Index / Drunk Elephant / B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum
Drunk Elephant

B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum.

Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum
Serums

About this product

A lightweight hydration serum with hyaluronic acid and B5, designed to add moisture and plumpness to the skin.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

60%

Mixed

7 experts · Strong agreement
7Gurus
3Yay
2Mixed
2Nay

What they liked

  • Absorbs quickly without heaviness
  • Hydrating and plumping feel
  • Smooth texture on skin

What they flagged

  • Pricey for a hydration-only serum
  • Very thin formula lacks substantive actives
  • Regulatory concerns over ingredient safety

What the gurus are saying

One expert praises it for delivering satisfying hydration and a smooth, plumping feel without heaviness, especially for those seeking a hydration boost over repair. However, other experts found the formula thin and dilute, with B5 and active ingredients sitting so low in the ingredient list they're unlikely to make a meaningful difference, and point to better hyaluronic acid serums available at lower cost. A separate concern: the product faced legal notices over the presence of DEA and inadequate warning labels, since DEA may interact with other preservatives to form potential irritants.
Synthesized from 7 expert reviews · most recent take March 2025

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
~Nay
"Drunk Elephant received notices of violation under California's Proposition 65 [...] alleging that [...] their B-Hydra Intensive Hydrating Serum contained DEA but did not have the proper warning labels that should have been provided to consumers. [...] While DEA isn't carcinogenic itself, it's thought to interact with other ingredients, [...] mainly other preservatives, to create something called nitrosamines which are recognized as potential carcinogens. [...] It's a potential irritant. However, they need to stick to the laws where the law says they can't use it."
All 2 takes from James Welsh
The Worst Of Beauty TikTok - Dodgy Derms, Rhode Nut Allergy & Questionable Skincare Hacks! Jan 2024
"I use my Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum."
Drunk Elephant’s Dupe That Went TOO FAR! The vitamin C serum lawsuit 💜 James Welsh
"Drunk Elephant received notices of violation under California's Proposition 65 [...] alleging that [...] their B-Hydra Intensive Hydrating Serum contained DEA but did not have the proper warning labels that should have been provided to consumers. [...] While DEA isn't carcinogenic itself, it's thought to interact with other ingredients, [...] mainly other preservatives, to create something called nitrosamines which are recognized as potential carcinogens. [...] It's a potential irritant. However, they need to stick to the laws where the law says they can't use it."
~Yay
"When it comes to Drunk Elephant, they put a lot of effort in every serum, right, whether it's their glycolic or their lactic, they'll always add something extra in it. And when it comes to the B-Hydra, what I like about the serum is that it has different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid. This becomes almost like a super serum, it becomes almost like a moisturizer. It's a little thick and it's a beautiful serum, especially for you know who need that little extra hydration all the time. The Drunk Elephant B-Hydra is amazing."
~Yay
"I've been using the Drunk Elephant C-uma Hydrate Serum during the day. It has 9% sodium ascorbyl phosphate, which is my favorite vitamin C derivative because it's the form of vitamin C that may be helpful for antioxidant properties and gentle brightening, and also to help reduce acne. Nine percent is actually over the research level of that ingredient, but it's such a good serum. I know the price point is high, I don't know if $68 is worth it, but I'm very happy with it. Part of me almost wishes I hadn't tried it."
All 3 takes from AliceintheRabbitHole
Worth the Splurge?! Tower 28 gets it, Tatcha wants too much $$, & More!
"I've been using the Drunk Elephant C-uma Hydrate Serum during the day. It has 9% sodium ascorbyl phosphate, which is my favorite vitamin C derivative because it's the form of vitamin C that may be helpful for antioxidant properties and gentle brightening, and also to help reduce acne. Nine percent is actually over the research level of that ingredient, but it's such a good serum. I know the price point is high, I don't know if $68 is worth it, but I'm very happy with it. Part of me almost wishes I hadn't tried it."
My Honest Thoughts on Drunk Elephant's "Best Sellers" (in 2024)
"I've never understood this one. It's not even that expensive, it's a nice idea, it's hydrating, it's based in panthenol, which is a wonderful soothing ingredient, but to me it just feels like K-beauty products do this whole gentle, hydrating category so well. B-Hydra has just never had a big appeal to me, it could be my skin type since I have dry skin. If you have oily to combo skin maybe you'd like this more than I do, but I think you could save so much money and I don't think you'd miss it."
Sephora's Best Selling Skincare is...Surprising
"I am shocked that B-Hydra is a best seller. To me it was just really fine. I do not like paying forty nine dollars for a product where my conclusion is yeah, it's fine. It has niacinamide and hyaluronic acid together in it, so if you're using this you probably don't need two separate isolated serums for those ingredients. This looks fine to me, but I can't imagine choosing to buy this after trying other serums that did so much more for me."
