I Favor $100+ Moisturizers, so I Was Shocked When This Drugstore Elixir Outperformed All My Go-Tos

As a beauty editor, my vanity, workspace, and medicine cabinet are flooded with pricey skincare products—however, things weren’t always this way. While I always adored makeup in my adolescence, saving every penny to snag the latest launches from my favorite celebrity MUA brands, skincare was always a corner to cut. That was until I was influenced to try the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel.

From middle school to college, my skincare regimen consisted of just two products: a Cetaphil facial cleanser and a CeraVe moisturizer (and TBH, they did the job). Why? Because they were inexpensive and easily available at my local Target. Blame it on my low-maintenance skin or my former status as a broke student, but it served me to shop the drugstore aisles rather than the luxury shelves—for the first 21 years of my life, at least. And then came a post-grad job with beauty benefits stacked to the sky, and slowly, my humanity began to strip away.

“I could hear people getting bored with me but I couldn't stop… It just kept coming up like word vomit,” I say in the tone of Lindsay Lohan’s Cady in Mean Girls. Expensive skincare quickly became a fixation: I’d recommend $100 moisturizers to friends when they asked what’s good these days, earning well-deserved eye rolls. I'd hoard $200 serums after using $10 formulas for years. I could hear myself becoming so out of touch with reality that I needed to take action, and quickly—so when I heard how much real-life shoppers and editors alike were loving this drugstore water cream, I knew this was what I needed to bring me back down to earth.

About the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

Size: 1.7 oz. | Refillable: Yes | Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, amino acids, electrolytes | Fragranced: Yes | Skin type: Normal, dry, oil, combination, acne-prone

“Neutrogena Hydro Boost is a great everyday hydrator for anyone with normal to oily or combo skin who wants lightweight moisture,” board-certified dermatologist Jessie Cheung tells Who What Wear. Cosmetic and Mohs skin cancer surgeon Sheila Farhang, MD, also vouches for its sensitive- and mature-skin compatibility thanks to a bed of barrier-strengthening ingredients. “Because it’s formulated with hyaluronic acid, a humectant that draws in moisture, it helps plump the skin, which is especially helpful for aging or mature skin,” Farhang explains.

Both experts lauded this watery formula for its quick absorption, making it easy to layer under makeup and SPF—a quality I’ve been looking for in my recent skincare acquisitions. But Anay Kacharia, a cosmetic chemist, says there’s much more to this drugstore product than your typical moisturizer.

“I would say the highlight of the Hydro Boost is its appealing texture and the burst of immediate hydration as the gel breaks,” says Kacharia. “Standard water gels tend to lose moisture after the initial hydration, but the emollients used in this formula provide a balanced level of moisturization without feeling heavy.” He recommends this product for those with dry and cracked skin, as the formula is infused with a substantial amount of glycerin, which is “an excellent humectant and a healing ingredient for the skin,” Kacharia explains.

About My Skin

Since I’m the tester, it’s important to understand my skin type to deduce if it will perform similarly for you. As described by dermatologists (and me), my stats are as follows:

• Normal to seasonally dry skin; sensitive to oils, strong fragrances, and acids
• Slowly developing rosacea along apples of cheeks, prone to redness
• No history of acne besides an occasional pimple
• No signs of hyperpigmentation or sun damage
• Genetically dark under-eye areas

The Testing Process

Now, I won’t lie to you and tell you I’ve been wearing this product religiously—I’m a beauty editor with dozens of things to test per week, after all. But I can say that I used this moisturizer day and night for a week, and there are several reasons it’s earning a spot in my prestige brand–stacked medicine cabinet far past the testing period.

Things I Loved

Too many steps in my skin regimen usually causes my makeup to pill, but that was certainly not the case with the Hydro Boost. This refreshing, light-blue tincture left my skin feeling instantly soothed, but what shocked me more than its spa-towel coolness was how quickly the formula sank into my skin—becoming virtually undetectable in less than a minute.

“It is a lightweight formulation, so it hydrates the skin without heaviness, greasiness, or pore-clogging (comedogenic) ingredients,” Farhang explains, spotlighting its safety for acne-prone skin. Because of its featherlight feel, I was able to apply my SPF and makeup right on top sans creasing or pilling, and it made my skin feel breathable in the sticky New York summer humidity. Its fast-absorbing formula made this moisturizer my pre-workout go-to—absorbing quickly for an extra dose of hydration before a hot yoga class—and it played well with other formulas, like the self-tanning serums and gentle exfoliators that I use quite regularly.

It’s worth mentioning that this moisturizer has a light, clean scent, but it’s not overpowering nor irritating to sensitive skin. (Take it from someone whose skin gets easily miffed by new products and stark weather shifts.)

Things I Didn't Love

TBH, there’s not much I didn’t care for after testing this product for a week. My skin felt hydrated and supple—my often dull-looking complexion coming alive with a juicy glow. But while this product does offer a cooling whoosh of hydration, it’s more of a short-term solution rather than a longer one, and you may want to try something richer if you have very dry skin.

In the same vein, I adore this formula for a lightweight summer moisturizer (read: non-sticky, never balmy, and airy enough to let my skin breathe in humid weather), but I would reach for something more substantial in the winter to deal with my temperamental, very dry winter skin.

Final Thoughts

All in all, the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel is a great option for anyone who’s looking for a budget-friendly, lightweight moisturizer that delivers on hydration and plays well with other products. I’d suggest using this as a base for your thicker moisturizer in the wintertime. Though, it’s a great everyday option for warm-weather climates and summertime.

What Is the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Good For?

This moisturizer is good for delivering lightweight hydration to a vast majority of skin types, including dry, oily, combination, acne-prone, and sensitive. It’s also great for people who are on the go or like to layer their products, as this formula dries quickly and allows for seamless makeup, SPF, and other product applications.

Can I Use the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Every Day?

Yes, you can definitely use the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel every day. Its airy formula is gentle enough to use morning and night (or as much as you’d like) because of its good-for-you properties and fast-absorbing texture.

Is the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Good for Mature Skin?

“As we age, our skin loses moisture and elasticity, making the fine lines look more obvious. Skin cell turnover is also slowed down,” says Farhang. “The Hydro Boost Gel contains hyaluronic acid, which … pulls in and plumps the skin. It's lightweight, which makes it great for layering with other anti-aging products,” she adds.

However, Cheung advises that those with more defined signs of aging use the Hydro Boost as a base layer and follow up with something more potent afterward. “Look for richer textures or added actives, like peptides or ceramides, to really support the skin barrier and firmness,” she recommends.

What Is Hyaluronic Acid?

“Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, which means it has the ability to attract and retain moisture,” says board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon Tiffany Libby, MD. “It has exceptional hydrating properties and can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water. By drawing moisture from the air into the skin’s surface, hyaluronic acid helps to hydrate the skin, making it look more plump and luminous.”

Farhang mentions that she loves how lightweight hyaluronic acid is, but it’s because it’s so airy that Cheung suggests layering another product on top to get the full range of its benefits. “[Hyaluronic acid] helps smooth fine lines and gives skin that fresh, dewy look, but you always want to combine [it] with some emollients to seal in the moisture,” explains Cheung.

Who's Who

• Jessie Cheung, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Cheung Aesthetics & Wellness.
• Anay Kacharia is a senior cosmetic chemist and R&I manager at iLabs.
• Sheila Farhang, MD is a cosmetic and Mohs skin cancer surgeon and the founder of Avant Dermatology + Aesthetics.
• Tiffany Libby, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Brown Dermatology.