[REVIEW] Hada Labo Gokujyun Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion Light (Before and After)

[1]💦Ingredients Breakdown [2]Instructions [3]Results VS. Claims [4]Before&After [5]Verdict

Price (using this link): US$ 15.68 (If you use my code: DEWILDE you can get up to 5% off on any YesStyle purchase at checkout)
Texture: Water with a bit more viscosity
What you get: 170 ml
Cruelty-free: No

Hada Labo has updated the formulation of this lotion a couple of times, and I’ll be reviewing the latest one (updated in 2020). They also updated the packaging, which went from having some green stuff on it(notably in their US version) to an almost full-white and blue one. This is why a lot of people on Amazon claim that some products they get are ‘fake,’ as they compare them to the older version/packaging. Please note that I provided both old and new versions for the Amazon links. This is the link to the old formulas.

+INGREDIENTS

Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol (Moisturizer/Humectant + Solvent + Viscosity Controlling), Pentylene Glycol (Solvent + Moisturizer/Humectant), Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Lactococcus Ferment/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate, Dipropylene Glycol (Solvent), Disodium EDTA (Chelating), Disodium Succinate (Surfactant/Cleansing), Succinic Acid, Phenoxyethanol (Preservative)

💦In-Depth Details Of Interesting Ingredients:

Sodium Hyaluronate: Hydrating (water-binding properties) + Wound healing (promotes microcirculation)
Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid: Hyaluronic Acid is a relatively big molecule that tends not to penetrate the skin very deep. After its rise in popularity, different formulators have created smaller or different versions of this molecule. Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid means that this molecule has been ruptured into smaller parts. Depending on the final size of the molecule, it can have different properties. L'Oréal does not specify the size, but the properties all center around hydration/moisture, some even exhibiting anti-inflammatory and skin-repairing properties.
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate: One of the limitations of Hyaluronate Acid (Known to keep skin hydrated/plump) is that it has a short half-life and gets degraded in the skin. Sodium Acetylated hyaluronate is a form of this molecule where some of the OH (hydroxyl groups, water-loving, and binding) groups that constitute the molecule are replaced by Acetyle groups to make it longer-lasting. Minor studies exist on this, but current ones suggest that this leads to a general increase of the properties of the molecule, notably: Moisture + Anti-inflammation
Lactococcus Ferment/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate: 🔴[Not enough research] Microbial fermentation is a form of production of Hyaluronic Acid as some bacteria naturally make this molecule. Lactococcus is one of the bacterias that was successfully engineered to produce HA safely. [Source] By using different bacterias and fermenting techniques, manufacturers can obtain different sizes of hyaluronic acid, and HA can have different properties depending on its size. However, the fermentation process is not disclosed here. One popular benefit of fermentation is that the bacteria used could imbue the final product with unique properties of its own, but not a lot of research exists on the benefits of Lactococcus. One study suggests that some of its final fermenting products might have antimicrobial properties, but to imply that HA fermented through Lactococcus is also antimicrobial would be a far stretch.
Succinic Acid: 🔴[Not enough research] I Could only find one research which states that combining Hyaluronic Acid with Succinic acid salt in a needle/cannula/roller for injections on the face could ‘deliver a new useful treatment against the early inflammation stage + stimulate growth factor synthesis which would, in turn, promote tissue regeneration and renovation. The study argues that this is due to the fact that Succinic Acid is released by macrophages (white blood cells) in the skin to trigger an anti-inflammatory/reparative pathway and that Succinic Acid is also involved in the angiogenesis mechanism (the generation of new blood vessels), which could suggest why it also affects growth factor and tissue regeneration. All of this is great but keep in mind this is only one study and that the method of delivery used is through injectables. Injecting something into the deepest layers of your skin and just dabbing on a product on your face does not yield the same results so take all of this with a grain of salt. At best, Succinic Acid could positively influence your skin; at worst, do nothing. There’s also some data suggesting that this compound is anti-acne; I suggest reading this blog post by Lab Muffin as she does a great job at explaining why no one can state this yet.

+HOW TO USE THE Hada Labo Gokujyun Hydrating Lotion Light

After cleansing, pour a pea-size
amount into your palm and rub between hands to heat. Gently pat onto the face until thoroughly absorbed.
Follow with a moisturizer for additional hydration.

