Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

(A short-and-sweet summary at the bottom for those who don't want to read this long review)
Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Water Gel is versatile and glides onto the skin nicely. The texture of this moisturizer is typical to gel moisturizers and the viscosity is a bit runny (I recommend sitting this product right-side-up if you buy it online, so all the product sits down and nothing spills). One thing that saddens me about this product is that it is around $15-20 USD. I find this product runs out after around 2 months with daily use.

This product comes in a tub, usually with a white top and a blue container. You can use up ALL of the product due to the setup! I find nothing is wasted. This DOES have a scent, which may or may not be, too strong (in my opinion, it is not AND the scent goes away upon application!!). I LOVE the scent of this moisturizer!! But this might be a deal breaker for many people. If you have tried Neutrogena's Hydro Boost face mask, then it's the same exact scent (albeit stronger because it's a mask). It could be beneficial to you to try the mask for the scent. Also, this moisturizer is quite hydrating so it may need a few minutes to dry.

I will say that I have repurchased this product 2-3 times already by the time I wrote this, so I have experimented a lot with it. My face has combination skin; cheeks are dry, the area near my eyes are normal and my t-zone is oily. This moisturizer is light-weight, and since it is a gel-type, you can easily make the mistake of putting on too much. A little goes a long way and ESPECIALLY for oily skin. If a lot is applied onto oily skin, then the skin will seem very shiny. This is not a look that I strive for at all, so dipping a finger on the surface of the gel and then applying that small amount onto the skin is a good way to not over saturate the skin. If that's not enough, you can always layer on more.

On the other hand, you can apply this moisturizer to dry skin by applying on more! This moisturizer, if you have normal-to-combination type skin, is perfect. (There's a version for dryer skin but this isn't the review for that nor have I tried it). For me, my cheeks have developed to be more dryer. Because of this, my routine has includes adding oil to my moisturizer and then onto my cheeks. For those with dryer skin, this may not be what you're looking for. So yes, I'm saying it might not be enough hydration for dry skin. If your skin leans more on normal but still dry, then I think this product could work. This combination of moisturizer-and-oil also works well with this product; the gel moisturizer binds to the oil well. I have not applied oil to the whole tub, but instead apply to the small amount I need (because my combination skin requires me to use the product as-is).

I do have ONE sensitive area on my face. This product does make the area around my nostrils burn if I apply A LOT. This area is the most sensitive area of my face, it happens with most products. I avoid this by adding a light amount to the area (and also adding a bit of oil to the moisturizer prior).

Do I recommend this product? Yes. Like I said, I have combination skin and I make this product work for me.

Summary: This is a good moisturizer for combination skin, especially oily-to-normal (I explain about dry skin later in this paragraph). Price point is around $15 to $20 USD (I wish it was cheaper) and I restock around 2 months with daily use (I CAN'T skip a day, my face doesn't react well). It should be used lightly on the skin, especially with oily skin. Layering is important when it comes to this product; less is more!! Moisturizer has a scent; might be a deal-breaker for you (there's a face-mask within the same line you can try and it has the same scent). Scent goes away upon application. Dryer skin may need an additive like oil (I use an oil for the dryer parts of my face) but the moisturizer adheres to the oil well. (There is a version of this moisturizer for dryer skin). Overall, I recommend this product!!

I've used up my jar of this, i used it as my daytime moisturiser with sunscreen applied after it set on the daily. I have dry skin, and because of my age, my issues are eye wrinkles, drying skin and sun damage.

It did the job, it moisturised my skin and my skin remained hydrated throughout the day.

My issue was the texture/formula. Its lightweight, and it needs time to set. Which meant of a morning in order to get this to work for me I had to apply the moisturiser, then go have breakfast, then apply sunscreen. If I didn't allow this product at least 5 minutes to soak in before applying the next product, i had problems with products moving all over the place. Since I work and I have a life, I'm not interested in spending an hour getting ready by waiting for products to soak into my skin before applying the next layer. Its not a product for the time poor woman.

