Review Detail
4.7 50 0.5
Neutrogena® Hydro Boost Range review by Kamini
Overall rating
4.0
Price
4.0
Quality
4.0
Effectiveness
4.0
I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE SENT A SPECIAL PACKAGE FROM BEAUTY BULLETIN! IT CONTAINED THE NEUTROGENA HYDRO BOOST GEL-CREAM, WATER GEL AND MICELLAR WATER. I RECEIVED THE PACKAGE ON THE 20TH OF JANUARY AND I AM PLANNING ON USING IT FOR A PERIOD OF 2-3 WEEKS.
BEAUTY BULLETIN SELECTED 100 INFLUENCERS TO TAKE PART IN THIS WORD-OF-MOUTH PROJECT AND EACH OF THE INFLUENCERS RECEIVED A 3-STEP PROCESS PACK.
Process pack 1 included: the Hydro Boost facial wipes, water gel cleanser and the gel moisturizer or gel cream.
The 3-step process for pack one included:
Remove Makeup – Hydro Boost facial wipes
Cleanse – water gel cleanser
Hydrate – gel moisturizer or gel cream
Process pack 2 included: the Hydro Boost Water Gel Cleanser, Micellar Water and gel moisturizer or gel cream.
The 3-step process for pack two included:
Cleanse – water gel cleanser
Remove Makeup – Micellar Water
Hydrate – gel moisturizer or gel cream
I received PACK 2 with: the HYDRO BOOST WATER, GEL CLEANSER, MICELLAR WATER & HYDRO BOOST GEL MOISTURISER. My skin-type is normal, although I suffer from an oily T-Zone and dry areas around my nose and on my cheeks and tiny pimples on my forehead.
“HYDRATION IS THE FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY-LOOKING SKIN.”
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
Firstly, I must make it known that I am absolutely smitten by the color of the entire range! I am hopelessly in love with anything blue.
The whole range is available both in-store AND online at Clicks, Dischem and Foschini.
HYDRO BOOST WATER GEL CLEANSER
The gel cleanser comes in a nifty 200 ml bottle with an adequately secure squeeze-pump mechanism. The bottle is quite elongated so it is comfortable to hold in your hands. Totally travel-friendly for a gal on the move!
A description of the product, directions and ingredients are listed on the back of the bottle. This product is made in Greece and should be used within 12 months of opening the product. The overall packaging of the product is simple, but sophisticated.
The gel cleanser is said to be lightweight and gets activated with water. It claims to lather away dirt, oil and make-up while leaving your skin bursting with hydration! It contains the much coveted Hyaluronic acid that naturally occurs in the skin- which basically boosts hydration and locks it in!
When I first tried it, I only used one pump and it was suffice for my entire face and neck area. The cleanser itself is transparent and has a slightly runny consistency. It lathers up decently and my face felt squeaky clean after use!
HYDRO BOOST MICELLAR WATER
The packaging of this bottle just screams, ” TRAVEL FRIENDLY!”. The product basically comes in a 200 ml bottle which is quite narrow. I prefer this bottle shape to the Garnier micellar water bottle shapes. It can be held much easily in one hand. It has a screw on cap, so it is totally leak-proof! The product retails for R99.95 which is slightly more than the Garnier micellar water.
I first tried out this micellar water under dire circumstances. In the small, little town where I live, the municipal water had been cut for just over three days. Our water tank was being a tad moody, and I had no water to wash my face! So, I grabbed this gem of a product and used it to clean my face and take out any impurities. I had no makeup on, and this cannot replace cleansing, however, my skin felt SO nourished and clean. The next day, I had no signs of any new breakouts and my skin was so supple!
HYDRO BOOST GEL CREAM
I tried this luxurious cream as soon as my package arrived! The product comes in a thick plastic 50ml container. The plastic container is recyclable. I would have ideally preferred a tube to squeeze the product out, purely for hygienic reasons. I do not like digging my fingers into products and this would be ever-so-slightly cumbersome for traveling! Nevertheless, I rubbed it into my skin using circular motions as per the instructions, and my skin immediately felt more hydrated and felt so supple!
