Here's a review on Philosophy Hope In A Jar Oil- Free Gel Moisturizer.
Price: P1,995.00
Bought From: Free
Other Locations: Available in Philosophy SM Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Glorietta 3, and Greenbelt 5
THE VERDICT:
Philosophy had envisioned a moisturizer that will not only moisturize, but also allow women to wake up every single day with bright, fresh, and smooth skin, therefore they created Hope In A Jar and eventually, it became a worldwide best- seller. A lot swear by it including Oprah Winfrey and Karl Lagerfeld, two of my favorite international celebrities-I think this is what got me using the product!
Anyway, it's been 3 weeks since I started using this moisturizer and I'm here to tell you that if you have rough, lifeless, unhealthy- looking skin and you wanna solve them right away, this super gentle moisturizer-cum-exfoliator will be your best friend-it is mine at the moment!
PHILOSOPHY HOPE IN A JAR OIL- FREE GEL MOISTURIZER IN DETAIL
Ingredients
Hope In A Jar is a daily moisturizer that is originally created as a clinical preparation to treat wrinkles, dryness, roughness, discolorations, and dullness by delivering daily yet safe exfoliation. The secret to its well- loved, skin- renewing formula, according to Philosophy, is its base that's made of antioxidants, Alpha Hydroxy Acids, and yeast- derived Beta Glucan that provides protection and delivers noticeable improvement to the skin in just a few days. The first- ever Hope In A Jar came in a rich, soufflé texture that's suitable for dry skin-this oil- free, gel version was introduced a few years after for those with normal/oily skin types.
The only thing that I don't like about this product is it's in a jar, which is pretty unsanitary. Will Philosophy change it to Hope In A Tube or Hope In A Bottle instead or include a spatula, at the very least? :p
I will muse about my one- month journey with this rejuvenating moisturizer after the jump.
This variant is not necessarily in gel form even if it's called gel-gel is just a term in the skin care world for products that do not contain oil ingredients (now you know!). Going back, this product has a super light, bouncy, water-cream texture and it gives my skin a lovely surge of moisture whenever I apply it on my skin. It yields a slight cooling sensation and leaves a semi- matte finish. My tiny problem with the finish though is it can make my skin feel a little tight when the weather is cool (the moisturizer feels totally fine on my skin when the weather is hot) so I prep with a facial mist before using the product-this technique solves the problem right away. Also, I don't know if it's just me or the product evaporates from the jar if continuously exposed to the air? Any Hope In A Jar users here who have observed this? I'd love to read your opinions.
Anyway, the general problem with this product is the smell. It smells a bit like plastic and is quite strong and off- putting, plus the scent tends to stay. If this product did not give me my desired results in just three days, I'd literally dispose it because of the smell. :/ Philosophy, can we do something about this? Fine, better packaging can wait-please mask the odor first!
Speaking of results, let me muse about my fantastic experience with this product.
PHILOSOPHY HOPE IN A JAR OIL- FREE GEL MOISTURIZER IN ACTION
In as little as three days, I noticed that my skin looked and felt firmer, smoother, and it emitted this nice, I-just-had-a-diamond-peel glow. "I never had this glow before", I mused.
I know very well that daily exfoliation is a no-no, but this product has just debunked that for me. With manual exfoliation and some mechanical exfoliators, there's always the risk of damaging fresh skin that's why they're not recommended to be done and used daily, but this product, methinks, scrapes daily dead skin build- up, which we get everyday, without touching fresh skin, making it safe for daily use. That's micro exfoliation for you!
Three weeks after, my skin looked 30% better than what it was and overall, it just looks more uniform and healthy, from the look down to the texture. I also did not break out even if it yielded everyday exfoliation and even if I was exfoliating my skin with my usual facial scrubs on top of it.
This product is a nice re-invention of the good ol' moisturizer-never thought that moisturizers could be more than just plain emollients until I tried this product, but the scent--please, oh, please, let's change it! Other than this, this awesome product is a must- try for those with oily skin, gritty skin, and dull skin!
PHILOSOPHY HOPE IN A JAR OIL- FREE GEL MOISTURIZER RATING
Please visit PHILOSOPHY PHILIPPINES on Facebook for more information about this product.
17 Comments
your blog indeed miss m is so informative!now i know ang meaning ng gel beauty wise. I have heard that it kinda leaves a sticky residue on the skin. I will pass up on this. Sounds good but i am not ready yet to fork aeound 2k for a moisturizer.
ReplyDeleteI need this. But your description of its smell is a bit offputting. :) I think I can still stick it out with my sunflower oil for moisturizing properties. This is good for micro exfoliation though. I'm too lazy to do my exfoliation every week.
ReplyDeletei just recently got the chance to try philosophy last saturday c/o ms nikki of AMW.. and lucky to have free facial and samples from them, i love their fragrance scents ms m! finally i got to sniff them (as i imagine reading your review on their best selling fragrances!)
