The consistency of Premium is much thicker than the watery fluid like original Moist. Closer to a gel or serum than water.
I used it after I've cleansed my face, before serum and moisturizer. It sinks in very quickly and on its own, dries on the sticky side, much like Gokujyun Super Moist. Paired with a great moisturizer, it leaves skin soft and clean feeling, no tacky feeling at all. It is definitely the richer relations of original Moist.
Ingredients, courtesy of MakeupAlley:
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Sodium Acetyl Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate [Nano Hyaluronic Acid], Hydroypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer [3D Hyaluronic Acid], Aphanothece Sacrum [Sacran] Exopolysaccharides, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Glycosyl Trehalose, Diglycerin, Sorbitol, Pentylene Glycol, Triethyl Citrate, Carbomer, Polyquaternium-51, PEG-32, PEG-75, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Disodium Succinate, Succinic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
One ingredient that I really liked was the urea, of which I have been a fan of since I first tried LCN's line of 10-40% urea products at Cosmoprof. I don't see it too often in my facial products but I enjoy the hydrating effect it has on my skin.
The original Gokujyun Moist was fluid enough that I often used it with plain cotton facial masks. The same could be done with the Premium version, though I wet the facial masks with water first since Premium is thicker. Overall I want to like how hydrated my skin feels when I use this product alongside an occlusive moisturizer and humidifier. I would say that it might be too moisturizing and rich for most skin types, many people just don't need that much hydration. I could definitely see someone reaching for Premium in the dry winter season [or in my case, dry summer] and the lighter classic [or even Light] Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion in the warm season. However I don't think that this lotion and I are meant to be, because despite how lovely my face feels, I get closed comedones and the lone whitehead when I use this product. Womp womp. I'll be finishing up this bottle instead on my body and on my feet.
If you’re a fan of hyaluronic acid, you’ve come to the right place. Today, let’s talk about the star ingredient of hydration and a cult Asian cosmetic product: the famous hyaluronic acid-based lotion Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium, the reformulated 2020 version! Below I share the details of my test of this lotion that makes the skin hydrated and plumped like no other!
I have to admit that I had originally planned to review the Rovectin Activating Treatment Lotion. It’s a very similar product, an essence packed with hyaluronic acid and a lot of other great ingredients. But really, I gave up using this product along the way because I really dislike its texture which leaves a greasy film on my face and has a hard time absorbing into my skin [well, there you go, I guess that’s my review of it for you lol].
However, I was very excited to replace it with my all-time favorite, the Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Hyaluronic Acid Lotion. Especially since this time it is almost a new product since the brand reformulated it last year!
If you didn’t know the Hada Labo brand, here’s a reminder:
Hada Labo [which translates as “Skin Laboratory” in Japanese] is a skincare range developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Rohto. Rohto Pharmaceutical Company Ltd is a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products in Japan.
The brand favors simple and short formulas, fragrance, dye, and mineral oil free. They are also formulated at a pH between 5.0 and 6.5 to respect the skin’s natural physiological balance. They are therefore perfect for all skin types, even the most sensitive.
Their best known and most loved products in the world are definitely their hyaluronic acid lotions [which I wrote about in great detail in my Hada Labo article].
I’m a big fan myself because I find these products simple but oh, so effective! I even have a hard time finding dupes for them, they are not cult without reason…
So let’s talk more about the Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Hyaluronic Acid Lotion, version 2020!
Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion 2020 Edition, product presentation:
The new version has a brand new packaging [you can see what the old one looked like in my first Hada Labo lotions’ article 😉 ].
The big change in this reformulated version is that it no longer contains five but seven different forms of hyaluronic acid!
Hyaluronic Acid, reminder:
Hyaluronic acid is a natural component of the skin that keeps the skin moisturized, smooth and firm. Don’t be scared by the term “acid”! Usually, it’s a very well-tolerated ingredient and it doesn’t provide an exfoliating effect like AHAs or BHAs 😉
Hyaluronic acid is a humectant ingredient. It has the property of attracting and retaining a large quantity of water [up to 1000 times its weight in water]. This ability, among other things, gives volume and elasticity to the skin. Over time, the skin’s hyaluronic acid level decreases and it causes the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and loss of firmness.
