An Honest Review of Barefaced Liquid Gold

My skin is full of surprises. Some days I wake up to extremely dry skin. Other days, my skin is like a battlefield of red eczema flares, and it doesn’t help that it’s getting scorching hot in howdy Texas. This spontaneity has made me desperate for a serum that would simultaneously quell inflammation, hydrate my parched cells, and fight against environmental stressors (sun rays and all). Months of searching has finally led me to a promising discovery: Barefaced Liquid Gold Serum ($136), and after just two weeks of use, I’ve noticed impressive results.

How the Barefaced Liquid Gold serum works

This serum is ripe with antioxidants like kakadu plum, turmeric, and white-mulberry—which can help the skin fight against environmental stressors and reduce redness and inflammation. Also in the formulation is vitamin E, which is “believed in helping the skin barrier, but primarily serves as an antioxidant to protect against UV damage,” says Dhaval G. Bhanusali, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York.

Turmeric is a “multi-use product that can help with everything from inflammatory conditions to hyperpigmentation, hair loss, photo damage, etc,” says Dr. Bhanusali. Meanwhile white mulberry can purportedly reduce inflammation and fade discoloration.

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Beyond the anti-inflammatory benefits, Liquid Gold contains the unsung hydrator of skin care, glycerin. A humectant and dermatologist-beloved ingredient, glycerin draws water to parched skin cells and restores hydration levels.

My honest review

As someone with eczema-prone and dry skin, I found Barefaced Liquid Gold to be extremely hydrating. After washing my face in the morning, the serum fit right into my three-step skin-care routine, which consists of a toner, serum, and moisturizer in that particular order. My parched skin cells soaked it right up. After incorporating this serum in my morning and night routines, I noticed healthier-looking and glow-y skin, garnering notice and attention from my sisters who asked “what products are you using?”

Like…look at that GLOW.

Before using this product, I had redness on my forehead and chin. Two weeks later, the redness and pimple-y texture disappeared. My skin looked and felt smoother. Tomato face, no more. Also thanks to antioxidants like L-absorbic acid, vitamin E, and kakadu plum, I noticed that my skin has been able to better respond to environmental stressors and not overreact whenever I’m exposed to the the sun or extreme Texas heat. Now I get what all the hype is about. No wonder why the serum sold out 10 times before (!!).

Texture and consistency

The texture and consistency is a water-like jelly; it’s silky, yet slightly thick. What I love about the formula is that it’s non-sticky and easy to spread. After a few rubs, the formula absorbs right into the skin and dries with a matte finish. What’s also nice is that it’s packaged in a pipette-like applicator, making it easy to dispense. All my skin needs are a few drops.

Final thoughts

This serum is not a one-size-fits-all, but as someone who has battled eczema, sensitive, and dry skin for most of my life, I can say that it reduced my redness, didn’t cause me to breakout, and boosted my skin’s hydration level. In my book, I’ll take those three wins. Retailing for $136, this serum does lean on the expensive side, in my opinion, but considering that it ticks all of my boxes—it’s hydrating, non-irritating, and reduces redness—it’s worth the investment IMO.