This post contains affiliate links. Product provided by Stylevana.
Combination skin like mine presents a unique set of challenges. It can be dehydrated and have some dry / flaky areas, but other parts could be oily (and potentially still dehydrated). It’s a delicate balance of hydrating and moisturizing without causing pore congestion or an unwanted oily shine.
Rohto Mentholatum Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion features five types of hyaluronic acid plus urea to hydrate and lock in moisture. It’s free of fragrance, colorants and mineral oils. The lotion is available on Amazon, YesStyle (reward code KBHOBBIT), and Stylevana (code INF10KBH).
Product names can be confusing, and for someone used to Korean or Western skincare, “lotion” would mean an emulsion or a light cream. In Japanese skincare, however, lotions are similar to kbeauty toners - they are hydrating steps. At least that’s the case with Hada Labo.
How to use
Apply after cleansing
Gently pat in
Follow with the rest of your routine
Hada Labo premium lotion has a pretty thick texture - thicker than water but still easy to spread and dispense out of the bottle’s opening. It’s not sticky and glides over the skin effortlessly. Because of the consistency, it only takes a little bit to cover the entire face, chest, and neck. This bottle is lasting me much longer than similarly sized products that are more watery.
For my combination skin, it’s an evening hydrating step, but someone with dry or dehydrated skin might enjoy it in the mornings as well.
My impressions
I avoided Hada Labo for years, because I bought into the paraben fear mongering and most HL products contain parabens. But in recent years, more and more dermatologists and cosmetic chemists are vocal about the nature and purpose of parabens and the problematic setup of EWG (the pioneer in demonizing parabens and many other skincare ingredients). I’m more relaxed about parabens now and have been trying products that I’ve previously ruled out. Ironically, this specific Hada Labo formula seems to be paraben free.
I’m loving Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion and use it either right after cleansing or after a more watery toner. Even though the texture is similar to the iconic Klairs supple preparation toner, I like the packaging with the flip top lid slightly better than the twist off top of Klairs.
I started using this toner in the summer. It worked well to hydrate my parched, sometimes overheated skin. It’s still working great now, in the middle of December, to restore much needed water after cold outdoor air and very dry indoor heat. And it doesn’t make my skin oily or greasy, just glowy and plump. I definitely recommend this to anyone on the hunt for a good hydrating step that packs more of a punch than watery formulas.
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Rohto Mentholatum Hada Labo Gokujyun Premium Lotion ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Pentylene Glycol, Ppg-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Diglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid/Polyglutamic Acid Crosspolymer, Lactic Acid, Bifida Polysaccharide, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Glycosyl Trehalose, Sorbitol, Triethyl Citrate, Peg-32, Carbomer, Peg-75, Succinic Acid, Propanediol, EDTA, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Hydroxylated Lanolin, Polyquaternium-51, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol