Apologies: I used to put prices as a service for those who wanted to know, but I no longer do it. ^__^
Thanks to Neutrogena for giving me this chance to try the products.
It's time to give a review of the Neutrogena Hydro Boost products, after about 1 week's usage.
Overall, I found the products to be very comfortable to use. When applied, the products give a sense of high water content and moisturisation. There is no oiliness or stickiness; everything is absorbed quickly upon application.
However, I did not like the very strong clinical scent. Some people have mentioned it smells flowery, but I personally can't place the smell. I also found my skin felt very dry if I don't use my usual moisturiser and the cleanser felt abit too strong. Further, after about 4-5 days of use, I found my skin became bumpy and my pores became very clogged up, even in areas like my cheeks where I normally don't have a clogged-pore problem. :( This is strange because my skin felt dry yet clogged! And I normally use heavier products, but those have not clogged my pores. :( At first, I thought it's because I've eaten too much sugar and dairy but after I stopped using the products, my skin returned to normal, even when I continued eating sugary and dairy stuff. I've not tried the mask yet.
Here are photos of my skin, after use of each product. Again, photos have not been processed.
Bare skin, after cleansing with Hydro Boost Mousse Cleanser. The clear cleanser liquid pumps out into a mousse form. About 1-2 pumps is more than sufficient for cleansing off oil and dirt, however it is not a makeup remover. It leaves a light oily film after rinsing but after drying off, I find my skin feeling tight and dry. You can see my clogged and dry pores!!!!!!!! T_T
This is after application of the Hydro Boost Clear Lotion. Perhaps this is one of my favourite items from the range. It does not sting and provides a quick boost of hydration. You can see my skin is more hydrated after using it.
The Hydro Boost Essence, I applied after the lotion, which is my usual procedure for most essences. It feels light and absorbs quickly. However, I did not feel it boosted hydration alot and I generally felt that 1 pump was not really hydrating enough.
After application of the Hydro Boost Water Gel. Very strange, does my skin appear to get progressively drier in the photos? It's not a wrong sequence. I was careful.
Ok, finally, when I used the products, I felt like alot of hydration was absorbed into my skin when I applied the products, so that is very good. But I was shocked at the photos. They proved my skin became drier and clogged. The products also did not leave a layer of protection that I'm used to with my other products. Also overall, the oilier parts of my face fared better than the drier parts of my face. Hence, I conclude that this set of products is better for people with oilier skin.
If you'd like to try these products, here are the prices provided from Neutrogena. I did a search on other reviews and the products did receive good reviews from other people, so I do think it really depends on your skin. Perhaps mine is too dry and sensitive.
• Hydro Boost Mousse Cleanser - $15.80
• Hydro Boost Clear Lotion - $13.50
• Hydro Boost Water Gel - $20.90
• Hydro Boost Essence - $16.90
• Hydro Boost Mask - $31.50
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Violette Du Soir 461; Rose Boise 460
Jeu D'Ombrelles 408 (Ltd); Cherry Blossom 07 Blush Eclat (Ltd)
Cherry Blossom 07 Blush Eclat (Ltd)
Overall, I found the products to be very comfortable to use. When applied, the products give a sense of high water content and moisturisation. There is no oiliness or stickiness; everything is absorbed quickly upon application.
However, I did not like the very strong clinical scent. Some people have mentioned it smells flowery, but I personally can't place the smell. I also found my skin felt very dry if I don't use my usual moisturiser and the cleanser felt abit too strong. Further, after about 4-5 days of use, I found my skin became bumpy and my pores became very clogged up, even in areas like my cheeks where I normally don't have a clogged-pore problem. :( This is strange because my skin felt dry yet clogged! And I normally use heavier products, but those have not clogged my pores. :( At first, I thought it's because I've eaten too much sugar and dairy but after I stopped using the products, my skin returned to normal, even when I continued eating sugary and dairy stuff. I've not tried the mask yet.
Here are photos of my skin, after use of each product. Again, photos have not been processed.
Bare skin, after cleansing with Hydro Boost Mousse Cleanser. The clear cleanser liquid pumps out into a mousse form. About 1-2 pumps is more than sufficient for cleansing off oil and dirt, however it is not a makeup remover. It leaves a light oily film after rinsing but after drying off, I find my skin feeling tight and dry. You can see my clogged and dry pores!!!!!!!! T_T
This is after application of the Hydro Boost Clear Lotion. Perhaps this is one of my favourite items from the range. It does not sting and provides a quick boost of hydration. You can see my skin is more hydrated after using it.
The Hydro Boost Essence, I applied after the lotion, which is my usual procedure for most essences. It feels light and absorbs quickly. However, I did not feel it boosted hydration alot and I generally felt that 1 pump was not really hydrating enough.
After application of the Hydro Boost Water Gel. Very strange, does my skin appear to get progressively drier in the photos? It's not a wrong sequence. I was careful.
Ok, finally, when I used the products, I felt like alot of hydration was absorbed into my skin when I applied the products, so that is very good. But I was shocked at the photos. They proved my skin became drier and clogged. The products also did not leave a layer of protection that I'm used to with my other products. Also overall, the oilier parts of my face fared better than the drier parts of my face. Hence, I conclude that this set of products is better for people with oilier skin.
If you'd like to try these products, here are the prices provided from Neutrogena. I did a search on other reviews and the products did receive good reviews from other people, so I do think it really depends on your skin. Perhaps mine is too dry and sensitive.
My skin is on the dry side, aging (so ok, I'm a couple of years shy of 40, so it's inevitable) and very fragile/sensitive/hyper-reactive.
My current skincare regimen includes face wash, lotion, serums and creams from Kanebo Impress, Impress IC and Skinceuticals. I will halt use of my personal products, with the exception of my whitening serums (which the Hydro Boost collection does not have). I will also continue using Shu Uemura cleansing oil which is my current makeup remover (oh this reminds me I should do a post on the cleansing oils that I bought).
I will be reviewing each of the products and providing more information in detail over the next few days and will post photos of the status of my skin as I use the products. Hope you enjoy this "experimental" new way of reviewing products, which I hope provides a more structured and "scientific" review process.
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