ReplyDeletei love their 3-in-1 purity cleanser (i bought the small bottle) and their total matteness pore refiner! and honestly ms m im eyeing on their eyecream! so promising!
i just recently got the chance to try philosophy last saturday c/o ms nikki of AMW.. and lucky to have free facial and samples from them, i love their fragrance scents ms m! finally i got to sniff them (as i imagine reading your review on their best selling fragrances!)
ReplyDeletei love their 3-in-1 purity cleanser (i bought the small bottle) and their total matteness pore refiner! and honestly ms m im eyeing on their eyecream! so promising!
Wow! A very honest and informative review. Ganitong moisturizer ang kailangan ko sa mukha ko eh..pricey sya but since madami na ako natry at naghahanap ako ng magiging bff moisturizer ko at since i trusted your review Martha pag iipunan ko ito. Tingin ko matagal tagal n gamitan naman ito since 60ml naman sya.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the scent's alright. Plus it has Phenoxyethanol..just read from an article about it causing cancer.. but anyway the product seems to be alright naman... (^...^)
ReplyDeleteI have read a lot of good reviews about hope in a jar. It is versatile pa nga daw, you can use it for your elbows and knees, too because it is so good in moisturizing. But the scent, i mean the smell..aaaw that was so sad! Philosophy should address that problem. I have no plans in buying this. I don't think i can spend that amount of money just for a jar of moisturizer (even if it smells nice, haha!)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the review Martha! I've been wanting to try this product for some time now but I always hesitated because it is quite expensive. But based on your review I think it is worth it if you can see the effects in as little as 3 days. By the way, is this best used at night or during the day?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the review Martha! I've been wanting to try this product for sometime now but I always hesitated because it is quite pricey. Bur based on your review I think it is worth it if you can see the results in as little as 3 days. By the way, is this best uses at night or day time?
ReplyDeleteI've been seeing reviews around, but your opinion matters to me (because I've been reading your blog for years and I've figured that our skin types are very similar)... This is kind of convincing me to give up my P2k!! The daily exfoliation is a DING DING DING right there (uh oh). Would you know if they give out samples?
ReplyDeletepungent smell is a deal breaker for me. I have a very sensitive nose so I cant tolerate bad smells in my skincare or cosmetic items. The effect though, is awesome. ang clear and ang fresh mo tignan Miss Martha :)
ReplyDeleteI have a jar of this! I'm just finishing my current moisturizer then I'll use this na.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited about the exfoliation part, it's the first time i heard about exfoliating moisturizer. I can't wait to try it and see the results myself!
I've been itching to try this since I saw it in the store. The container is so unhygienic though, and constant dipping of these grubby little fingers into the pot might eventually make for more breakouts :/
ReplyDeleteIve been wanting to try Hope in a Jar for so so long since I saw an Oprah with her christmas Oprah's favourites show. I just keep getting distracted by other moisturizers. Good to know this doesnt smell that good.
ReplyDeleteLike Rhain, I was also able to try out different Philosophy products including hope in a jar. It's a bit sticky for me though. And I hate the smell too. :/ I kinda like the brighten my day set than this one. It instantly brighten up my face. :) You should try that too! I love the purity cleanser and microdelivery peel as well. :) Both didn't cause breakouts
ReplyDeleteHope in a Jar seems to be distinctly known for the smell. The original moisturizer has a lavender-wet dog smell (according to some reviews). I personally don't mind it, but it does take some getting used to. The night version of Hope in a Jar also smells a little funky, but in a different way. I think the night cream smells more like the oil-free gel.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, not all their products smell different. Eye Hope isn't that bad, and neither is Purity. (Though Purity also has that lavender-and-other-essential-oils scent that could irritate the senses, if you're "maselan" with scents.)
Miz Eloise: Glad you learned something new today. Hmmm...I think you're referring to the first Hope In A Jar? Because this one is very light and almost watery. :)
ReplyDeleteMatromao: LOL at the wet dog smell. Great insights, btw. :))))
Abegaill: Purity is love! :) I wanna try their Matte range for oily skin. :)
Christine: Oprah's right on this one. :D I just wish that it smells better or better yet, unscented. :p
Anne_22: Enjoy! :)
Valerie: Hi and welcome to my blog! Yeah, I don't like jar packaging too, but I don't think constant dipping of the fingers would be enough to adulterate the product because it surely contains bacteria- fighting preservatives, unless you share it with a lot of people! :)
Myunixie: Welcome! I prefer using it during daytime because of its texture, but product didn't say that it's only intended for day use so I sometimes use it during night time as well. :)
Stephie: Hi dear! Thanks for being one of my loyal readers-I really appreciate it. :) Sorry, I don't know if they give out samples of this product-haven't asked that when I visited one of their stores, but all I know is you can sample it in store. :)
Vin: Haven't read about or heard anyone dying from using products with Phenoxyethanol so yah, this should be fine. :)
Flexxy: Welcome. :) Yes, it lasts for a while-just seal it right away after using because it's in a gel formulation and based on experience, gel formulas tend to evaporate. :)
Jhake: Thanks for sharing your thoughts. ;)
Merii: Hey, if you think sunflower oil works for you, then stick to it. There's always a next time for any product. ;)
Let me know what you think of this post! :)