I also think its not a product for mature or dry skin, i think its more suited to young oily skin that needs hydrating but doesn't want something that will clog pores. At my age, I prefer a more moisturising product rather than a hydrating product like this. So, if you have hours and hours to get ready of a morning, don't work, don't have responsibilities, have oily break out prone skin - you may like this.

This has been my go to moisturizer before makeup for about a year. I would try to moisturize with creams, but it was too heavy for my oily skin and wouldn’t sink in quickly enough for mornings I needed to get to work on time. Basically - oil slick by 10 AM when I attempted to apply makeup after my cream moisturizer. It was so bad I stopped moisturizing before makeup. I just put the cream on at night and let my natural oils do whatever the next morning.

Now, I am able to put this product on to hydrate and plump my skin, leave it for about 10 minutes, and apply makeup that looks really nice over it!

Seeing the other reviews this product will either irritate your skin or not. Thank goodness I have not had any breakouts and I have pretty sensitive skin (for instance I personally can’t use the high-end “Drunk Elephant Baby Facial” because it clogs my skin like crazy!!!).

I would recommend people to at least try (especially my oily brothers and sisters) because it’s an economical find that works amazing on some people. Maybe just do a patch test on your forehead and keep the receipt!

I'm pretty surprised by the negative reviews! But like a previous more positive review, I'm writing with reference to the fragrance-free extra-dry skin variety. My skin gets very dry, even in desperately humid/hot/miserable summer weather, and sometimes the thought of using a regular moisturizer is way too much. Creams never really sink in, and the oil I use in the AM isn't quite right for overnight moisture either. I bought this in a panic when it was about 97 degrees out and I was trying to avoid going back to my un-air conditioned apartment. All in all, I have been happy. The texture is really pleasant, smooth and cool, but it sinks in very quickly and doesn't leave any kind of filmy residue, and it doesn't make me look like a greased pig 35 seconds later. My skin hasn't seemed to have had any adverse reactions to it, no bumps, no breakouts.

As with most people, pots of product are not my favorite by any means, but the wide mouth makes it easy to get a dollop without too much work, and as long as you've washed your hands, it shouldn't be too concerning. I don't think I will continue using this as my PM moisturizer once the weather changes, as I definitely need something stronger for winter, but as a lighter weight/summer product, it has been a great addition to my routine.

I used it once and my forehead became a brillo pad of clogged pores. I've never has such an immediate strong reaction that wasn't irritation - it's like they designed a product specifically to clog pores and make your skin look bumpier.

The smell is strong enough that my boyfriend thought I put on perfume before bed, I wouldn't say it's a bad smell, but it's so intense that I almost - almost - didn't put it on my face.

Curology recommended this product and I actually emailed them, because (without hyperbole) this is the worst $20 I've ever spent on beauty.

I liked the texture but this irritated my skin and always gave me a burning sensation whenever I used it. It also did not hydrate my skin at all. Do not recommend for dry & sensitive skin. Also has a strong smell I didnt like.

I have oily skin and this stuff really makes a difference. I even notice that when I put it on before bed I am less oily in the morning. It hydrates my dry spots and leaves my skin feeling supple and smooth. I love gel moisturizers and this one is great for the price.

Used for a month or two and definitely noticed this product clogged my pores for sure, it moisturized well but not worth the blackheads and clogged pores!

This product didn't do much to moisturise my skin. I though I needed to apply more but then it broke me out ridiculously. It does feel nice and cooling on your face and spreads far but doesn't do it's job. Now I have loads of clogged pores all over my face that I need to deal with. The packaging is nice but not very hygienic.

This felt heavy like a silicone primer and left a film. Felt gross and yet my skin still felt dry not moisturized. Wanted to like this as heard so much about it. I got about half way through the jar thinking I need to get used to a gel moisturizer...I would not buy this again.