The Tamesis
Anyone who’s spent even a few rolls on TikTok’s beauty side has probably seen someone using Dieux Instant Angel Moisturizer. Rich, but not too heavy, and rich in fatty acids, peptides, ceramides, glycerin and squalane, the product has been universally popular since its launch in 2022 and is great for both hydrating and repairing the skin barrier. Despite all the reasons to love it, Dieux co-founder and chief brand officer Charlotte Palermino wasn’t expecting the viral acclaim it’s received.
“I saw how my skin reacted to Instant Angel, so I knew the formula was good, but I didn’t expect a celebrity like Hailey Bieber, who has it all, to just launch our product organically, which really helped drive adoption and media coverage,” she told me Fashion. “The versatility, the gorgeous texture, and the fact that your skin improves and becomes visibly tighter over time… I think that’s why the loyalty is so strong.” While she jokes that she doesn’t like to try fate, she believes the team has another great formula in the works, the new Skin Mercy Intense Recovery Cream, available now.
Dieux Skin Mercy Intense Repair Cream
- why we like it: Dieux Skin Mercy Intensive Recovery Cream is certified over-the-counter (OTC) and holds the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Approval to soothe and comfort sensitive and damaged skin. Contains 1% Colloidal Extract to help relieve itching, irritation and inflammation, while Soothing Complex reduces redness.
- Main ingredients: 1% Colloidal Oatmeal, 3%+ Soothing Complex (Tazman, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Panthenol), 10%+ Glycerin, 0.1% Licorice Root
- size:50ml
This is the third moisturizer in the Dieux line of creams (following Air Angel gel-cream in 2024), and Palermino believes they can continue to develop the category to create what she calls a hydrating wardrobe. “Just like you may need to change up your wardrobe in the winter, the same can be true depending on the weather, skin condition, if you’re having a reaction or if you just had a laser treatment,” she says. “We wanted to create something that would address redness and soothe the skin (a common benefit during these pollution times), but it wasn’t something you could skimp on.” To make sure you’d actually want to wear it, texture was a key consideration. Creams that are chalky or greasy are not acceptable.
Photo: Courtesy of Dieu
Photo: Courtesy of Dieu
They ended up with a mid-weight cream that envelops skin in a protective layer of moisture for long-lasting comfort and gives skin a natural glow. “[Dieux chemist Becca Perry] “We chose to build the formula around what we call a ‘crystalline’ base,” said co-founder and product director Joyce de Lemos. “It has a similar structure to skin, helping to reduce TEWL (transepidermal water loss) and increase active efficacy.” Skin is left soft, elastic and feels as moisturized as a cloud after use. More specifically, the formula is centered around four soothing active ingredients—stearoyl glycerides, bisabolol, allantoin, and panthenol—and DeLemos explains that there’s data to support that these ingredients work synergistically to enhance the calming effect on the skin. Visually calming the skin involves suppressing redness and irritation, and a botanical extract of the Tasmanian pepperberry is particularly useful for this.
These soothing properties are enhanced by the inclusion of 1% Colloidal Oatmeal, a clinically proven skin protectant approved by the FDA as an OTC drug, making this Dieux the first certified OTC formula. While complying with strict FDA testing can be challenging, Palermino and de Lemos say the additional hurdle is well worth it to ensure adequate treatment of damaged skin types.
