FAREWELL, FLAKINESS

The Internet Is Obsessed With This Drugstore Moisturizer and Now I See Why

Ever since I accidentally damaged my skin’s moisture barrier, my face has been dry, patchy, and flaky. This Reddit-approved gel-cream fixed everything.

When it comes to people on the internet, I usually take their opinions with a grain of salt—but for me, Reddit is the exception. The “Front Page of the Internet” is less of a page and more of a discussion forum, where users can join the communities that interest them and share their expertise in a brutal, honest, anonymous, vote-based way. It was on Reddit (the subreddit r/SkincareAddiction, to be exact) that I stumbled upon the supposed “best moisturizer in the world.”

Mind you, I have tried just about every solution to fix my dry, flaky face, which had been getting worse since I accidentally damaged my skin’s moisture barrier with a one-two punch of sunburn and over-exfoliation. After that, my complexion has consistently looked patchy. I couldn’t find a foundation that wouldn’t flake. I’ve since attempted the bizarre, cult-favorite practice of slugging, $60 serums, CBD creams, gold-infused face masks — you name it. Nothing helped.

So, needless to say, I was floored when the Neutrogena Hydro Boost gel-cream worked better than all of them combined.

Amazon

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream

Amazon

This oil-free, non-comedogenic moisturizer comes in a baby-blue jar and has a lightweight, lotion-like consistency. Supposedly, it’s the hyaluronic acid that instantly infuses the skin with long-lasting hydration, but I don’t know—I’ve tried other hyaluronic acid-based moisturizers, and none of them worked like this.

There are three major things I love about it: First, it actually does what it says it’ll do, so I can apply my foundation and not have to worry about it flaking. Second, it’s fragrance-free so it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin. And third, it absorbs fast and never feels greasy, so it works especially well under makeup and doesn’t cause me to break out. I apply a few dabs every day after a shower, and my dry skin has improved tenfold. In fact, I’d even make the argument that I’ve had fewer blemishes, since my skin is no longer overproducing sebum to compensate for the dryness. Yes, having dry skin can actually cause you to break out more!

Reddit isn’t the only community that’s obsessed, though. Neutrogena Hydro Boost has over 15,000 reviews on Amazon, and past buyers have given it a 4.7-rating (out of 5 stars). “My new holy grail,” one wrote, while another said, “Solved all my problems [...] The best product I've ever bought.” Praise like that is hard to ignore—and I’m really glad I didn’t.

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Maria Cassano

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