For R139.95, a generous amount of product is provided. I basically used the same amount of product that I would use if it was my normal moisturizer. The product is particularly for very dry skin and does not have any SPF, so a sun screen is required. The consistency of the product is as per the name- it is a gel. It is extremely light! It absorbs into the skin without any haste. I’ve had so much grief in the past with my Eucerin day cream because it was just too thick and heavy.
Needless to say, I fell head over heels in love with this product!
DRY SKIN IS CAUSED BY A LACK OF LIPIDS OR OIL IN THE SKIN. WITH DEHYDRATED SKIN, THERE IS A LACK OF WATER IN THE STRATUM CORNEUM- THE UPPERMOST LAYER OF THE SKIN.
ANYONE can experience dehydrated skin. You do not have to have dry skin to have dehydrated skin. Oily and combination skin types can also experience dehydrated skin! That’s something I didn’t know…
Before using this range, I really didn’t realize how dull my skin actually was!
I blocked off my eyes in one of my pictures because I look as dead as my skin. LOL
PLEASE NOTE: NEUTROGENA IS NOT A CRUELTY-FREE BRAND. IF YOU ARE A VEGAN OR ONLY MAKE USE OF VEGAN OR CRUELTY-FREE PRODUCTS, THESE PRODUCTS WILL NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOU. THE PRODUCTS ALL CONTAIN GLYCERIN, IF YOU HAVE A GLYCERIN ALLERGY; THIS IS ALSO NOT SUITABLE FOR YOU.
This range is aimed at boosting hydration, locking it in ALL DAY and leaving your skin looking smooth, supple and renewed!
R E N E W E D!
My routine consisted of mainly using the cleanser and the gel cream. I used the micellar water to remove my makeup, specifically my eye-makeup. The micellar water was not used on a daily basis.
The cleanser has a gentle smell, and left my skin feeling SUPER DUPER clean! Most face cleansers usually dry my skin out. Boo! However, this face cleanser, containing hyaluronic acid, left my skin soft and hydrated. I used one pump for my entire face and the face wash itself lathers up relatively nicely. All in all, I now look forward to washing my face!
DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS RANGE ONLY COMBATS DEHYDRATED SKIN, I DID HAVE A FEW BREAKOUTS AND MY BLACKHEADS AROUND MY NOSE AREA WERE NOT REDUCED. I FELT THAT MY PORES FELT MUCH CLEANER THAN USUAL AFTER USING THIS RANGE. THE CLEANSER IS DERMATOLOGICALLY TESTED AND CONTAINS PERFUME.
The micellar water has a subtle but refreshing scent and also contains hyaluronic acid. The entire range does. My skin felt clean and extra supple after using this micellar water! Waterproof makeup was not an issue to remove! Although, I do feel that my Garnier oil-infused micellar water removes my makeup more effectively in the sense that less rubbing and product is needed. This product is also more expensive than the Garnier micellar water, but all in all, I would definitely use this product again and I MAY consider repurchasing!
How does micellar water work? Firstly, it can be used on ALL skin types and is exceptionally beneficial for dry and sensitive skin types. Now back to how it works…
IT IS LIKE A MINI SPONGE THAT MOPS UP DIRT AND MAKEUP USING MICELLAR TECHNOLOGY. A MICELLE IS A SMALL PARTICLE IN THE WATER THAT HAS AN OIL-LOVING (OR HYDROPHOBIC FOR ALL YOU SCIENCE-LOVERS OUT THERE) TAIL THAT TRAPS DIRT, OIL AND MAKEUP! THE WATER-LOVING (HYDROPHILIC) HEAD ALLOWS THE MICELLE TO DISSOLVE IMPURITIES RESULTING IN THEM BEING EASILY WIPED AWAY. THAT’S WHY WE NEED NOT RINSE OUR FACES AFTER USING MICELLAR WATER!
