What Dermatologists Think of goop’s New Exosome Hydration Therapy Serum
Even in an office like ours—where face serums materialize as often as frothy glasses of ginger kombucha—it’s unusual for one to get passed around like contraband. About a month ago, some colleagues started buzzing about the new goop Beauty Exosome Hydration Therapy Serum on Slack. “It absorbs so quickly and leaves my skin feeling smooth and deeply hydrated—but without any film or residue,” said an operations lead who’d gotten a sample. “I almost felt weird putting moisturizer on top of it.” Then a bottle surfaced in the conference room. “Ooooh, that feels amazing,” an editor next to me said as she massaged a drop onto her hand—then went in again, this time for her face.
After swiping the cool, gel-like formula on my own hand, I giddily stashed a lab sample in my purse. As one of goop’s unofficial beauty guinea pigs, I planned to use it every morning and night for the next four weeks and report back on the experience.
That evening, after cleansing with goop Beauty’s Daily Detox Foaming Cleanser and swiping on one of the 15% Glycolic Acid Overnight Glow Peel pads, I pressed the silky serum into my skin. For a moment, my face looked like it had been lacquered in some sort of clear marine-like shellac. Then it melted right in, leaving behind not a trace of stickiness or oil. Within seconds, my skin looked noticeably more hydrated, bouncy, and dewy, like I’d just been misted with thermal spring water.
Like many of the serums currently lighting up my group chats, goop’s new formula includes exosomes—tiny vesicles that transfer signals and molecules between cells. But unlike most of the exosome serums on the market (often human-derived and upward of $300), goop’s version is plant-based, clean (no fragrance, parabens, or other toxic ingredients), and priced at $95. Each bottle contains over 3 million exosomes derived from cica leaf, a staple in Korean beauty known for calming and hydrating skin. Plant exosomes are biomimetic—encased in a phospholipid bilayer similar to our own cells—so they help deliver active ingredients more efficiently.
Curious how the formula stacked up from a clinical perspective, I sent a bottle to Alicia Zalka, MD, board-certified dermatologist and Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Yale University, who quickly became a fan. “I use exosomes all the time in wound-healing protocols,” she told me. “The fact that these plant-based ones are penetrating skin without injections is pretty remarkable. Cica already has well-established calming properties—pairing this with modern delivery tech makes a lot of sense.”
“Exosomes are a fascinating delivery system because they can transport bioactive molecules into skin cells efficiently, which enhances the performance of calming and hydrating ingredients like cica and red sea moss,” explains board-certified dermatologist Dara Spearman, MD. Beyond the exosomes, the formula is loaded with ingredients any formulator (or ingredient-savvy derm) would geek out over: polyglutamic acid, snow mushroom, red sea moss, acetyl glucosamine. Together, they act like scaffolding for the skin, Zalka explained. Red sea moss, an “extremophile algae,” helps create a barrier that moisturizes while locking water in. Snow mushroom (pictured) draws in moisture—up to 500 times its weight in water—and adds a layer of environmental defense. Polyglutamic acid, which Zalka called “a next-level hydrator, even more powerful than hyaluronic acid,” helps keep skin plump. Acetyl glucosamine supports your skin’s own HA production and helps fade spots. “A lot of the ingredients are adapted from wound-healing science,” Zalka notes.
“This combination of ingredients is particularly effective at reinforcing the skin barrier and providing deep hydration,” Spearman adds. “Formulations like this can be especially beneficial for sensitive, reactive or dry skin as they hydrate without causing irritation or compromising the skin barrier.”
The clinical numbers back her up. In goop’s third-party study, a single application boosted hydration by 184% and maintained hydration for 16 hours. Within 30 minutes, it helped restore a compromised skin barrier and significantly reduced redness. And after one week of daily use, every participant in the 30-subject study showed improvements in hydration, barrier function, radiance, plumpness, elasticity, and smoothness.
“While more long-term research studies on plant-based exosomes are needed, the preliminary data aligns with what we see in clinical practice: consistent hydration, improved barrier function, and reduced redness when well-formulated plant-based exosomes are used,” says Spearman. Zalka used it twice a day for two weeks before checking in again. “It goes on the skin in such a silky way—moisturizing but not greasy at all," she noted. It visibly reduced the redness I usually get around my nose and cheeks without causing any irritation or breakouts. It also doesn’t pill under anything.”
And as for my own four-week trial? After a month of daily use morning and night, my skin looked calmer and more hydrated than it had in months. The redness around my nose and cheeks had lessened. And my complexion looked noticeably brighter and more even. I met a friend for drinks, and she asked if I’d started doing filler. I hadn’t. I’d just been diligently draining this bottle, drop by drop, plotting how I’d get my hands on another lab sample.
How to Layer the goop Exosome Hydration Therapy Serum
This new plant-based exosome serum "plays well with everything,” said Zalka. “It can even buffer some of the irritation from stronger actives.”
Your New Morning Routine
1Cleanse
Start with the Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator—it’s gentle enough for daily use and leaves skin fresh, not tight.
2Layer Serums
A few drops of the Youth-Boost Peptide Serum help support firmness and repair first thing. Follow with the Exosome Hydration Therapy Serum for deep hydration and a stronger barrier.
3Apply Eye Cream
This vitamin C-packed eye cream shields skin from aging radicals and contains a plant-based retinol which helps firm skin and soften the appearance of fine lines.
4Moisturize
Seal in hydration with the 72-Hour Supercharged Hydrating Water-Cream, which gently brightens skin with niacinamide and layers seamlessly under makeup.
5SPF
Finish with a clean mineral sunscreen. We love Augustinus Bader because it melts right into skin without leaving any chalky cast.
Your New Evening Routine
1Double-Cleanse
Melt away sunscreen and makeup with the Luminous Cleansing Balm. Follow with the Daily Detox Foaming Cleanser to remove any trace of residue and reset skin.
2Brighten
Formulated with a potent 10% glycolic and lactic acid, this serum gently resurfaces skin and lessens the appearance of dark spots.
3Layer Serums
Smooth on the Peptide Serum to boost overnight repair. Follow with the Exosome Hydration Therapy Serum on top to calm and plump.
4Apply Eye Cream
Formulated with a unique triple-retinoid complex, this potent but gentle eye serum softens crow’s feet without irritating the delicate skin around the eyes.
5Moisturize
Lock in hydration with the super-hydrating All-in-One Nourishing Face Cream, which contains plant-based ceramides, squalene, and seven other anti-aging botanicals.
6Optional Step
For drier skin, press in a few drops of All-in-One Super Nutrient Face Oil as a final step.
