Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen SPF 50

10 Reviews

1. 

   alertEggs3

   Reply

   This is a pretty good Western dupe of my HG sunscreen, Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel SPF 50. The pros are that it’s more easily accessible in Western countries, and there’s a way bigger quantity of product than the Nivea sunscreen for the price. The cons are that it’s not a very good sunscreen for the beach/pool/outdoors, because when the sweat mixes with this sunscreen, it can really sting and burn the eyes.

   That said, there’s no white cast, it’s slightly moisturizing on the skin, layers nicely under makeup, and it’s got a really high degree of sun protection which makes it great for an everyday office sunscreen that will protect the skin adequately.

2. 

   sincereCurlew2

   Reply

   This is fine for a body sunscreen but I can’t use it on my face because over time it runs and stings my eyes (gets worse if I’m sweating). Too bad, because I like how it absorbs quickly, dries matte-to-slightly-satin, and moisturizes skin. You can slather a lot on and it will all sink into your skin as well. It hasn’t stained any of my clothes (usually cotton), so I will probably re-purchase for body lotion. There’s a bit of fragrance but I don’t mind.

3. 

   chicHare1

   Reply

   This has been pretty hyped up on YT lately so I had to see for myself if I was missing out on something special. The texture is very nice, no disputing that. The fragrance is so strong. I know people that this would trigger a migraine in. I couldn’t wait to wash it off. As a result of the fragrance being too overpowering for me I can’t give a more thorough review, sorry. The only thing I can say is that is feels cosmetically pleasing. Honestly, I don’t know why I thought I’d find a better face sunscreen than my HG Australian Gold Botanical Tinted Mineral Sunscreen. Lesson learned, don’t fix what isn’t broke.

4. 

   gloomyCoati0

   Reply

   If a sunscreen is not pleasant to use, I won’t, no matter how effective it is. This new one from Neutrogena is good- feels comfortable going on, smells nice and works alone and under makeup. After daily use for 2 weeks I have not experienced any breakouts or burning eyes. I’d prefer an all mineral sunscreen, but have yet to find one that is “cosmetically elegant” and doesn’t leave a cast.

5. 

   excludedCur4

   Reply

   While I really enjoy the way this works under my makeup, a few things have caused me to discontinue. It burns my eyes so so bad I couldn’t wear it with my contacts in. Also, after the 3rd day of use, I started breaking out in places I never normally get pimples. So I stopped using it on my face, but kept using it on my chest and arms. Fast forward another week and I have broken out all across my chest and the back of my hands. Yes, for the first time in my life I have acne On. My. Hands. So now I’m dealing with HUNDREDS of pustules and I’m pretty displeased.

6. 

   gutturalBaboon0

   Reply

   I wanted to love this. I adore the Hydro Boost line (I use the gel moisturizer religiously). I heard it was an okay dupe for Biore’s Watery Essence sunscreen (which I also use), so I figured, why not? And at first it was nice. I love the line’s smell, and this sunscreen smells no different. It’s greasier than Biore’s essence sunscreen, but I usually wear powder over my makeup anyway so it was easy to cover up.

   Then the burning started.

   I’ve heard this one burns if you get it in your eyes so I avoided the eye area. It doesn’t matter. It started burning every inch of skin it touched. My skin is by no means sensitive and I’m not allergic to anything – I even patch tested it beforehand – so I don’t know what it is, but I’m sitting here with a sheet mask on, trying to cool down my face and praying the redness goes down in the next few hours.

   So… I liked it just fine until it set fire to my face flesh. If you decide to try it, be careful. For the love of God, be careful.

7. 

   brainyStork3

   Reply

   This sunscreen is okay. It’s a chemical sunscreen in an interesting gel form. Goes in easily

   Pros-
   – I do think it is hydrating
   – spreads smoothly and evenly. Not cakey.
   – ingredients themselves did not make me breakout, I dont think.
   -has never pilled on me, even under makeup

   Cons-
   – it makes my face feel greasy but not really look greasy. Kind of a dewy thing but I dont like it. I had to blot shortly after applying which helped a little.
   – has a lot of fragrance and dyes that are really unnecessary
   – as I said before, the ingredients didnt break me out but over time I think the greasiness did. My face felt oily and I felt like all dirt and debris was just clinging to it. Really made me want to wash my face.
   – I watched dr drays opinion on this sunscreen (after purchasing) and she said the UVA protecting ingredient isnt consistent. UVB was fine.

   It’s an okay sunscreen but I think there are better.

   EDIT:
   My skin isn’t as oily as before thanks to skincare and possibly it being winter. I’ve been using this again and I still feel mixed. If you have dry skin, it does add a dewy look. Without my excess oil, I don’t find it as greasy and it doesn’t make my skin feel dirty/gross. I’m still bothered by the fragrance and colouring though.

   Its a decent sunscreen for someone with normal-dry skin.

8. 

   curiousCardinal6

   Reply

   This is the best suncreen for combination skin type.

9. 

   aloofApples8

   Reply

   I bought this as a lightweight gel sunscreen alternative to Biore UV Milk, which worked fine as a sunscreen but has a silicone texture that I didn’t like. I’m now on my second tube.

   The Hydro Boost is affordable and easy enough to find in Rite Aid. It’s a pale blue opaque gel that hydrates with hyaluronic acid (an ingredient my skin loves). I didn’t get any breakouts from it, however if I sweat while wearing it, my eyes start stinging something fierce. The sting is worse than most other sunscreens I’ve tried, and I question if the gel is sweat-soluble. However, I haven’t tanned at all this summer on my face and I’m outside several times a day so it is filling my needs.

   I paid $12 for a 3.0 ounce upright tube at Rite Aid.

10. 

    worriedCordial1

    Reply

    Edit: Someone asked me to compare this to the SPF 30 version. I don’t prefer one over the other. Spf 30 version has alcohol denat lower on the ingredient list so that’s a plus. But… it also causes you to compromise your SPF level.

    —

    For a drugstore sunscreen, this definitely isn’t horrible. It preforms similar to asian sunscreen brands. The price is a steal… I’d pay the same for about 1/3 the amount of product usually. This isn’t cakey, in fact the formula helps my (very matte) foundation glide on. I believe the Glycerin (listed as 2nd ingredient) is to thank for that. It *feels* hydrating and does eventually absorb. You can’t detect it under my make up. While it doesn’t keep me matte, I don’t get oily any earlier than without it. And yet…I likely won’t repurchase.

    Why?

    Because Neutrogena went with chemical UV filters and a boatload of drying alcohol for the ingredient list. My face is left burning red after a day of using this and it literally stings. If you have normal – tough skin, go for it. It’s a great option for those who can tolerate asian sunscreen formulations (many have the same cons) but don’t want to order from overseas. If you have sensitive or rosacea-prone skin, save yourself some pain.

    I will note I am acne-prone and this sunscreen caused no break outs for me. However – I’ve seen complaints elsewhere. Some of you with acne-prone skin might find the glycerin or hyaluronic acid to be too emollient for your skintype. Your mileage may vary.

    Current ingredient list:

    Active Ingredients: Avobenzone – 2.7 %, Homosalate – 9 %, Octisalate – 5 %, Octocrylene – 9 %, Oxybenzone – 4.5 %

    Inactive Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat, Caprylyl Methicone, Diisopropyl Adipate, Silica, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dimethicone, Polyurethane-62, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Crosspolymer, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Fragrance, Chlorphenesin, Menthyl Lactate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Trideceth-6, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Violet 2, Blue 1