There is a bit of a debate, so to speak, about the effectiveness of micellar water compared to face wipes. Face wipes are often seen as a convenience product. They’re super great for when you get home late or when you do not have access to water (because that’s what happens when you live in South Africa). The majority of beauty experts recommend that face wipes shouldn’t be used everyday and nor should they replace our usual facial cleansers. They recommend using them to remove eye makeup and then following with a face wash. Micellar water has increased EXPONENTIALLY in popularity recently and some ladies view it as a gentle cleanser on its own. There has been some backlash and people are two-minded as to whether it is in fact good enough to completely replace our daily face cleansers because it does not have a deep-cleaning function.
Fun fact: I use micellar water to wash away hard-to-remove stains from my makeup brushes and beautyblender. I find that micellar water is less harsh to use on my beautyblender as opposed to makeup remover. This micellar water was really effective for removing stains from my makeup brushes and beautyblender! It gets a MASSIVE thumbs up from me for this purpose!
Now for my favourite part of the range…the gel cream!
I previously discussed my distaste regarding the packaging, however the product itself is FANTASTIC! I was initially using the same amount of gel as if it were my normal moisturizer. I found that it was too much product and I lessened the amount over time.
The product should be massaged in circular motions into the skin. It absorbs so quickly and leaves my sin looking supple and “bouncy”! My skin definitely looked AND felt renewed! This product does not have SPF so I had to use a sunscreen in conjunction with it. The gel cream is exceptionally light and contrary to your first instincts, it’s not sticky at all! One might think a gel would leave your face looking greasy…
I also used the gel cream to accentuate my highlight when applying makeup. I would dot a bit of the gel cream on my cheekbones and then apply my liquid highlighter and top it all off with a powder highlighter! Needless to say, I was glowing all day long, baby!
EVEN WITHOUT MAKEUP, MY FACE HAS THIS BEAUTIFUL, NATURAL GLOW AFTER USING THE GEL CREAM. I AM SO HAPPY WITH THIS PRODUCT AND I WILL DEFINITELY REPURCHASE IT!
MY SKIN FELT AMAZING AND LOOKED EVEN MORE AMAZING AFTER USING THIS RANGE! IT WAS EASY TO USE AND CHANGE MY SKINCARE ROUTINE AND INCORPORATE THESE PRODUCTS INTO MY ROUTINE. THIS RANGE DID NOT HELP MY OTHER SKIN CONCERNS, LIKE BLACKHEADS, BUT THIS RANGE WASN’T AIMED AT DOING THAT…
BEAUTY BULLETIN SELECTED 100 INFLUENCERS TO TAKE PART IN THIS WORD-OF-MOUTH PROJECT AND EACH OF THE INFLUENCERS RECEIVED A 3-STEP PROCESS PACK.
Process pack 1 included: the Hydro Boost facial wipes, water gel cleanser and the gel moisturizer or gel cream.
The 3-step process for pack one included:
Remove Makeup – Hydro Boost facial wipes
Cleanse – water gel cleanser
Hydrate – gel moisturizer or gel cream
Process pack 2 included: the Hydro Boost Water Gel Cleanser, Micellar Water and gel moisturizer or gel cream.
The 3-step process for pack two included:
Cleanse – water gel cleanser
Remove Makeup – Micellar Water
Hydrate – gel moisturizer or gel cream
I received PACK 2 with: the HYDRO BOOST WATER, GEL CLEANSER, MICELLAR WATER & HYDRO BOOST GEL MOISTURISER. My skin-type is normal, although I suffer from an oily T-Zone and dry areas around my nose and on my cheeks and tiny pimples on my forehead.
“HYDRATION IS THE FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY-LOOKING SKIN.”
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
Firstly, I must make it known that I am absolutely smitten by the color of the entire range! I am hopelessly in love with anything blue.
The whole range is available both in-store AND online at Clicks, Dischem and Foschini.
HYDRO BOOST WATER GEL CLEANSER
The gel cleanser comes in a nifty 200 ml bottle with an adequately secure squeeze-pump mechanism. The bottle is quite elongated so it is comfortable to hold in your hands. Totally travel-friendly for a gal on the move!
A description of the product, directions and ingredients are listed on the back of the bottle. This product is made in Greece and should be used within 12 months of opening the product. The overall packaging of the product is simple, but sophisticated.
