step.”

The First Impression

Dieux Air Angel Gel Cream $44.00

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"I've dealt with acne for years, and so I've always been told to use gel moisturizers, but I've never found one that actually feels like it's hydrating enough for my dry skin. I like that this one is a little more cushy than traditional gel creams, so it felt like it was hydrating and comforting my skin the second I rubbed it in. My other big gripe with gel creams is that they always pill under my makeup, and I've only tried this one twice, but so far, so good. Air Angel leaves my skin plump and dewy but not greasy, and it's perfect on its own now and will layer nicely under heavier creams come winter. In short, it's heaven-sent." —Bella Cacciatore, News Editor