Table of Contents
- What a booster is and where it fits in the session
- Skin goal and booster type: the manufacturer's classification
- Radiance and hydration: when skin looks dull or feels tight
- Dark spots and uneven tone: what a booster can and cannot do
- Firmness and fine lines: realistic expectations
- Congestion, texture and redness
- How we choose the booster at Santé Madrid
- Frequently asked questions
A HydraFacial booster is a concentrated serum added to the session to steer it towards a specific skin goal: radiance, uneven tone, firmness, hydration or congestion. Which one to choose depends on what concerns you most and on how your skin is that day, and at Santé Madrid the medical team decides among the available boosters after assessing it. In this guide we organise the manufacturer's catalogue by goal, explain which ingredients it declares for each one and make clear what you can and cannot expect from a booster.
Key points
- The manufacturer describes boosters as concentrated serums that personalise each HydraFacial treatment and includes them in the Deluxe and Platinum protocols.
- Its catalogue groups boosters by concern: dullness, dark spots and uneven tone, sagging, fine lines, dehydration, oiliness and congestion, and texture.
- A booster works within a superficial treatment. It does not treat melasma and does not replace a treatment for sagging skin.
- Laser for dark spots and laser for melasma are separate options in the Santé Madrid catalogue, and the doctor decides whether they are indicated.
- We do not promise a specific booster before the assessment. Results vary from one skin to another.
What a booster is and where it fits in the session
According to the manufacturer, boosters are highly concentrated professional serums used to personalise and enhance every HydraFacial treatment (HydraFacial booster catalogue). They are not a stand-alone treatment: they are applied within a HydraFacial session, which, according to the same manufacturer, cleanses, exfoliates, extracts and hydrates the skin.
The manufacturer also states that the booster is part of the Deluxe and Platinum protocols, and that it has a dedicated tip for boosters and hydration, designed to help the ingredient-rich solution work into the skin (HydraFacial, the treatment). So the booster does not change the steps of the session, only the concentrated serum your skin receives.
This point is worth understanding, because it explains the limits. HydraFacial is an exfoliating technique that works on the most superficial layers. A preliminary study with few volunteers observed changes in the outermost layer of the skin after hydradermabrasion, with no visible differences in dermal collagen at two weeks (Razi et al., 2024). The data are limited, and the study did not assess boosters, but they suggest that HydraFacial works on the surface; the booster is applied within that framework and does not act as an in-depth medical treatment.
Skin goal and booster type: the manufacturer's classification
The manufacturer explains that the provider usually starts by identifying the main concern and the treatment goal, and then chooses a booster whose ingredients match that need (HydraFacial). In its catalogue, each booster sits under a specific concern. This table summarises that classification with some examples the manufacturer itself names; it does not show which boosters a given clinic has.
| Your skin goal | Category in the manufacturer's catalogue | Examples and ingredients declared by the manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| Radiance | Dullness + Tone | JLO Beauty Booster: olive leaf extract, a hydrating complex with hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide |
| Dark spots and uneven tone | Dark Spots + Uneven Tone | Britenol: alpha-arbutin and vitamin C; Murad Vita-C: vitamin C, glycolic acid and tranexamic acid |
| Firmness | Sagginess + Skin Laxity | Dermabuilder: peptides; Hydrafillic with Pep9: a peptide complex and hyaluronic acid |
| Fine lines | Fine Lines + Wrinkles | ReGen GF+: bio-engineered growth factors, vegan collagen and niacinamide |
| Hydration | Dryness + Dehydration | Hydralock HA: a hyaluronic acid complex, vitamin B5 and fruit extracts |
| Congestion | Oiliness + Congestion | Murad Clarifying: salicylic acid and green tea extract |
| Texture | Rough + Uneven Texture | Omorovicza Advanced Skin Renewal: retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide |
The names and formulas come from the manufacturer's public catalogue and may change. At your consultation we explain which options we have available and which one suits your skin.
Radiance and hydration: when skin looks dull or feels tight
Dull skin and dehydrated skin look alike at first glance, but they do not always need the same thing. The first is often linked to a build-up of dead cells and a less even tone; the second, to a lack of water in the superficial layers, which shows as tightness or fine lines that look more marked by the end of the day.
For radiance, the manufacturer groups boosters under the dullness category. Of the JLO Beauty Booster, for example, it says it is designed for lacklustre skin and combines olive leaf extract, a hydrating complex with hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide (HydraFacial). For dehydration, it describes Hydralock HA with a hyaluronic acid complex, vitamin B5 and fruit extracts.
If you live in Madrid, you may notice it most in winter: in general, dry air, indoor heating and sun can leave skin tight and dull, and in that context a hydrating or radiance booster can make sense within the session. Even so, the effect of a serum applied in the clinic does not replace your daily routine: a moisturiser suited to your skin and sun protection remain the foundation, and results vary from one skin to another.
Dark spots and uneven tone: what a booster can and cannot do
This is a category that often raises questions. The manufacturer describes Britenol as a booster that brightens and balances tone and minimises the appearance of dark spots and sun spots, with alpha-arbutin as a brightening agent and vitamin C as an antioxidant. In the same category it places Murad Vita-C, with vitamin C, glycolic acid and tranexamic acid (booster catalogue).
These descriptions refer to how the skin looks after a superficial treatment. They do not turn a booster into a treatment for dark spots, let alone for melasma. A review on melasma describes it as an acquired, chronic hyperpigmentation that tends to come back and remains complex to manage; it stresses that avoiding ultraviolet and visible light is key to preventing flares and that procedures such as peels, microneedling or laser are used as primary or adjunctive treatment, often in combination (Ogbechie-Godec and Elbuluk, 2017).
That is why, if what concerns you is well-defined dark spots or melasma, the first step is for the doctor to identify what type of pigmentation it is. In the Santé Madrid catalogue, laser for dark spots and laser for melasma are options separate from HydraFacial, and the medical team decides whether they are indicated in your case. A tone booster can support your skin care, but it does not take their place.
Firmness and fine lines: realistic expectations
The manufacturer groups several boosters under sagging and loss of elasticity, and others under fine lines and wrinkles. Of Dermabuilder it says that it helps smooth the appearance of fine lines and enhances skin elasticity, with a peptide-based formula. Of ReGen GF+ it states that it combines bio-engineered growth factors, vegan collagen and niacinamide and targets visible signs of ageing, dryness and dullness (HydraFacial).
This is where expectations need adjusting. A serum infused during a superficial treatment can improve hydration and the look of the skin, but it is not a treatment for sagging. The imaging study cited above did not assess boosters, but it observed no visible changes in dermal collagen after hydradermabrasion, which suggests not expecting a tightening effect from a booster.
If your main concern is loss of firmness, the Santé Madrid catalogue has other options, such as Ultraformer MPT HIFU, Sculptra, Radiesse or polynucleotides, which are assessed at a medical consultation. A firmness booster can make sense as part of skin maintenance, always after that assessment, and results vary from one skin to another.
Congestion, texture and redness
For oily skin with clogged pores, the manufacturer includes the Murad Clarifying booster, with salicylic acid and green tea extract, in the oiliness and congestion category. For uneven texture, it lists Omorovicza Advanced Skin Renewal, with retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, and the manufacturer links hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to a smoother texture (booster catalogue).
If you have acne, HydraFacial's extraction and exfoliation already work on the pores, and the booster is chosen with your skin's condition that day in mind. If the acne is severe or inflammatory, the medical assessment comes first and, if it does not respond to aesthetic management, the right next step is to see a dermatologist.
Redness deserves a separate note. The manufacturer lists redness among the concerns boosters can address, but red or reactive skin needs a diagnosis first: an occasional irritation is not the same as rosacea. In the Santé Madrid catalogue, laser for rosacea is a separate option that the doctor decides on. With sensitive skin, the team can adapt the session or suggest waiting.
How we choose the booster at Santé Madrid
Santé Clinics Madrid is at C. de Amador de los Ríos, 1, Chamberí, 28010 Madrid. We are open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 21:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 15:00; the clinic is closed on Sundays.
The starting point is to assess your skin before any HydraFacial session. You can begin with the free aesthetic consultation with a Beauty Coach, where we review your routine and what concerns you most. If there are dark spots, melasma, rosacea, inflammatory acne, medication or any medical question, it is assessed at a medical consultation, which costs €50.
With that information, the Santé Madrid medical team chooses the protocol (Signature, Deluxe or Platinum) and, where appropriate, the booster from those we have available. We will not recommend a booster by name before seeing your skin, and we may conclude that your goal is better suited to another treatment. If you want to know what a full session looks like step by step, we explain it in our guide to HydraFacial in Madrid. Results vary from one skin to another.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is a HydraFacial booster?
According to the manufacturer, it is a concentrated professional serum applied during the session to personalise the treatment for a specific skin concern. It is not a stand-alone treatment.
Can I choose the booster myself?
You can tell us your goal and your preferences, but the choice is made by the medical team from the available boosters, after assessing your skin and your history.
Which booster is suitable for radiance?
The manufacturer groups these boosters in the dullness category, with ingredients such as niacinamide and hydrating actives. If your skin is also dehydrated, a hydrating booster may be considered. We decide after the assessment.
Does a HydraFacial booster remove melasma?
No. A booster works within a superficial treatment and does not treat melasma. If you have melasma, the doctor assesses it and decides whether other options, such as laser for melasma, are indicated, together with daily sun protection.
Does a booster work for sagging skin?
It can improve hydration and the look of the skin, but it is not a treatment for sagging. If firmness is your main concern, the medical team can assess other options from the catalogue at a medical consultation.
Can a booster be added to any protocol?
According to the manufacturer, the booster is part of the Deluxe and Platinum protocols. At your consultation we explain which protocol and which booster suit your skin.
I have sensitive skin, can I have a booster?
It depends on your skin and on the ingredients. If you have reacted to acids or vitamin C before, or have active rosacea or dermatitis, let us know: the team can adapt the session, choose another option or suggest waiting.
If you do not know which booster suits your skin, you do not need to decide before you come. At a consultation at Santé Madrid we assess your skin, explain the options calmly and tell you what you can realistically expect.
