Skincare on a Budget: Dr. Lin Skincare Daily Hydrating Gel

Purchased by Me 

Skincare is EXPENSIVE these days, am I right? I mean, even at the drugstores, a good moisturizer can run you upwards of $25. I've been hearing about the Dr. Lin Daily Hydrating Gel for a few years now, for a number of reasons, but I must admit that the price (between $6 and $8 depending on the retailer) was one of the main factors that pushed me to finally make a purchase.

I've been using this product for several months now (this review is long overdue!) so now that I've had plenty of time to test it, I'd love to share my thoughts with you.

Dr. Lin Skincare Daily Hydrating Gel

(retail: between $6 - $8, 4.0 oz.)

I purchased this jar at my local Bed Bath & Beyond with a Harmon Beauty inside for about $6, but you can also purchase it at Ulta for $7.49 in-store and online (Dr. Lin products happen to be BOGO1/2OFF at Ulta as of the time of this post), Walmart for $5.97 in-store and online, Target for $7.49 in-store and online, and it used to be available at Walgreens and Drugstore.com but I see it's out of stock at both retailers right now, so I'm not sure if they'll continue to offer it in the future. At any rate, you have lots of retailers to choose from if you're interested in this product, and it's also available via Amazon if you want to go that route.

Keep reading for my full review...

Made in USA

From the Dr. Lin website:

Description: 

Soothe and rehydrate dry, irritated skin. Intensive gel treatment minimizes inflammation and restores skin moisture with hyaluronic acid, and reduces redness with aloe vera. 

What it Does: 

Hydrates and relieves dry, irritated skin. Minimizes blemish and hair bumps without stinging. Leaves a cool, fresh sensation. 

Formulated With:  

Hyaluronic Acid: Works with the skin’s natural repair cycle to hydrate and heal. Aloe Vera: Soothes and minimizes redness and inflammation. 

Free Of: 

Parabens 

How to Use: 

Smooth onto dehydrated or inflamed skin. Leave on for 30 seconds, then pat off excess with gentle cloth. Can be left on overnight as a mask for maximum results. Use daily. If using with the Dr. Lin Skincare 2-Step Acne Clarifying System, apply after Step 2-Acne Lotion and the bonus Acne Spot Corrector. 

Ingredients:   

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi (Bear Berry) Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Anthemis (Chamomile) Nobilis Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Allantoin, Arbutin, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer.

Looking at the ingredients above, you can see that Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid) is the 7th ingredient here, and it comes before glycerin. For reference, the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel I reviewed a while back has Sodium Hyaluronate listed as the 15th ingredient, right before fragrance (Dr. Lin Daily Hydrating Gel is fragrance-free). So if you're looking for a moisturizer that contains more Hyaluronic Acid than the Neutrogena product, and is more affordable, this could be an option for you.

By the way, in case you're curious, I was testing this product before I started testing the Neutrogena product. I returned to this product after I finished testing the Neutrogena and I've stuck with it since then (I'm on my second jar now).

This is a clear gel (much like aloe vera in look and texture) and you get more than what you see above (I photographed this a few weeks into my testing). Also, there's a foil safety-seal on this jar (you can see that in the background) that you have to peel to open. 

I know that the directions say to apply this to the skin and then, after 30 seconds, pat off the excess with a cloth. Please note that I have only used it that way ONCE. For the remainder of my testing, I used it like a traditional moisturizer, and I've noticed that many other people use it like a traditional moisturizer as well. If you look at the reviews over on Makeup Alley, you'll see that most of the reviews reference it like a traditional moisturizer. By the way, this product also seems to get a lot of recommendations over on Reddit and the Makeup Alley skincare board since it does not contain fatty alcohols, which I know that some people with sensitive/acne-prone skin try to avoid.

So how has it been working for ME? Simple: it's fantastic. I have very oily skin, but I also have more and more dry patches as I get older (mostly under my eyes and also on my forehead). I've been using this product as my nightly moisturizer (both for my face and undereye area) and I also wear it in the daytime when I'm not going to be in the sun for a prolonged period of time (there's no sunscreen here, so I pretty much only use this during the day if my foundation contains SPF and I know I'm not going to be in the sun for more than a few minutes at a time--I never, ever leave my house without at least SOME type of SPF on my face, and you shouldn't either!).

This product feels very much like aloe vera gel when you apply it to the skin. A little goes a long way, and it's very easy to spread. The first few times you use it, you'll probably apply too much (I know I did!) so there's a learning curve here as you figure out how much to scoop out for your face and neck. There's a cooling sensation here, but that's not due to menthol or anything like that--the cooling is due to the gel itself, not any ingredients IN the gel. After application, my skin feels slightly tacky for a few minutes, but that does go away pretty quickly and, afterwards, my skin just feels fresh and hydrated. I find that this gel absorbs into my skin quite quickly, which I appreciate since I don't usually have a lot of time to wait around for my moisturizers to absorb.

The main thing I've noticed after using this product for several months now is that my skin just looks BETTER. This is really not something I can capture in a before-and-after photo-- it's been a slow, gradual improvement. It just looks brighter, clearer, plumper, more even and my cheeks look rosier. In fact, after about a month of using this product, Mr. G and I were sitting at the dining room table eating breakfast one Saturday (I was in my PJs with no makeup on), and he just all of a sudden said, "Your skin looks really good right now." I was sitting next to an open window with sunlight pouring in, so I figured he was just being nice since my skin NEVER looks good in full sunlight. I asked him to tell me exactly HOW it looked better, but all he could really say was, "I dunno..it just looks really healthy right now." There you have it. 

I personally prefer to use this product at nighttime because, as explained above, there's no SPF here. But the times that I've used it during the day have been quite successful. It provides a great base for makeup that doesn't lend to oiliness (again, I have very oily skin and it never makes my makeup slide off). I also love this product both on my face and under/around my eyes. It never stings when I get it too close to my eyes, which is a great bonus.

Would this product work for normal or dry skin? Now that's where I'm really not sure. I've read some reviews that say it doesn't provide enough moisture for those with dry skin, so you may have to use something (another moisturizer or serum) in conjunction with this if you have dry skin. But during the warmer months, this COULD be a nice option even if you have dry skin, if you're looking for something light and calming. For my oily skin, this product is absolutely perfect in both cool and warm weather--whenever I use it, my skin always feel hydrated without ever feeling greasy or slick. 

As I mentioned before, this gel is fragrance-free, and to me it really just smells like aloe vera gel (very faint; pretty much no scent at all). 

FINAL VERDICT: If you have oily and/or acne-prone skin and you're looking for a nighttime (or daytime) moisturizer that will hydrate and calm your skin without adding any heaviness or greasiness, then I think this is definitely one to consider. I've noticed a visible improvement to my skin since I've been using it, and I love how refreshing it is to apply at nighttime. I'm not sure if this product will provide enough hydration for those with normal to dry skin, but I still think it might be worth a shot if you have acne-prone normal/dry skin and you're looking for something light and calming during the warmer months. At about $6 a jar, you really don't have much to lose, right? And if it doesn't work for you, you can always give it to any of the men in your life (my boyfriend loves this stuff and he NEVER likes putting anything on his face). Really the only negative thing I can say about this product is that I wish it came in a squeeze tube instead of a jar, just for sanitary reasons. Other than that, this one's a winner for me and I hope it will be for you too, if you try it.

Do you already own Dr. Lin Skincare Daily Hydrating Gel? If so, I would love to hear how it's been working for you!

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.