Super lightweight, fast-drying and packed with moisture-boosting ingredients, these water-textured semi-solids are set to take the skincare industry by storm. Here’s who could benefit most from them and why
Jelly - it’s not just a treat for the tastebuds. Turns out it’s also a treat for the skin too as seen by the rise of cleansing jellies and now, jelly moisturisers.
We aren’t talking a tub of Vaseline here. Rather, refreshingly textured and sophisticatedly formulated semi-solids that are lighter than a cream and faster absorbing than a gel. And they’re set to be big. Everyone from Clinique to Garnier is adding them to their portfolios, with the category finding success across the globe. In fact, skincare brand J.One’s Jelly Pack sells four units every 60 seconds and is one of Sephora’s bestselling products too.
Fast to sink in and loaded with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid to provide long-lasting hydration, those with combination to oily skin types stand to benefit most from these lightweight heavyweights. However, as we found out at the launch for Clinique’s new Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly, they also serve as a great option for those with dry and blemish-prone skin types looking to avoid the heaviness of a lotion. They’re also a great minute-saving option for the time-poor, and they sit really well underneath makeup too.
Cooling, non-greasy, hydrating and multitasking, here are five of our favourites. (Extra tip - pop one in the fridge before you use it for an even more refreshing experience. You’re welcome).
Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly, £31 for 125ml
This oil-free moisturiser works to add and lock in hydration thanks to its use of sodium hyaluronate and glycerin. With a fast-absorbing water-like texture, it leaves skin just as bouncy as its jelly texture and perfectly prepped for makeup.
Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly, £24.99 for 30ml
This is a firm favourite among the team due to its hydrating prowess and hygienic pump jar that dispenses the perfect amount of product to cover face and neck. Containing high molecular weight hyaluronic acid and a binding ingredient called Fucogel to prevent transepidermal water loss, it works as a great accompaniment to a more intensive skin serum.
J.One Black Jelly Pack, £36 for 50ml
This new overnight incarnation of the original Korean product provides a more intensive treat compared to the other moisturisers in our edit, and it has cult status already as a Sephora bestseller that flies off the shelves at a rate of four a minute. It contains a bevy of skin-boosting goodies that includes de-congesting black cumin seed and other antioxidants in the form of black truffle, black pearl, blackberry, blackcurrant, wine extract and black bee propolis. It also features low molecular hyaluronic acid for deeper penetration and peptides to make it a great serum and leave-on mask too.
Shiseido Waso Fresh Jelly Lotion, £25 for 150ml
Containing white jelly mushroom extract to help skin hold onto moisture, this jelly’s refreshing texture is matched by an equally fresh scent. Also containing redness-reducing dipotassium glycyrrhizate, it helps skin appear softer, smoother and less shiny.
Garnier Skinactive Aloe Water Jelly, £12.99 for 150ml
Soothing and plumping, this multitasking jelly has impressive all-hour reach. Best used as a no-fuss day cream in our experience, it contains aloe vera and hyaluronic acid to leave skin glowy but not greasy.