Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Review

I found the Hydro boost gel made my skin feel lovely and soft. Most of the time I could just use the gel as my only moisturiser and some days I had to put another moisturiser over the top. I really liked the clean smell of the product.

The packaging of this moisturizer is really appealing. It's fresh, blue, even luxurious to feel. I tend to have dry and dehydrated skin and wasn't sure if gel moisturizers are for me. But one thing's for sure. I'm impressed by how it held up. The water gel is easily absorbed. You'll instantly feel the hydration. As for the claims, I think that is overrated. I had to reapply after a few hours in order for my skin to stay hydrated. I'd suggest this to normal to oily skin types as it is lightweight. Drier types will need to go somewhere else. Overall, I think it's a good moisturizer, but it's just not for me.

To begin I should tell you my skin type: I am oily - dehydrated, slightly enlarged pores through cheeks, nose and forehead. I have some redness and old acne scarring (though not too bad). My skin's texture is very rough and dull.

I was gifted this product from a friend, had I not been gifted it I probably wouldn't have brought it myself simply because I was all about the mattifying aspects of life. I often strayed from products boasting hydrating claims but that was before I knew better. This little tub of cream/gel is wonderful. I adore the texture, it's very light weight and sinks in beautifully. It's actually perfect for my skin even though I'm oily - I used it as a night cream and didn't wake up looking like a total grease ball. Now this didn't do any wonders for my redness, scarring or pores but it didn't claim to, it did exactly as it said - hydrated. My skin looked fresh all day after having this applied at night, it wasn't too much dewy-ness for my liking which is one of my biggest pet peeves with hydrating products. Will I buy this again? No, not at this time simply because I have started an entirely custom made routine but if I was ever in a pinch and needed a good night cream I would definitely pick this up!

My skin varies as to how sensitive it is seasonally. In summer it's a lot less sensitive so I can only use this then. If i use this in winter instead of the gel-cream formula my skin goes red and textured, I believe due to dyes and perfume. If I use this in summer, it's just fine and works quite well. Light and hydrating, a little goes a long way, absorbs quickly.

Purely because of the fragrance, I wouldn’t buy this one again. It smells good but I have sensitive skin and if your barrier is compromised it will probably burn and irritate your skin like it did mine.

Otherwise it is non comedogenic and great for oily combination skin, as is the gel cream too!

At first I was a little confused as to what I should do with this gel, I had also been given another with added SPF15 which I assumed was the day version of the night concentrate, so what was this chunky jar for and how was I going to apply it in my daily routine. There was no guidance on the box, or on their website to refer to. As I have really dry skin in areas I decided to pop it on as a substitute to a serum or oil that I usually apply before I put on my day or night cream. This was fine for the first few days but then my combination skin decided that it was far too much moisture for my skin and started to act out with excess oily areas along the T-Zone and a few pimple outbreaks, so I stopped using this as a serum/oil replacement and instead used it on odd days instead of the water gel with SPF15 added as it felt like it needed to be a day cream, which was better.

Design wise, I love this in its aqua blue casing, the whole jar is made to feel chunky as it has a outer layer of clear acrylic around it, the lid being of a pale blue steel look was easy to use, even with excess gel over my hands it was solid enough to twist on and off without dropping it. Overall I do love how they look on my bedside cabinet, very stylish and chic.

Formula, as it states it’s a water gel; the texture is a cross between a gel and a cream, slightly softer and less tacky, sticky then an actual gel but the quick absorption of a gel. Being a pale blue colour it gave a very good example of what we would expect water to look like in a gel state. It has very light fragrance, if any; I never actually detected any as I was using it. This gel never felt tacky, sticky or left any reside on my fingers, it also wasn’t irritating at all.

Application, quick and easy, a dollop on the end of your middle finger warmed up in your palms then spread across your face quickly gets absorbed and left my skin feel soft and plump with moisture I did notice an almost instant relief to the very dry patches so their claim of doubling skin moisture within an hour is very true!

I was selected to review this product and also won another 50g as part of a prize pack. The container is really robust and the grey/silver lid easily screws on and off the beautiful translucent blue container. After unscrewing the lid a second lid sits on top of the opening of the container like a plug. I think it's a really great idea to prevent waste and gel leaking out of the lid if dropped or knocked over. The second lid is pastel light blue and has a raised portion to pull the lid off. I found it came off easily the first time but, really acted like plug the next few times. I found it difficult to get the lid off because the raised portion is only about half a centimeter high and is not easy to grip onto or pull upwards when the lid forms a seal.

The actual gel appears to be a blue tinged cream but quickly becomes translucent gel that feels like silk as soon as it's on my skin. It feels amazing to apply and smells fresh. The moisturising gel soaks into my skin really quickly and leaves my skin feeling soft, silky and supple after application. My skin feels hydrated with this product and a little can go a long way.

I have combination skin and am prone to break outs. Compared to my usual moisturiser, Hydro Boost Water Gel doesn't prevent my skin from becoming oily by the end of the day and I have had a bit of a break out since using it. I can't say whether this is due to the product though and I wouldn't have dared to trial it if it wasn't oil free.

Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Water Gel keeps my skin hydrated but, I would use it with caution if you have oily/combination skin, even though it is an oil free product.

Light texture and has a cooling sensation upon application. I applied a generous amount since it's not too rich/pore clogging it gets absorbed super quickly with my dehydrated face. Soaks it all up, I recommend people with dehydrated skin to use it for hydration. Reasonable price for the product would recommend to a friend if they had dry skin.

Lets cut straight to it this product does what it says, it rehydrates your skin like nothing else i have ever used, but i just can't decide if i like it. I am not sure what it is, but there is something about it that make me go yea nah. It could possibly be the smell. Its not bad or anything but to me it just smells like sunblock which is a bit weird for the more "upmarket" spectrum of the Neutrogena range, i think i was just expecting something a bit different.

It does make your skin feel lovely and plump when you first put it on, like you have walked through a light mist in the spring time. It does feel like you have to reapply it to keep up the level of moisture though but that might just be me and the environment i work in. Everyone knows air conditioning sucks out your skins moisture like a vampire sucking blood. So I will agree with its claim that it doubles skins moisture in 1 hour but i dont think it keeps going for the full 24 hours but hey thats a pretty big claim to live up to.

I found that this actually worked amazingly well on my hands too. I have quite dry "bakers" hands, like you can see all the lines on the backs of my hands along with a few burns and scars. When i put the Hydro Boost on the lines pretty much disappeared and they felt so super smooth. This is almost better as a hand cream than a face cream.

Over all yea its a good product it makes you skin feel nice and looks all young and dewy but nah i wouldn't buy it myself. Personally if i was going to buy a gel moisturiser i would buy the vitamin E one from the Body Shop, it smells nicer and i think it does a better job of holding in your skins moisture for a longer period than the Hydro Boost.

The day cream was a little confusing to me, with all 4 products I didnt know where to put this one as i prefer the Neutrogena SPF15 water gel.

The packing of the Hydro boost is gorgeous, the jars look expensive and luxurious, the theme of hydration is all over this beautiful range. When using this and the night concentrate I have to double check I open the right one because they are the same jar and packaging.

The formula is very similar to the night concentrate without the beads, its a thick and creamy formula that has a silicone feel to it. When you rub this onto your skin it feels smoother and softer but too thick for when Im applying makeup. I use the day cream for when im at home and im not wearing any makeup, it keeps my skin moisturized for the whole day, there is no sign of dryness when using the day cream. It instantly hydrates your skin once applied, a quick and easy fix to those dry areas.

Overall the day cream is great, a few things to note is the day & night cream are similar in packaging and the day cream you cant really wear under foundation. It is still a great product.