I got this little sample from an Ulta gift with purchase a while back. I'm not actually looking for any firming action or anything miraculous other than for moisturizing benefits without the breakouts. Does this do a good job? Read on to find out!
⇥ AT A GLANCE ⇤
The H2O+ Deep Sleep Recovery Cream* helps to reveal renewed and firmer-looking skin overnight using amino acids and kudzu root extract. Formulated with marine collagen to support skin's resiliency and elasticity for a visible firming effect. Anti-aging nori, himanthalia and spirulina smooth and revitalize skin with nutrient-rich moisture.⇥ THE BREAKDOWN ⇤
This cream contains 1.7 oz, retailing for $56USD ($32.94 USD per oz).⇥ INGREDIENTS ⇤
⇥ PACKAGING ⇤
The actual product comes in a jar packaging. I used to prefer jar packaging because it looks pretty and is easier to get every last bit of product out of but as I've been reading more and more articles on Paula's Choice, jar packaging is detrimental to most antioxidants and other beneficial ingredients as exposure to air and light causes them to break down.It's also pretty easy to contaminate the product if you don't properly sanitize your hands or spatula before you dip into the product.
⇥ FORMULA & FEEL ⇤
The H2O+ Deep Sleep Recovery Cream is more of a gel texture. It is easy to rub in and absorbs quickly. It leaves a matte finish, which I appreciate, as it doesn't leave sticky residue on my pillows.There are a couple of problematic ingredients, like added fragrance and linalool but since they're all the way at the end, it might not be irritating to most people.
The added soluble collagen doesn't actually increase collagen production in your face. Claiming that it will make your skin firmer and more elastic is a large claim that is unsupported with the current list of ingredients. Sea salt is good for physical exfoliation but if left on the skin, can increase UV radiation damage, so I wouldn't wear this in the morning.
⇥ SCENT ⇤
There is a noticeable scent but it doesn't linger or bother me. Still, it is best to avoid added fragrance in your skincare products as much as possible. I can't put my finger on it but I think it's supposed to smell ocean-y. Since I store my skincare with my fragrances, the scents get all mixed up so I don't know if I'm smelling my fragrance or the actual product itself. Regardless, the ingredients list does list fragrance as the second to last ingredient so there is something in there but not very high in concentration as compared to the other ingredients.⇥ APPLICATION ⇤
I apply this as the last step of my skincare routine to seal in all the good work I've done. As I've mentioned before, I don't have a hard to getting this to absorb at night. In about 1 minute or so, my skin is not sticky or oily to the touch.
⇥ WEAR TIME ⇤
For my normal to combination skin type, this product on its own doesn't do a very good job of keeping my face moisturized. As I wanted to test the moisturizing benefits of this product on its own, I used this alone for a week at night but keeping my morning routine the same. By the second or third night, my skin was feeling dry and tight. Keeping with it for the entire week, my skin was parched and getting flakey. If your'e looking for a good nighttime moisturizer, this might not be enough for normal to dry skin types.⇥ OTHER THOUGHTS ⇤
As I don't have much problems with my skin other than the occasional blemish and hyperpigmentation scars, I just needed this to moisturize and hydrate my skin, which it failed to do. I did like the texture and feel of it and when I layered a facial oil underneath, my face was back to it's nicely hydrated state.Even though it claims to firm skin and all that jazz, I didn't really notice a difference, even after almost a month's worth of use. The name is also misleading as I thought, "Deep Sleep Recovery Cream" would do a lot to help my skin along but it couldn't even keep my skin hydrated in the summer time.
⇥ THE BOTTOM LINE ⇤
I would definitely not purchase the full size. Aside from the packaging issues, it couldn't hydrate my skin well enough and I had to use extra products. Right now, I don't mind doing so because I have so much product I want to use up but for someone looking for just one thing to do the trick, it might get annoying.If you have oily skin, this might be a good one to try. However, it's pretty expensive to not contain very many beneficial ingredients that are compromised by the jar packaging. There are definitely better packaged products out there that can do a lot without the large price tag.
⇥ WHERE TO BUY ⇤
➢AMAZON | Buy **I'd buy from here as it only costs $39.50 USD + $4.99 USD shipping**➢ H2O+ | Buy
➢ KOHLS | Buy
➢ MARKS & SPENCER | Buy **Costs £42.00 for 50 ml/£84.00 per 100ml** Ships to NZ, AUS, US, and CAN
➢ SKIN STORE | Buy
➢ ULTA | Buy
•´`•.¸.» •´`•.¸.» ¸¸.•´°•´`•.¸.» •´`•.¸.» ¸¸.•´°•´`•.¸.» •´`•.¸.» ¸¸.•´°•´`•.¸.» •´`•.¸.» ¸¸.•´°••´`•.¸.» ¸¸.•´°•´`•.¸.» •´`•.¸.» ¸¸.•´°• •´`•.¸.»
Disclosure Statement: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money. I am not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned above and was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. Links are not affiliate links and are provided for the readers' convenience. I cannot guarantee that the product(s) will work for you. I do not approve or endorse the products or information available on these sites. Proceed at your own risk. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were given to me as samples or gifts with purchase.
No comments