~Mixed
"Drunk Elephant also has a B-Hydra hydration serum and this is a vitamin B hydration serum. Again, ingredients are not bad. It's just for $48 it's a little much. And if you don't want to spend that you don't have to, but for kids or twins if they want to use it, go for it. And when you see vitamin B, remember that niacinamide is a B vitamin and panthenol are B vitamins. These are great for the skin and this is a really solid choice if you wanted to spend the money."
~Mixed
"I used to recommend this all the time as a moisturizer when it's really not meant to be used as a moisturizer. [...] A lot of people like using it as like a moisturizer without feeling super heavy on the skin or just getting a nice splash of hydration to the skin, but that splash does not come cheap because it is $49 for this serum. It's really hard to find a dupe for because of how unique it felt on the skin in the way that it kind of smoothed over the skin while simultaneously hydrating it. The [...] ingredient list is good [...] but is really only focused on hydration."
~Nay
"It's super thin so it's easily absorbed, there's no doubt about that, but it's thin. It really needed that thickener. There are better other hyaluronic acids on the market that we've talked about in previous videos. Yes, there's some additional B5, but it's so low down the list that it's not really going to make a difference. I personally don't think that this product's worth it. I think there's other things on the market that can do probably much the same job if not better."
All 3 takes from Dr. Somji Skin
Drunk Elephant Complete Skincare Product Guide | Dr. Somji Reviews
"It's super thin so it's easily absorbed, there's no doubt about that, but it's thin. It really needed that thickener. There are better other hyaluronic acids on the market that we've talked about in previous videos. Yes, there's some additional B5, but it's so low down the list that it's not really going to make a difference. I personally don't think that this product's worth it. I think there's other things on the market that can do probably much the same job if not better."
What is Hyaluronic Acid? | What is Hyaluronic Acid Used For? | Hyaluronic Acid Complete Info Guide
"One other one that we know that has got different molecular weight is Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum, which is quite nice. It's a light moisturizer. It's also got some things like glycerin and ceramides in there to help lock in the moisture, so it's almost like a two-in-one. That's why you're paying a little bit more for it."
Quench Your Skin's Thirst! Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum | Dr. Somji Reviews
"It's super thin, so it's easily absorbed, [...] but it's thin and it really needed that thickener. [...] There are better other better hyaluronic acids on the market. [...] Yes, there's some addition of B5, but it's so low down the list that it's not really going to make a difference. [...] The actual amount of active ingredients is quite low, so it's not going to really change your skin that much. I think there are other things on the market that can do probably much the same job if not better. So I personally don't think that this product's worth it."
~Yay
"This is a serum that is more hydrating than repairing. If you don't really care about a serum that repairs the skin barrier, then I would say go with this one because this one is more for hydration and plumping. [...] This does have a pineapple camide which is going to help with texture and tone. There is provitamin B5 in here which is a humectant, so this is going to hydrate and plump. There is also hyaluronic acid in here as well. [...] This is very satisfying to use when you just want to add additional hydration."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide has evidence behind it for redness, uneven tone and supporting the skin barrier, and it is usually well tolerated even by skin that reacts to most things.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum?

A lightweight hydration serum with hyaluronic acid and B5, designed to add moisture and plumpness to the skin.

Is Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum worth it?

The gurus are split. 3 of the 7 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 60%.

What is Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum's Guru Score?

Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum holds a Guru Score of 60%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 7 expert reviewers we have collected.

Who is Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum best for?

Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum is generally suited to dry skin and normal skin.

Same formula, for less.

Products built around the same core actives as this one, with what the experts make of each.

See how they stack up →

Similar products worth a look.

Other products the same gurus have weighed in on, plus more from this brand and category.

Compare side by side →

Share this score

Add this badge to your blog or website. It links back to this page and updates itself when the experts change their minds. Free, no sign-up.

Then paste it into your site's HTML or embed block.

This week's top beauty news, in your inbox.

A weekly read of the takes worth catching up on: the raves, the splits, the ones the gurus won't shut up about. Free, no spam, unsubscribe whenever.

Subscribe to the digest