Review: Juju Aquamoist Moisture Toner (Light)

Recently I finished using this Juju Aquamoist Moisture Toner (Light) and thought I would do a short review on it. I've previously used the regular Juju Aquamoist toner and didn't really love it because it was a little too moisturizing and rich for my oily skin, so got this Light version instead and I like it much better! 

I threw away the packaging without looking at the ingredients list, but from a quick Google, the ingredients include hyaluronic acid, collagen, vitamin C and glycerin. It's a watery, fluid toner that helps eliminate any remaining residue on my skin and helps to prep it to absorb serums/moisturizers better.  

You can use this lotion to make a toner mask too! Sometimes, I saturate facial cotton pads with this toner and place them on my face for 15 minutes - my face feels much softer afterwards. It's a little wasteful this way though, because the facial cotton soaks up a lot of toner. 

I like that this toner is moisturizing and gentle and feels very light. Good for oily skin that requires moisture! The only con would be that it's a little expensive - this bottle is only 150ml and costs about $20+, whereas the Simple toner that I have repurchased many times is 200ml and I can get it for as low as $7!

Rating: 9/10

Review: Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam

I noticed my Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam running low recently, so I decided to review it before it's completely gone! It's a relatively more expensive drugstore cleanser (SASA has it for ~US$11), but I bought it at a sale. I haven't tried Biore's Marshmallow Whip facial foam, but I think they are similar, because they're both liquid cleansers which pump out airy foam, like so:

The foam is nice and light, and I think it would suit absolutely any skin type. It contains hyaluronic acid, so it leaves my skin feeling moisturized, yet the feeling is so light, and it cleanses really well. It rinses off cleanly and never leaves a drying feeling. While I use it only as a morning cleanser, the cleansing power is definitely good enough to use for evening cleansing too. Plus, Biore Marshmallow Whip doesn't contain hyaluronic acid, but this does!

Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam comes in a 150g bottle. The thing is, as compared to a regular cleansing gel or facial foam at the same weight, you're paying for a larger volume of water weight, because the water is what creates the foam. (With a regular cleansing gel, you're paying for the concentrated ingredients, because you add water yourself to foam it up manually.) That's why I find that I go through such liquid-type cleansing foams more quickly than regular gel-type or paste-type facial foams.

I really like this cleanser though - what makes it different from other moisturizing cleansers, is that it is suitable for oily/acne-prone skin. Other moisturizing cleansers usually feel more heavy and take time to rinse off cleanly, and might not be good at cleansing, but this Juju Aquamoist cleansing foam is everything and more - moisturizing yet light, cleanses well while retaining moisture and rinses off easily. And it's a really soothing cleanser for skin that has acne flare-ups - it cleanses well without aggravating acne and leaves your skin protected because it doesn't dry your skin out. Plus, just pump and go!

Other observations - the fragrance is light and clean-smelling, a universally likeable scent. While I think this cleansing foam is slightly expensive for a drugstore cleanser, it is an outstanding performer. As such:

Rating: 10/10

I'm thoroughly impressed! I can't wait to repurchase it (after I've finished my remaining stash of 98237689 cleansers). ^^

Review: Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Essence

My sister gave me this bottle of Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Essence about a month ago and since then I've been using it daily under my moisturizer. However I felt it didn't allow my make-up to adhere well because somehow the essence makes it a little difficult to layer products over it. For example, when I apply my sunscreen after the essence and moisturizer, it doesn't absorb as well as usual and kind of just sits on my skin instead, and when I try to pat it in, it comes off in little rubbery flakes. I have also experienced this (on a lesser scale) with the Bio Beauty Advanced Hydrating Serum which was lighter in texture than the Aquamoist. Hence I concluded this is probably a common problem with most hyaluronic acid serums, so I wouldn't discount the product's efficacy too much, and instead try to work around it.

Also, while doing this review, I came across this description of the essence from a Singapore distributor of Aquajuju products -

"It is up to the customers if they use it for “day use”, however the maker’s recommendation is for the “night use”, as the essence is rich, there might be a possibility of making your makeup difficult to stick on the face. But decision is solely up to the individuals!"

Right. So I guess I'll just stick to night use then!

Here's the texture of the Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Essence - it is thicker than Bio Beauty Advanced Hydrating Serum, but other than that, totally similar. It has a somewhat slimy texture typical of hyaluronic acid serums that seems sticky at first but dries to a powdery film. The 'powderiness' of the film it forms when it dries on the skin is probably what causes make-up to not adhere well to it and come off in little clumps.

The main thing that puts me off repurchase - the price! It costs about S$39 for a mere 30ml of essence. In contrast, a 30ml bottle of Bio Beauty Skincolody Advanced Hydrating Serum costs less than half of that, about S$17 only, and works almost just as well! I find the Aquamoist slightly more moisturizing than the Advanced Hydrating Serum, but because of its thicker texture, can only be used at night, while the Advanced Hydrating Serum is light enough to be layered in the day.

Here's a comparison of the ingredients:

Ingredients for Aquamoist (from Makeupalley): Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol and Methylparaben.

Ingredients for Bio Beauty Skincology Advanced Hydrating Serum: Purified water, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol, sodium PCA, natto extract, cactus extract, butylene glycol, dmdm hydantoin, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate.

As for packaging, Aquamoist comes in a lovely heavy blue glass bottle with pump which will not leak when you travel with it. However the pump dispenser is not as easy to control as compared to the Advanced Hydrating Serum's dropper applicator. The Advanced Hydrating Serum comes in a simple clinical looking glass bottle too, but with a dropper which makes it easier to control how much product you use. The bad thing about droppers - you can't travel easily with droppers because the product tends to leak in the plane.

Take your pick! For me, the choice is obvious - I'd choose Advanced Hydrating Serum over the Juju Aquamoist Hyaluronic Acid Essence because I could buy 2 of them and still have change left, haha! It's also because I stay in a place with a humid climate and much prefer lighter-textured products. Still, Juju Aquamoist is a pretty good product and I have no regrets using it - the main issue is that I can get a comparable and affordable alternative, which makes it lose its competitive advantage.

Rating: 8/10