Some time ago, I reviewed a few of products from the Hada Labo Tokyo range. Today I am back with another product – Hada Labo Tokyo Intense Hydrating Skin-Plumping Gel.

Hada Labo Tokyo describe this moisturiser as: ‘luxurious silky gel cream [which] combines the skin perfecting power of a serum with the intense hydration of a moisturizer to improve overall skin quality, restoring its natural smoothness & youthful bounce.’ (emphasis in original) The cream is also ‘non-comedogenic (doesn’t cause breakouts); free from fragrance, dyes, and mineral oil; suitable for all skin types’. (hadalabotokyo.com) Besides the instant boost of hydration, they promise that we should notice minimised wrinkles and fine lines, and improved bounciness and texture of skin, in just four weeks.

Ingredients-wise, the cream is mainly hydrating. There’s the famous Hada Labo’s triple hyaluronic acid, or Super Hyaluronic Acid™, collagen in creams hydrates and does nothing else; arginine is an amino acid helping to preserve skin’s moisture and smoothness, a ceramide, squalene, and hydroxyethyl urea, which is a great ingredient for keeping the skin hydrated, at least in its upper layers. There are also other emollients and hydrating ingredients that contribute to the effectiveness of this product. Technically, it’s a moisturising bomb that will keep your face plump and nourished. And how does it perform? 

Wonderfully, I must admit, much better than Hada Labo Tokyo Moisturising Cream. As the previous cream made me break out, I was afraid that this one would do the same, but it didn’t happen. I have been using it for a couple of weeks now, and it didn’t disappoint me. It’s has a jelly texture, but at the same time it’s quite dense, so you don’t need to use much of it. For me, it makes a perfect winter moisturiser, I have a mixed complexion, and it works for dry and oily parts of my face. It doesn’t exacerbate my sebum production, and my skin doesn’t feel dry anywhere either. When I apply it, it feels like a blanket on my skin. I must say that I rely on it a lot during the cold days. The air in is quite dry nowadays, but this cream helps me to get through it. As for the claims for minimising wrinkles and fine lines, let’s say they went a bit overboard with it. It will definitely help with those, but only if they are related to dehydration. The cream will rehydrate skin, thus plump it up resulting in minimised wrinkles. The results will last as long as you continue using this cream or hydrating your face on an equal level. I have noticed that it helps me with those dehydration lines, or wrinkles, around my eyes. My eyes get very dry, especially in the winter, and it shows. However, if I stop using this cream and neglect the area, it will go back to normal. No surprise there, I guess. 

This moisturiser is fabulous as it provides lasting hydration. I am sure all skin types will enjoy it from oily to dry. It’s honestly perfect for all skin types, even for people with sensitive skin, as it’s powerful, yet gentle (of course if you aren’t allergic to any of the ingredients). I like to use it both in the morning or at night. Though if you live in a particularly harsh climate (I mean where the temperatures go pretty low), you may want to use something with oils as your daytime moisturiser. This cream is oil-free, and you may want to use something oily to protect your face from the cold. Alternatively, top it up with your favourite facial oil.

Ingredients EU:
Aqua, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Diglycerin, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carbomer, Dimethicone, PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate, Triethanolamine, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Propylparaben (rossmann.pl)

Ingredients USA:
water, hydroxyethyl urea, butylene glycol, glycerin, pentylene glycol, PEG/PPG/polybutylene glycol-8/5/3 glycerin, squalane, triethylhexanoin, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer, agar, alpha-glucan, arginine, citric acid, dimethicone, dipropylene glycol, disodium EDTA, glucosyl ceramide, hydrolyzed collagen (marine), hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, methylisothiazolinone, sodium acetylated hyaluronate, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, sodium hyaluronate, triethyl citrate (Amazon.com )

There’s a slight difference between the ingredients in the European and American versions of the cream. The European version doesn’t contain methylisothiazolinone, which is banned in leave-on products (in the EU) because it often causes irritation. The preservative was replaced by parabens which are gentler on the skin. I know there’s some bias against parabens, but they are really not that scary, they are even in food products. I don’t think the small difference between the ingredients affects the performance, so they are pretty much the same creams. If you are considering buying the American version this product, I would go ahead and grab one.