The ingredient used by Hada Labo, the Super Hyaluronic Acid is a unique blend of 3 types of hyaluronic acid that provides deep hydration, to significantly increase the skin’s moisture level and also helps to support skin’s fibers [collagen and elastin], allowing it to have an anti-aging effect. According to the brand, Super Hyaluronic Acid has hydration retention capacities twice as high as conventional hyaluronic acid.
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Indeed, depending on the size of its molecules [or molecular weights], hyaluronic acid can penetrate into the skin’s deeper layers and its effects will therefore vary.
A larger sized hyaluronic acid has a smoothing effect on the skin’s surface, an intermediate size hydrates more deeply and a smaller sized hyaluronic acid has a repairing and regenerating effect on the skin’s supporting fibers. These smaller hyaluronic acid molecules are therefore more anti-aging.
Hada Labo, with their Super Hyaluronic Acid, chose to combine several molecular sizes, and therefore provide several beneficial effects for the skin!
And that’s the case in this new version of the Premium lotion, which is aimed at dehydrated skin that tends to be on the drier side, with its silky texture that feels super comfortable on the skin [but doesn’t stay greasy like the Rovectin does! 😆].
The first version of the Premium Lotion I tried [4 years ago now, it was my first Asian skincare product, I believe] already contained five different forms of hyaluronic acid but this 2020 version has seven:
– hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid: a nano-sized hyaluronic acid for better absorption into the skin, – sodium acetylated hyaluronate, or “super hyaluronic acid”: it provides longer-lasting surface hydration and helps to tone the skin. It’s also less sticky and more cosmetically elegant than conventional hyaluronic acid. – hydroxypropyltrimonium hyaluronic acid: a hyaluronic acid that penetrates deep into the skin and also has a protective effect, – hyaluronic acid crosspolymer: the famous 3D hyaluronic acid, which has the specificity of absorbing 5 times more hydration than classic hyaluronic acid. This cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel forms a smoothing and plumping film on the skin and helps to deliver moisture over time. – hyaluronic acid obtained by fermentation with Lactobacillales [a lactic acid bacterium used to ferment sake!]: a fermented hyaluronic acid that allows the skin to keep moisture better, – hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate: a hyaluronic acid that penetrates to the stratum corneum, – sodium hyaluronate: a hyaluronic acid that forms a plumping film on the skin.
All this advanced technology for a 170ml bottle that usually retails for around $10 to $15!
Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion 2020 Edition, my experience:
This will be brief: I love this product as much as the old version!
Its texture is still as silky and pleasant as before. To tell you the truth, my husband also uses this product and always comes back to it because of this texture that leaves the skin comfortable without stickiness, a true delight!
It’s hard to believe that they sell this product in drugstores in Japan! It really feels like a serum from a luxury brand [well OK, its packaging gives it away a bit 😜]. Because yes, you can totally use it instead of your moisturizing serum, it’s much more than just an essence!
And with the amount, you’re covered for a long time 🙂
You can use it morning, evening, on your face, on your body too if you want! It’s a very versatile product [you can find my method of application further down the page].
It leaves my skin hydrated, plumped and for a long time, leaving no greasy effect. It’s clearly one of my favorite hydrating products!
In short, the new 2020 version is definitely a must-have for me!
In conclusion:
There is no debate: for me, the Hada Labo lotion remains the best hyaluronic acid product on the market.
Better for its efficiency, better for the quality/quantity/price ratio. And this Premium 2020 version is a real treat for dehydrated skin with a dry tendency who, like me, want long-lasting comfort but no heavy effect on the skin.
Hadalabo Gokujyun premium untuk kulit apa?
Gokujyun premium lotion direkomendasikan untuk kulit ekstra kering.
Hada Labo lotion dipakai kapan?
Cara pakai : Digunakan setelah moisturizing lotion.
Hada Labo Gokujyun untuk apa?
Produk ini memiliki manfaat melembapkan sekaligus mengangkat kotoran dan minyak serta dengan PH yang sesuai dengan kulit dan tingkat iritasi yang rendah.
Apakah Hada Labo cocok untuk kulit berminyak?
Produk Hada Labo Gokujyun Light Lotion ini khusus diciptakan untuk jenis kulit berminyak. Dengan kandungan Hyaluronic Acid yang mampu membantu kelembapan, regenerasi, dan meningkatkan kekenyalan kulit, Gokujyun Light Lotion ini mampu mengurangi minyak berlebih di wajahmu.