The Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Cream Gave Me Juicy (Not Greasy) Skin

We put Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Hydrating Moisturizer to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review.

Since hailing hyaluronic acid as a personal skincare hero, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this Peter Thomas Roth moisturizer. Even before it achieved its cult status, there was something about the name that attracted me to it: Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Hydrating Moisturizer. Just saying it aloud makes my whole body feel like I’m on some colossal water slide, or sitting beneath a waterfall, soaking in as much natural hydration as my skin could hold (a metaphor that actually proved to be true). But then the editor in me nudges all that aside and wonders if, behind such a clever name, the stuff inside measures up to the mythos. 

To be fair, I’ve always held the Peter Thomas Roth name in high regard. It’s been at the top of its game for well over two decades, and I especially appreciate the clinical approach that goes into developing every product around efficacious, researched ingredients and then taking those ingredients a few steps further. In this case it’s hyaluronic acid, which appears in not just one but three molecular sizes to deliver its hydrating benefits to all layers of the skin, along with a few other key water binders, ceramides, and barrier-boosting ingredients.

Read on to see my honest review of this Peter Thomas Roth moisturizer so you can decide if it’s the one for you. 

About My Skin: Sensitive, oily, cranky on occasion 

I’m a big fan of actives. I use retinol at night and vitamin C during the day, so my other skincare needs to soothe, hydrate and keep my skin protected—otherwise I run the risk of irritation and redness. I’m also quite oily, so I prefer a lightweight texture. Usually this means an oil-free lotion or serum, but in winter I can get away with something a bit thicker, making this gel cream ideal.

The Ingredients: All about hydration here

As with most products from this brand, almost every ingredient serves a purpose, and in the case of this cloud-inspired Peter Thomas Roth moisturizer, you’ll find plenty of hydrating and moisturizing ingredients, plus a few others designed to soothe and support skin. 

• Hyaluronic Acid: This super humectant is known for being able to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, which it draws from the air to help keep skin hydrated and maintain healthy barrier function. Hyaluronic acid is available in various molecular sizes. The smaller the molecule, the better it can penetrate skin, and here you’ll find three different molecular sizes to allow for maximum absorption. 
• Pentavitin™: A Peter Thomas Roth exclusive, Pentavitin is a compound that supplies skin with hydration for 72 consecutive hours, even through washings.
• Glycerin: An oldie, but a goodie, glycerin is a skincare staple in anything geared toward hydration. A powerful natural humectant, glycerin helps bind water to the skin for long lasting moisture, and its light texture makes it ideal for all skin types. 
• Ceramides: Ceramides are more or less the “mortar” that keeps barrier-building skin cells intact, making them a must-have ingredient in any product geared toward supplying skin with hydration. Where ingredients like hyaluronic acid help put the moisture back into skin, ceramides help keep it there. 
• Hydrolyzed Silk: Made from actual silk (which is known for its softness and resilience), this ingredient helps keep skin feeling soft and smooth, which you’ll notice almost instantly.

The Feel: Like taking hydration directly from a waterfall

Seriously though, the first thing I noticed when slathering this Peter Thomas Roth moisturizer on my face is how cool and refreshing it felt. The gel formula falls somewhere between a serum and a lotion in texture but with plenty of slip, so if you’re a regular gua sha user like I am, this stuff serves as a nice base to work with. Once it sinks in, skin feels very moist and hydrated, but not shiny. I honestly expected shine—or at least a little tackiness afterwards—but instead my skin felt moist and taut, the perfect base for sunscreen to follow. 

The Results: Very hydrated (but not greasy) skin

One of the best parts about trying a new moisturizer is that viable results come much sooner than something that requires a solid six to eight weeks to see results. Immediately after applying this Peter Thomas Roth moisturizer, my skin felt great—hydrated, bouncy, and overall pleasant. Dewy, but not greasy. As the day went on, it stayed the same. By the end of day one, my skin looked and felt balanced and moisturized and not at all shiny. 

It wasn’t until day three that I really noticed a difference. The phone rang as I was washing my face so I didn’t get to apply anything until a good 15-20 minutes later. Normally, my face would’ve felt tight, especially around my eye area, but instead it was as though I’d moisturized as usual—a clear testament to the whole 72-hour hydration factor. 

The Value: A little pricey, but worth it

This hyaluronic acid-powered Peter Thomas Roth moisturizer finds itself in a sea of similar products (many of which I’ve personally tried) but I can say with confidence that $52 for 1.7 oz is more than justified when you look at what’s inside. For someone like myself with both hydration and skin-soothing needs, I found Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream Hydrating Moisturizer to be a solid twofer, as it left my skin feeling both calmed and deeply moisturized—telltale signs of altogether healthy skin. Plus, a little goes a long way, and the normal sized pot should last around two months with daily usage. 

Similar Products: You’ve got options

Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Cream: This light-as-air whipped gel cream from Glow Recipe ($39) is brimming with hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, and plum extracts to give skin a fresh infusion of moisture and hydration. 

Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Lotion: Lightweight in texture but loaded with barrier-boosting peptides and essential lipids, this Skinfix Lotion ($38) also contains low-molecular hyaluronic acid to help hydration penetrate to the deepest levels of skin. 

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA: For a bare basics approach to skincare, this everyday moisturizer from The Ordinary ($6) goes above and beyond with an ingredients list containing hyaluronic acid, dermal lipids, and amino acids to hydrate skin and provide essential barrier protection—all in a lightweight texture that melts right in.