Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar

I had originally wrote a review after I tried a sample and thought it was too drying. I recently have been exploring the Philosophy line again and feel like they are the best. I don't know why I ever stopped. Their prices are even wonderful compared to other brands at Sephora. I still think this moisturizer is too drying if you have dry skin. It's a light daytime moisturizer that works amazing for oily skin. If you have oily skin, you know that it's hard to use most products out there for anti aging as they are too hydrating and geared towards women with dry skin. This works perfect for oily skin and you can layer serums under without being more greasy. It's very brightening. My skin has looked smooth, clear, and more radiant. I haven't had any new lines since using. It won't cause acne if you are acne prone either. It is perfumed but nothing too crazy. I absolutely love.

I've gone through almost a whole jar of this, and it's just kind of... meh. Not awful, but not great. First of all, though: why does it have to come in a jar!? Like, I get that the whole name is related to the packaging, but why not (Renewed) Hope in a bottle? Bottled hope? Jars are unhygienic and the formula isn't stable when exposed to oxygen. So even if this little jar contains some good ingredients, it'll become less and less effective each time you open it. Not a fan.

It goes on nicely, it feels almost gel-like and absorbs quickly. I appreciate that in a day cream, since I apply makeup almost right after moisturizer in the morning. It's one of those products that claims to be for every skin type (dry, normal, oily, combination AND sensitive, more specifically), which is usually BS as different types of skin have different needs. I have combination skin with a slightly oily t-zone, normal elsewhere expect for the winter when I get surface dry. I'm also acne prone, and I didn't notice this breaking me out or anything. It found it to provide pretty light moisture though, not quite enough for the winter months. I had to compensate with a lot of moisture in the evenings instead. I would say it's probably best for oiler skin that just needs some light moisture.

Again, it's not awful. It's just not as great as I would expect from the price, the ballsy name nor the hype. I guess the US price of $39 isn't a catch either, but it is compared to here in Sweden where it's a whopping $58, and I can say for sure that it wasn't worth that much money. Also, I stuffed up when researching the brand - it is in fact not cruelty free as I thought at the time that I bought it. That's my bad, but it's another reason why I wouldn't want to repurchase it.

+ Non-greasy
+ Absorbs quickly
+ Didn't break me out

- Brand tests on animals
- Jar packaging
- Overpriced
- Not very moisturizing and certainly not for all skin types, as it claims to be

My review will be short & to the point:
Received a small sample tube of this for free. Would never buy this because A). the scent is too strong. I don't like it at all. Too perfumey. It would have gotten 3 lippies if not for the strong scent. & B). while this wasn't a bad moisturizer, it was certainly nothing special. There are better, far less expensive moisturizers out there. I'll stick with my Jason 5000 iu Vitamin E moisturizer (no scent, thank you very much!) that costs me $9.99 & moisturizes better than this (for me, YMMV).

I really like this product for my normal/combination skin. My pores in the t-zone have gotten larger with age, and this really makes them look better. It's not quite moisturizing enough for my cheek areas, but works fine everywhere else. And I, too, wish it were in a tube.

Not only am I using this cream but also the eye and SPF 30 versions too. This version I use at night and I really like it. The cream is light and absorbent and I wake up to better looking skin. The AHA in this is really helping my skin look freshly renewed. However, the SPF 30 version is impossible for foundation. I love the high sunscreen, but when putting liquid foundation over it, the cream pills causes the foundation to look patchy, and in some spots irradiated...bizarre. I still have not tried powder foundation over it yet. Unlike the SPF 30 version, this renewed hope, the renewed hope eye cream, I recommend but I will not repurchase any of them in the future.

I'm on I think my 3rd jar of this fantastic moisturizer. It contains "a triple blend of alpha hydroxy acids, 3 forms of hyaluronate plus an asian fruit extract" - and let me tell you, this is *heaven-sent* for acne-prone skin. I use this day version (not the gel-cream, but both are oil-free) and the accompanying night version (Sephora was selling a cool set with a full sized day jar and a 1/4 size night jar) and it is so so so good for my skin, it just drinks it up and gets really soft and glowy. Keeps acne at bay (in fact, during a particularly good skin period, I was using ONLY the day cream during the day and my skin stayed clear as a bell). This wears really well under makeup, my concealer and powder don't separate at all...it almost acts like a primer for me. It smells heavenly - fruity but light, and feels very light on the skin (night version is slightly more rich). I *get* that they couldn't call it "Hope in a Jar" if it was in an airless pump (Hope in an Airless Pump Bottle just doesn't have the same ring to it), but that really is this fabulous product's only downfall...the packaging. I dislike jars so much - any light- or air-sensitive ingredients will start to break down immediately and become less effective over time. Not to mention they are unsanitary. I wish Philosophy could fix this!

The salesperson at Sephora gave me the last 5 samples of this cream, and I have been using it on and off for a few months. Here are my thoughts:

1. If you are concerned about the antioxidants degrading in the tub, see if you can get some of the sample size tubes (about .25 ounces). I love them because it's easy to squeeze out a pea size amount that covers my whole face. Boo tubs.

2. The scent - fresh/floral, not offensive to me, but pronounced.

3. Applied at night after cleansing, serum. After applied, topped with Mizon snail cream. This combo works wonders to keep my skin hydrated and clear. I noticed that my skin was noticeably brighter and smoother.

4. You can get some wonderful Korean skincare products for <$20 usd, so I usually avoid pricier creams like this. However, I do like the feel and the combination of acids in this product, which seem to work well to keep my skin clear and bright. Although this is a more expensive product than I would normally use, I do see myself purchasing this after all my samples are used up.

The only hope for hope in a jar (and all varieties of it) is that they change it to hope in a opaque tube in order to preserve the small amount of antioxidants it has. Why so many companies continue to use jars is beyond me; exposing the contents to air--ie OXYGEN--renders ANTIoxidants useless.

Additionally, it contains several potential irritants, including lavender oil, limonene, linalool, and a lot of fragrance. The AHAs in it, though, are great and at the right pH to exfoliate as well as a smooth texture if you can tolerate the fragrance--and this would change my review if it were in a tube. Unfortunately, even with freshly washed hands, you're at risk of contaminating the entire jar. Jar products are excellent mediums to grow bacteria, and it doesn't take much.

With so many affordable options on the market, this one should stay on the shelf. Check out the Alpha line for superior AHAs formulations in a variety of concentrations, and you can get the full line for the same price as one useless no hope in jar.

I really like this moisturizer. I purchased this from Sephora when I was looking for a good facial moisturizer for sensitive skin and this got good reviews. I have dry skin that worsens during the colder months but I don't like using heavy moisturizers on my face. This has a nice light texture and I love how it feels going on my skin. It doesn't feel greasy or oily. Primer goes on well over it too. I like how white and clean packaging and the product itself looks.

Light weight, non-greasy, and moisturizing. I use day and night and it absorbs really quickly. Does not leave a shine when used in the AM. Really healing for extremely dry skin and hydrates almost instantly. Contains alpha hydroxy acids and fruit extracts.