Hey guys! How are you doing? I am back after a long gap; was too much occupied with work. Today, I am going to talk about a moisturiser which is a boon for oily skin in all weathers. Not oily skin type? Don’t worry, this will also suit you during summers, but for winters you will need something more nourishing. Shall we go ahead with the review?
About the brand – Himalaya Herbals
Himalaya is a leading global herbal health and personal care organization with close to 500 products recommended by over 4,50,000 doctors in over 100 countries. Himalaya Herbals has emerged as the unparalleled pioneers in exploring the synergy between Ayurveda and modern science to develop products that spread the promise of wellness in every home and happiness in every heart. For more information about the brand, visit https://www.himalayawellness.in/about-himalaya/our-story.
What is it?
Himalaya Herbals Oil-Free Radiance Gel Cream is a light, non-greasy, daily-use gel cream that gently hydrates to give an oil-free radiant glow. It is a light gel textured cream enriched with special herbs that provides three essential benefits:
- Absorbs quickly into skin – oil-free look
- Hydrates skin
- Gives skin a natural radiance
Claims & Features:
- Gently hydrates
- Oily-free glow
- Maintains moisture balance
- Specially for oily skin
- Smooth, matte finish
- Free from alcohol and parabens
Usage & Ingredients:
Ingredients list Analysis:
Good ones: Barbary fig – contains polysaccharides known to gently hydrate the skin, Winter Melon – exhibits anti oxidant properties which keeps skin healthy, protected and rejuvenated, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric triglyceride, Cetearyl Olivate, Sodium Hyaluronate
Not so good ones: Cyclotetrasiloxane, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Fragrance
Price: INR 260 for 50 gm
Shelf Life: 3 years. MFD and Expiry Date are mentioned on the outer carton.
Availability: Widely available across many stores and online shopping websites.
My experience with the product:
Packaging: The moisturiser comes in a cute, frosted, heavy glass tub. I like the contrasting green cap of the tub. Inside, there is a plastic lid which tightly shuts the tub to prevent product spillage. I have carried it with me during travels and there never has been any spillage because of the inner lid. When packed the right way, it can be carried with you during travels.
Texture: The texture is that of a semi solid gel which is smooth and slippery due to the presence of silicones. It glides well and gets easily absorbed by the skin. Give it a minute, and you will be left with a velvet matte finish on your skin.
Color & Fragrance: The gel moisturizer seems to be cloudy white in color, but when spread, actually turns out to be transparent! I love its fresh, aquatic, calming fragrance. The mild fragrance disappears after few minutes and wouldn’t bother anyone.
Performance: This gives the perfect amount of moisturization for oily skin in all seasons. It moisturizes the skin well without giving an oily look and also gives a radiance with a velvet matte finish. It leaves a smooth layer on the skin due to the presence of silicones and serves as a perfect base for makeup.
Swatches:
My Thoughts: I have always had good experience with Himalaya products and got this moisturiser attracted by the words “Oil-free radiance gel”. My skin is terribly oil and when I see the words – “Oil-free radiance gel”, how can I resist? I bought this to use as my day time moisturizer. The quantity may seem little, but a little goes a long way. This doesn’t offer any sun protection, so a sunscreen is a must after applying this product.
This contains glycerin as the second ingredient and hyaluronic acid at the end of the list. So the moisturization it provides, is mainly due to glycerin. I have heard that products containing glycerin serve as a good makeup base as they tend to hold makeup a little longer. So the glyercin and silicones serve dual purpose – moisturized skin and smooth base for makeup. Makeup can be easily applied and blended on top of this moisturizer. The stay of my makeup is extended by 1.5 hrs, which is decent since this is inexpensive.
This is not a typical gel moisturizer which gets quickly absorbed by the skin without leaving any trace. It leaves a semi matte, smooth layer on the skin delivering radiance with a subtle glow. You can see the glow in the above picture. It also keeps my oil in check for 3 hours which is what I get from most of the oil control products in the market. On the whole, when used daily, it nourishes the skin by moisturizing it, keeps the oil in check for few hours, leaves the skin feeling smooth, acts as a primer and extends the wear of makeup to some extent.
By now, you would have known that I really like this product. That’s true, although I do wish it had a cleaner ingredients list. I got this on offer and at this price, I can’t really complain and I am actually on my second tub now. Oily skin people will love this and is suitable to be used throughout the year. Dry skin people can use this in summer, but will need something more intense in winter. This is a simple, humble product which does what it claims and don’t expect anything fancier than that.
Truth Vs. Claims:
| Claims | Truth |
| Gently hydrates | Yes |
| Oily-free glow | Yes, for few hours |
| Maintains moisture balance | Yes |
| Specially for oily skin | Yes, perfect for oily skin |
| Smooth, matte finish | Yes |
| Free from alcohol and parabens | Yes |
My likes about the product:
- Love its texture. Spreads well
- Provides the right amount of moisturizing for oily skin
- Gives a semi matte finish with a subtle glow
- Gives an oil free look and controls oil secretion for upto 3 hours on me
- Acts as a primer by serving as a smooth base and slightly extends the stay of makeup
- Although best suited for oily skin, can be used by all skin types
- Pleasant, calming fragrance, although I prefer fragrance-free products
- Free from parabens and alcohols
- Easily available
- Affordable
- Not tested on animals
My dislikes about the product:
- Concerned about the list of potentially harmful chemicals hiding behind the word “Fragrance” in the ingredients list
- Ingredients list contains – Cyclotetrasiloxane, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone
My Rating: 4/5 (-1 for the ingredients list)
Do I recommend this? Yes, especially if you have oily skin.
Will I repurchase this? Yes, I am already on my second tub. But right now, I want to try out different moisturizers for blogging purpose and won’t be repurchasing this anytime soon.
In a nutshell: An affordable moisturizer suited best for oily skin. Delivers oil free radiance and doubles up as a primer by creating a smooth base for makeup and extends the staying power a little.
What is your favourite moisturizer? Do you have oily skin or dry skin? Do you use different moisturizers for different seasons? Have you tried this one, yet? Comment your answers below.
Radiate inner beauty and confidence!
-Vibhushitha
Tryst with Beauty 