I feel like I’ve been reviewing a lot of expensive skin care on my blog since I started to receive all kinds of products in my beauty boxes, but now it’s time to make a shift towards what I actually buy and use on daily basis. truth be told, while I can do some splurges when it comes to makeup, I can’t do the same thing for skincare because these are products that I have to buy each month as I use them on daily basis.

And because It was the middle of the summer when I found myself in need of a moisturizer, I decided to opt for a hydrating gel because I want it to be light, to absorb fast into the skin and to prevent adding more shiny layers to my face because I sweat a lot.

Packaging:

The gel comes in a clear glass jar with green writing on it. A jar contains 50 ml, just like most moisturizers.

Texture:

This is a full on gel, not a gel cream, so it does have a jelly texture. It’s clear and it has no scent.

Ingredients:

Aqua/​Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Alcohol Denat, Pentylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Water/​Grape Fruit Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Acrylates/​C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Salicylic Acid, Parfum/​Fragrance

The formula is vegan , it contains 96% ingredients of natural origin and it has some interesting things in there. Salicylic acid is good for acne and works also as an exfoliator, and the aloe leaf juice powder has soothing effects.

Glycerin is a cheap but effective moisturizing ingredient that protects against irritation and helps restore the skin’s natural barrier. Propanediol is a natural alternative for propylene glycol and is usually obtained from corn sugar. It improves skin moisturization, boosts preservative efficiency and acts as a solvent. Alcohol denat is not a great ingredient, but it it used to create light formulas, it’s astringent and antimicrobial.

Pentylene glycol is also a commonly used moisturizer. There is also grape fruit water in here, a natural ingredient that is rich in antioxidants and soothes the skin.

Sodium hydroxide is a substance that is very alkaline and it’s used to adjust the pH level of a product. Caprylyl glycol is what gives the skin a nice and soft feel.

Polyglyceryl-10 laureate helps to blend small amounts of oily substances in water-based products. Acrylates/​C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is often used in gel formulas because it’s a molecule that is part water and part oil, because it works as a thickener and emulsion stabilizer.

I don’t know why perfume is also listed in here because the gel has no scent, but at least it’s the very last ingredient on the list.

Price and accessibility:

Garnier products are widely available being a drugstore brand. I got mine from the DM store in my town and it was about 5 euros, which is certainly an affordable price.

My overall opinion:

At first, I didn’t like the gel because it felt a little bit sticky on the skin, but after a few uses I noticed that the feeling goes away after 15 – 20 minutes, so I just put my moisturizer on in the morning and then I wait a bit before I do my makeup and I do other things like preparing a coffee cup, having a small breakfast etc.

Other than this small detail, the gel does provide tons of hydration. It feels like a tall glass of water for my skin. Although I have combination to oily skin, I can get dehydrated during summer, so I need a little extra hydration. I also like how it contains moisturizing and soothing ingredients as well as salicylic acid which is great for oily and combination skin, especially for blackheads.

In other words, I love this gel and I would repurchase it again, especially for the times when I want something that feels very light on the skin.