The gel cleanser is said to be lightweight and gets activated with water. It claims to lather away dirt, oil and make-up while leaving your skin bursting with hydration! It contains the much coveted Hyaluronic acid that naturally occurs in the skin- which basically boosts hydration and locks it in!
When I first tried it, I only used one pump and it was suffice for my entire face and neck area. The cleanser itself is transparent and has a slightly runny consistency. It lathers up decently and my face felt squeaky clean after use!
HYDRO BOOST MICELLAR WATER
The packaging of this bottle just screams, ” TRAVEL FRIENDLY!”. The product basically comes in a 200 ml bottle which is quite narrow. I prefer this bottle shape to the Garnier micellar water bottle shapes. It can be held much easily in one hand. It has a screw on cap, so it is totally leak-proof! The product retails for R99.95 which is slightly more than the Garnier micellar water.
I first tried out this micellar water under dire circumstances. In the small, little town where I live, the municipal water had been cut for just over three days. Our water tank was being a tad moody, and I had no water to wash my face! So, I grabbed this gem of a product and used it to clean my face and take out any impurities. I had no makeup on, and this cannot replace cleansing, however, my skin felt SO nourished and clean. The next day, I had no signs of any new breakouts and my skin was so supple!
HYDRO BOOST GEL CREAM
I tried this luxurious cream as soon as my package arrived! The product comes in a thick plastic 50ml container. The plastic container is recyclable. I would have ideally preferred a tube to squeeze the product out, purely for hygienic reasons. I do not like digging my fingers into products and this would be ever-so-slightly cumbersome for traveling! Nevertheless, I rubbed it into my skin using circular motions as per the instructions, and my skin immediately felt more hydrated and felt so supple!
For R139.95, a generous amount of product is provided. I basically used the same amount of product that I would use if it was my normal moisturizer. The product is particularly for very dry skin and does not have any SPF, so a sun screen is required. The consistency of the product is as per the name- it is a gel. It is extremely light! It absorbs into the skin without any haste. I’ve had so much grief in the past with my Eucerin day cream because it was just too thick and heavy.
Needless to say, I fell head over heels in love with this product!
DRY SKIN IS CAUSED BY A LACK OF LIPIDS OR OIL IN THE SKIN. WITH DEHYDRATED SKIN, THERE IS A LACK OF WATER IN THE STRATUM CORNEUM- THE UPPERMOST LAYER OF THE SKIN.
ANYONE can experience dehydrated skin. You do not have to have dry skin to have dehydrated skin. Oily and combination skin types can also experience dehydrated skin! That’s something I didn’t know…
Before using this range, I really didn’t realize how dull my skin actually was!
I blocked off my eyes in one of my pictures because I look as dead as my skin. LOL
PLEASE NOTE: NEUTROGENA IS NOT A CRUELTY-FREE BRAND. IF YOU ARE A VEGAN OR ONLY MAKE USE OF VEGAN OR CRUELTY-FREE PRODUCTS, THESE PRODUCTS WILL NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOU. THE PRODUCTS ALL CONTAIN GLYCERIN, IF YOU HAVE A GLYCERIN ALLERGY; THIS IS ALSO NOT SUITABLE FOR YOU.
This range is aimed at boosting hydration, locking it in ALL DAY and leaving your skin looking smooth, supple and renewed!
R E N E W E D!
My routine consisted of mainly using the cleanser and the gel cream. I used the micellar water to remove my makeup, specifically my eye-makeup. The micellar water was not used on a daily basis.
The cleanser has a gentle smell, and left my skin feeling SUPER DUPER clean! Most face cleansers usually dry my skin out. Boo! However, this face cleanser, containing hyaluronic acid, left my skin soft and hydrated. I used one pump for my entire face and the face wash itself lathers up relatively nicely. All in all, I now look forward to washing my face!
DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS RANGE ONLY COMBATS DEHYDRATED SKIN, I DID HAVE A FEW BREAKOUTS AND MY BLACKHEADS AROUND MY NOSE AREA WERE NOT REDUCED. I FELT THAT MY PORES FELT MUCH CLEANER THAN USUAL AFTER USING THIS RANGE. THE CLEANSER IS DERMATOLOGICALLY TESTED AND CONTAINS PERFUME.
