I Found The Perfect Summer-To-Autumn Moisturiser — & It’s Under £50

Transitional wardrobe pieces — think lightweight layers and super-soft knits — are very much a thing, but what about your skincare routine?

As someone with acne-prone skin, I’ve always loved the refreshing, quenching feel of a gel cream; the lightweight texture is perfect for daytime use. During the summer months, I swear by them for a refreshing burst of hydration when it feels like an oven outside. As summer winds down, I’ve found the perfect day moisturiser to add a glow — not greasiness — as you look to bulk up your skincare routine for autumn.

Introducing INNBeauty Project, a brand known for effective, sensorial skincare at an accessible price point. I’m calling it now: Its latest launch is my new transitional skincare MVP. Recharge Gel Cream, £49, is described as a “smoothing and plumping moisturiser” that combines powerful hydrating ingredients like peptides and moisturising glycerin with cutting-edge additions like orchid stem cells to offer a line-smoothing, plumping effect, and ginseng water, which is rich in antioxidants. 

“I formulated Recharge to be the most high-performance gel cream on the market — something that did way more than just hydrate,” says Jen Shane, INNBeauty Project’s cofounder and head of innovation. “Most gel creams are basic moisturisers that provide surface-level hydration, but they’re not addressing deeper skin concerns or holistic customer needs.”

In addition to quenching dry skin, Recharge is formulated to address uneven texture, support the skin barrier (the outermost layer of the skin, which keeps moisture in and bacteria out) and improve overall dullness. “You typically need an [exfoliating] acid to see these types of clinical results in radiance and luminosity,” says Shane. “The orchid stem cells in particular are a breakthrough in achieving a level of luminosity that typically only an acid can, which often comes with sensitivity or irritation.”

At first feel, Recharge is silky to the touch, but not so lightweight that it disappears. After cleansing my skin, I applied a few pumps and it felt as if my skin had just gulped eight glasses of water. My face had a healthy-looking glow — the kind I usually get after a facial — and my combination skin felt calm and balanced. Best of all, my skin felt hydrated all day long; I usually feel like my skin is screaming for a hydrating mist by midday, but not when I incorporated Recharge into my routine.

“There’s a common myth that gel creams are only for oily or acne-prone skin, but that doesn’t hold up with advanced formulations like Recharge,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr Mina Amin. “What makes this gel cream truly universal is its ability to deliver deep, clinically proven hydration and barrier repair in a lightweight, non-greasy texture that works across all skin types.”

After testing it out for a week, I already feel like my face is softer, smoother and not the least bit dry. (To me, this product is almost like a hydrating serum dialled up a few notches.) At £49 for a full size, Recharge Gel Cream isn’t inexpensive — but it feels and performs like a much pricier product. (In comparison, Augustinus Bader’s The Light Cream — which I also love, for the record — is £150.)

While we’ve still got a few months before breaking out the cold-weather-proof lotions and salves, I, for one, am excited for cosy girl autumn — with glowy, gleaming skin as my signature accessory.