Neutrogena Hydro Boost
The famous hyaluronic acid gel, in which hyaluronic acid is 15th of 20 ingredients and silicone is second.
Reviewed by Dr. Schwarz, MD · Dermatologist
A dermatologist’s take
Eh.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost is a pleasant, lightweight gel for oily and combination skin, but not the hyaluronic acid product its name promises. Hyaluronic acid sits fifteenth of twenty; the silicone doing the work sits second. Buy the fragrance-free version. If your skin is dry, this gel is too light.
Pros
- Good fit for oily skin
- Good fit for normal skin
Cons
- May be too light for very dry skin
- Standard version contains fragrance
Skin fit
Who is it best for?
Oily Skin
Good fitOily skin still loses water through the surface, and skipping moisturizer does not reduce oil. What it needs is water pulled in without a heavy seal on top.
This gel is light enough that oily skin will wear it every day, and it disappears under sunscreen and makeup.
Normal Skin
Good fitEnough moisture for skin with no particular complaint. If your skin is genuinely dry, this gel is too light on its own.
Acne
Okay fitBenzoyl peroxide and retinoids dry the skin out, and that is why people quit them. A light, non-greasy moisturizer alongside them prevents that.
This one adds no oils, though the fragranced version is worth avoiding on irritated skin.
Dry Skin
Poor fitHyaluronic acid is sold as the fix for dry skin, and this is the gel most people start with. It holds water at the surface but has little to seal it in, so dry skin needs a cream with lipids over it.
Eczema
Poor fitNo barrier repair, and the gel base can sting cracked skin. Use an ointment or a ceramide cream in a flare.
Feel & smell
What does it feel like?
Gel
It is a water gel: light, cooling, absorbed in seconds with nothing left on the surface. Some find it slightly tacky as it settles, and some report stinging.
It sits well under sunscreen and makeup, and pilling is not a common complaint. It comes in a screw-top jar, so you dip fingers into it. The standard version contains fragrance and a blue dye; the fragrance-free version is the one to buy.
Inside the formula
What do the main ingredients do?
More ingredient roles
How this formula works.
A moisturizer has three moves: pull water into the outer layer, replace the fats that glue those cells together, or seal the surface. Neutrogena Hydro Boost does the first and the third and skips the second, because there are no ceramides in it.
Full clinical explanation
A moisturizer has three moves: pull water into the outer layer, replace the fats that glue those cells together, or seal the surface. Neutrogena Hydro Boost does the first and the third and skips the second, because there are no ceramides in it.
The pulling is done by glycerin and a long list of small humectants — sodium PCA, urea, trehalose and amino acids — several of which skin makes for itself. The sealing is done by dimethicone, a silicone that lays a breathable, non-greasy film across the surface.
That film is why the gel feels so good, and it is also where the name misleads. Hyaluronic acid is a trace ingredient, not the active. The formula works well for oily and combination skin, but you are buying a silicone and glycerin gel rather than the hyaluronic acid on the jar.
Full ingredient list · 34 ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Serine, Glycine, Alanine, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Lysine Hcl, Glutamic Acid, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Betaine, Allantoin, Fructose, Maltose, Trehalose, Glucose, Pentylene Glycol, Synthetic Beeswax, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide
All ingredient roles
Glycerin
A small humectant. It moves into the outer layer of skin and holds water there.
Dimethicone
A silicone that smooths the surface and adds to the protective film.
Sodium Hyaluronate
A form of hyaluronic acid. Its molecule is large, so it stays on the surface and holds water there.
Water
The base the other ingredients are dissolved in. Most of it evaporates soon after the product goes on.
Ethylhexylglycerin
Helps the preservative work and softens the feel of the product.
Use & results
How to use it.
How much
A pea-sized amount for the face. It spreads a long way for a gel.
Tip
The light finish is the main reason to own it. It sits under sunscreen and makeup without rolling up.
What to expect
Skin feels hydrated immediately and stays that way as long as you keep applying. If your skin feels tight again a few hours later, this gel is too light for you.
Price spectrum
Where does the price fall?
Paying more doesn’t guarantee better results. A good buy is a formula with the right ingredients, strength and texture for your skin. Use price per ounce to compare cost, then weigh it against the pros and cons above.
The product line
Which Neutrogena product should you choose?
Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost range includes water gels, richer creams and SPF options. Similar names do not mean identical formulas. Check the finish, fragrance labeling and whether you are choosing a moisturizer or a sunscreen version.
Water Cream Fragrance-Free
The richer cream in the current Hydro Boost range, positioned for dry to extra-dry skin.
Gel Cream Fragrance-Free
The fragrance-free gel cream in the current Hydro Boost range, positioned for normal to dry skin.
Water Gel
The lightest. The standard version contains fragrance and a blue dye.
Hydro Boost with SPF
A daytime version with sunscreen filters. Check the SPF number before relying on it.
More about the lineup
Hydro Boost is a family, not one product, and the versions are easy to mix up. Two things separate them: how rich they are, and whether there is fragrance in them.
Alternatives
If it didn’t work for you
CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
Fragrance-free and dye-free, light enough for oily skin, with niacinamide fourth and ceramides. It pills, so apply thinly.
Read the review →
The Inkey List Omega Water Cream
A fragrance-free, oil-free gel-cream at $15, with niacinamide at 5%, the dose the studies used. Too light for dry skin.
Read the review →
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Moisturizer
Fragrance-free, light under makeup, with ceramide-3 and niacinamide. Acne-prone skin should treat it as try-and-see.
Read the review →Questions
Before you buy
Is hyaluronic acid the main ingredient in Neutrogena Hydro Boost?
No. It is fifteenth of twenty. Silicone and glycerin do most of the work.
Is there a fragrance-free version of Neutrogena Hydro Boost?
Yes. The main version has fragrance and Blue 1 dye; the fragrance-free one skips both.
Was Neutrogena Hydro Boost part of the benzene recall?
No. That recall covered aerosol sunscreen sprays.
Is Neutrogena Hydro Boost good for oily skin?
Yes. The light water gel suits oily and combination skin.
Does Neutrogena Hydro Boost pill?
Some report tackiness or stinging more than pilling. Apply a thin layer.
Sources
Sources and further reading
- Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. Issues Voluntary Recall of Specific NEUTROGENA® and AVEENO® Aerosol Sunscreen Products Due to the Presence of Benzene
- Valisure Detects Benzene in Sunscreen
- Active agents in common skin care products
- Moisturizers: reality and the skin benefits
- Efficacy Evaluation of a Topical Hyaluronic Acid Serum in Facial Photoaging
Keep exploring