The micellar water has a subtle but refreshing scent and also contains hyaluronic acid. The entire range does. My skin felt clean and extra supple after using this micellar water! Waterproof makeup was not an issue to remove! Although, I do feel that my Garnier oil-infused micellar water removes my makeup more effectively in the sense that less rubbing and product is needed. This product is also more expensive than the Garnier micellar water, but all in all, I would definitely use this product again and I MAY consider repurchasing!
How does micellar water work? Firstly, it can be used on ALL skin types and is exceptionally beneficial for dry and sensitive skin types. Now back to how it works…
IT IS LIKE A MINI SPONGE THAT MOPS UP DIRT AND MAKEUP USING MICELLAR TECHNOLOGY. A MICELLE IS A SMALL PARTICLE IN THE WATER THAT HAS AN OIL-LOVING (OR HYDROPHOBIC FOR ALL YOU SCIENCE-LOVERS OUT THERE) TAIL THAT TRAPS DIRT, OIL AND MAKEUP! THE WATER-LOVING (HYDROPHILIC) HEAD ALLOWS THE MICELLE TO DISSOLVE IMPURITIES RESULTING IN THEM BEING EASILY WIPED AWAY. THAT’S WHY WE NEED NOT RINSE OUR FACES AFTER USING MICELLAR WATER!
There is a bit of a debate, so to speak, about the effectiveness of micellar water compared to face wipes. Face wipes are often seen as a convenience product. They’re super great for when you get home late or when you do not have access to water (because that’s what happens when you live in South Africa). The majority of beauty experts recommend that face wipes shouldn’t be used everyday and nor should they replace our usual facial cleansers. They recommend using them to remove eye makeup and then following with a face wash. Micellar water has increased EXPONENTIALLY in popularity recently and some ladies view it as a gentle cleanser on its own. There has been some backlash and people are two-minded as to whether it is in fact good enough to completely replace our daily face cleansers because it does not have a deep-cleaning function.
Fun fact: I use micellar water to wash away hard-to-remove stains from my makeup brushes and beautyblender. I find that micellar water is less harsh to use on my beautyblender as opposed to makeup remover. This micellar water was really effective for removing stains from my makeup brushes and beautyblender! It gets a MASSIVE thumbs up from me for this purpose!
Now for my favourite part of the range…the gel cream!
I previously discussed my distaste regarding the packaging, however the product itself is FANTASTIC! I was initially using the same amount of gel as if it were my normal moisturizer. I found that it was too much product and I lessened the amount over time.
The product should be massaged in circular motions into the skin. It absorbs so quickly and leaves my sin looking supple and “bouncy”! My skin definitely looked AND felt renewed! This product does not have SPF so I had to use a sunscreen in conjunction with it. The gel cream is exceptionally light and contrary to your first instincts, it’s not sticky at all! One might think a gel would leave your face looking greasy…
I also used the gel cream to accentuate my highlight when applying makeup. I would dot a bit of the gel cream on my cheekbones and then apply my liquid highlighter and top it all off with a powder highlighter! Needless to say, I was glowing all day long, baby!
EVEN WITHOUT MAKEUP, MY FACE HAS THIS BEAUTIFUL, NATURAL GLOW AFTER USING THE GEL CREAM. I AM SO HAPPY WITH THIS PRODUCT AND I WILL DEFINITELY REPURCHASE IT!
MY SKIN FELT AMAZING AND LOOKED EVEN MORE AMAZING AFTER USING THIS RANGE! IT WAS EASY TO USE AND CHANGE MY SKINCARE ROUTINE AND INCORPORATE THESE PRODUCTS INTO MY ROUTINE. THIS RANGE DID NOT HELP MY OTHER SKIN CONCERNS, LIKE BLACKHEADS, BUT THIS RANGE WASN’T AIMED AT DOING THAT…
Product Recommendation
Would you recommend this product?
Yes
Would you repurchase this product?
Yes
MJ
Megan Jonkers
Top 100 Reviewer