+WHAT DOES THE Hada Labo Gokujyun Hydrating Lotion Light DO?

Claims taken from translating the Japanese etiquette of the lotion.

1.Moisture replenishing: When you hydrate your skin, you apply moisture to it to imbue your cells with water. When you Moisturize your skin, you apply a layer to trap the moisture already present in your skin to keep it there, so it doesn’t evaporate. I’m giving you these definitions to point out that moisture-replenishing basically means 'hydrating' and not 'moisturizing,' and here I agree because this is essentially a hydrating product, not a moisturizing one.

2.Fresh lightweight texture: Very fresh, applying the Hada Labo Gokujyun Hydrating Lotion Light feels like a refreshing slap in the morning when you need to wake up. Perhaps that was not my best metaphor, but you get the point: it’s fresh. As for the texture, I wouldn’t particularly define it as lightweight because it has more viscosity than water and the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner is thinner. Regardless, it’s still light enough for even oily skin types to be okay with it. It doesn’t feel heavy, it’s viscous yet slippery, and I found it very fun to apply for some reason.

3.Four types of hyaluronic acid including anti-inflammatory fermented HA to increase hydration and reinforce the skin’s natural moisture barrier: You can see the in-depth ingredient list above for more details about the types of Hyaluronic Acids used, but the gist of it is that by incorporating all of these different sizes, the product is able to penetrate the skin more deeply and enhance its hydration capacity. However, I couldn’t find any research that would suggest that fermented HA has anti-inflammatory properties. One study suggests that the bacteria that produces HA through fermentation also produces byproducts that seem to have antimicrobial properties. Since some microbes cause acne, which causes inflammation, the concluding sentence of this study said that these byproducts could prevent skin inflammation. This does not mean that they are anti-inflammatory themselves, nor that fermented HA is anti-inflammatory. Now with all of that being said, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate and Succinic Acid (both present in the formulation) could potentially have anti-inflammatory properties, but more research is needed to full-on state this. As for the rest of the claim, the formulation definitely increased hydration, which will, in consequence, contribute to a stronger skin barrier.

4.Skin feels soft and supple without sticky residue: It feels softer and more supple thanks to the added hydration. Note that if you have textured skin, this toner won’t improve the texture (unless it’s caused by dryness) since it has no exfoliating properties. For stickiness, in particular, the Hada Labo Gokujyun Hydrating Lotion Light takes a couple of seconds to get fully absorbed by the skin, but when fully absorbed, your face won’t feel sticky in any way.

Although I have purchased this lotion many times, I want y'all to know that it isn't miraculous or prodigious. Yes, it hydrates the skin and feels very refreshing. Yes, it can be layered on very easily without a tacky feeling. Yes, I find it fun to use because I love splashing it on, but I've used more hydrating products: while it's probably one of the best hyaluronic-base products available on the market, there are more 'plumping' products out there like the AXIS-Y Cera-Heart My Type Duo Cream or even the Skin&Lab Red Serum. Now does that mean this product sucks? no, I still think you'd benefit from getting it because it provides a burst of hydration, and you can apply anything you want on top of it. I'd recommend it to people with normal and combination skin types that want to keep their skin healthy and hydrated. If you live in a hot and humid climate, you might also enjoy it regardless of your skin type since it gets absorbed quickly and doesn't feel heavy on the skin.

For people with skin types that aren’t targeted by this lotion(so basically dry and sensitive skin types), I think you’d benefit more from using the ‘moist’ version instead of this light version.

+BENEFITS:

Provides a literal burst of hydration
The texture is very fun and refreshing to apply
Easily layerable
Doesn’t leave any sticky/tacky feeling behind it

-CONS:

Doesn’t plump up my fine lines for as long as other products in the same price range and category do.
Takes some time to become fully absorbed

💦💦💦Score: 3.5/5 ——— A good overall hydrating product that is very refreshing to use and suitable for hot and humid days. It doesn’t get a higher score because it doesn’t plump up my fine lines.

+Amazon

+Yesstyle, using this link: US$ 15.68 - If you use my code: DEWILDE you can get up to 5% off on any Yesstyle purchase at checkout.

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