This is a sponsored post with affiliate links. Product provided by Be Mused Korea.
A moisturizer can make or break a skincare routine. Too thick and it might congest the skin or make it look oily. Too light and it won’t lock in all the lovely hydrating layers that come before the cream. I like testing new formulas and hopefully helping my readers find their next perfect product.
Oloa is a new to me brand that is based on years of biotech microalgae research. I had major skincare fomo (fear of missing out) watching reels about it, so of course I gave in and had to try it. Oloa Pufa Hydra Relax Cream, available on Be Mused Korea (save on any full priced items with code LUCY15), promises to deliver regenerative properties of marine algae to the skin. The cream aims to soothe, regenerate, prevent water loss, and ensure the overall youthful, glowing appearance.
The PUFA in the name stands for “polyunsaturated fatty acids” - Omega-3 fatty acids that help support a healthy skin barrier and prevent water loss. Other beneficial ingredients (in addition to the algae) are centella, hyaluronic acid, and macadamia seed oil. Be Mused Korea goes into more scientific details about the key ingredients and exactly how they work - I highly suggest you visit their product page.
How to use
Apply at the end of the skincare routine
Gently pat in
Follow with SPF (if using in the morning)
The cream has a silky, heavenly texture and a unique yellow color that comes from the microalgae and not from added colors. I pick up a fairly strong herbal scent, but it’s only noticeable during application and not after (aka, it doesn’t last long). I see some lavender in the ingredients, but I wouldn’t have thought the scent to be lavender. It’s not unpleasant and it doesn’t bother me, but noting it here in the spirit of a well rounded review.
My impressions
I have combination skin (lately leaning more toward normal/dry, probably due to tret use) and Fall and Winter aren’t kind to me. The Oloa Pufa Hydra Relax Cream came into my life at a perfect time - I was in between evening moisturizers and wanted something nourishing but definitely not greasy. Anyone who’s lived through teenage years with oily skin like I did will probably not want to look or feel greasy ever again.
Oloa is a unique brand to me due to their robust research and innovative marine ingredients. It’s becoming harder and harder to stand out in the sea of choices (see what I did there? Sea… marine… anyway), but Oloa succeeded.
I’ve been using this almost every night for about a month. My skin feels soft and velvety. I apply the relax cream all over the face, neck, and chest. I even dab some around the eyes, although patch testing is always a good idea - not just for eye products but any new skincare.
For now, this is my evening product, but I could see reaching for it in the mornings as the weather gets colder and more tough on the skin. Someone with dry complexion might enjoy it in their AM routine any time of the year. I think it would be sufficiently moisturizing for all skin types in the evenings, but I cannot test that theory - I only have my skin and nobody in my family is on the dry side.
Finding gems like Oloa is why I enjoy shopping with smaller sites that curate their collections. Instead of fighting the losing battle of price competition with the megamarkets, small businesses such as Be Mused Korea put a lot of effort into sourcing lesser known but amazing brands that would otherwise be unavailable outside of Korea. The treasure hunter in me loves this.
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Oloa Pufa Hydra Relax Cream ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Leaf Cell Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Carbomer, Arginine, Adenosine