The New Ilia Base Face Milk Is My Favorite Dew-Booster

As a beauty editor, part of my job is de-influencing. This means sending out a PSA when a product or treatment is not worth the price, be it due to cost, efficacy, or plain necessity. In the heavily saturated skin care market, I find myself doing this often. One product category I frequently label "skip-worthy" is watery essences, sometimes called toners. 

It's not that these products don't add to a routine, but many of them just don't do enough to earn a spot next to serums, moisturizers, and sunscreen (and countless dermatologists have told me so). Given my high standards for the essence category, you can trust me when I say the Ilia Base Face Milk creamy essence is completely worth the buy, and it's truly changed my skin for the better.

As you can tell by the images, my skin is deeply hydrated—not just momentarily shiny from fresh moisturizer. Whether I wear makeup or not, you can tell my skin is as dewy as ever; it practically looks identical to my skin in humid tropical environments. The plot twist: It's January in New York City—aka, peak dry skin season. 

The bottle housing this magic milk is another reason to love it. On my counter, it looks clean and luxurious. The essence travels well thanks to the secure screw-on cap, and the packaging is recyclable. I know packaging isn't a factor for everyone, but if it is for you, this bottle won't disappoint. 

So, with all of this in mind, we're left with this: The formula is functional and extensive for hydration and soothing. The product helped me cut out other serums (which, by the way, were each more expensive than one bottle of this). The formula comes in a high-quality bottle. The results are undeniably dewy, plump, and soothed skin. 

The Ilia Base Face Milk essence is one of the only essences I've tried that I truly loved and recommend purchasing—largely because it's more than just a watery liquid, as it's rich in nutrients and keeps skin hydrated.