Review of fungal-safe moisturiser - Dr. Sheth's Aloe & 1% Panthenol Hydrating Gel

with 2% Niacinamide, Urea, Prebiotics for Deeply Moisturizing & Hydrating Skin | Reduces Inflammation & Redness | Non-Sticky Face Gel

The chatty product title comes from Amazon, half the required info right there 😂

Urea is a hugely underrated ingredient, IMO, that is a naturally occurring part of our NMF (Natural Moisturising Factors). It's gently exfoliating, deeply hydrating AND strengthens barrier function, which makes it amazing for most sensitive skin conditions, including dermatitis and malassezia-related issues like fungal acne and seborrhea. It strengthens skin in the long-term! See the SimpleSkincareScience page for more info about urea!

Also contains glycerine (another OG powerhouse ingredient), niacinamide (at a reasonable and effective percentage), and that one patented hydrating combo called Aquaxyl that we're seeing a lot of lately - the individual ingredients are Xylitylglucoside - Anhydroxylitol - Xylitol. Xylitol is the prebiotic mentioned. Prebiotics may or may not have benefits for the skin the same way they do for the gut, as mentioned in the Paula's Choice website entry. Regardless, xylitol helps with barrier function and hydration, so 🤷🏽‍♀️

I was excited to try something new after using Rahul Phate's Hydrasmooth (review here). Generally better and more beneficial ingredients - and that one seems to be OOS everywhere 😂 Also, this product is vegan, the Hydrasmooth contains gelatin.

PRODUCT AND TEXTURE SHOTS on my dad's hand, I'm not emotional, you're emotional

🐳 Review type: 4.5/5

🐳 Skin type: Oily/combo, malassezia (fungal acne) prone, sensitive, redness prone. Around NC40, so PIH prone. My skin is very particular, dahling 😅

🐳 Age: 30

🐳 Current climate: Cool and slightly humid

🐳 Usage timeline: Over two months

🐳 Price: ₹550 for 50g (available for ₹385 on Amazon at time of review)

🐳 Ingredients: Purified Water, Glycerin, Urea, Niacinamide, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Panthenol, Aloevera Extract, Lecithin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Centella Asiatica, Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids, Sarcosine, Potassium Aspartate, Magnesium Aspartate, Disodium EDTA, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Hyaluronic Acid

🐳 User experience: it's a nice, spreadable consistency, and not super runny or watery (refer to product shots). It's got a little body to it, and sinks in fast, but not immediately. Gives enough time to spread it around. I initially wondered if the texture was due to silicones, but I guess it the polymers.

The amount needed for face and neck is around half a ₹1 coin size, so I'm happy with 50g of product (will update when I finish the tube). I use it only once a day, at night. There seems to be about half the tube left.

It's not slippy in feel, like with silicone-heavy products, and doesn't sit on top of the skin like they do, either. I like that. I'm not the biggest fan of siliconey textures. This feels like nothing on the skin, it doesn't leave my skin matte to the touch OR dewy. Just hydrated and normal.

When I started using it, right before Mumbai "winter" started, it was humid, and the product was slightly tacky. I used to mix it 50:50 with aloe gel. Now that it's "winter", it works perfectly well to moisturise by itself, and I only use something on top of it during particular times during my menstrual cycle, when my skin is drier.

I saw no discernible difference in my skin at all, dear reader 😂 And I'm happy with that! It's an upgrade from the Hydrasmooth in a couple ways (not to mention double the price, retail - so it better be). And did not break me out.

It also soothed my skin post laser hair removal session, but I can't say that it did any different than the Hydrasmooth in that aspect. Also, I literally had a cold shower after the session, because sensitive skin, y'all, and that probably did the most to help 🤷🏽‍♀️

🐳 My thoughts: a solid, no-nonsense soothing moisturiser that has quite good hydration strength. Would recommend.

The pros are - everything listed 😂 Also, I don't feel the need for a hydrating serum (left that behind when I started using Hydrasmooth) and I've stopped using a separate niacinamide serum, because that's in there, too. I prefer a simple routine.

The packaging is also reasonably well-designed (my preference for a slight nozzle is just personal) and there's no real issues with functionality. I don't have to think about it at all. It's also attractive, IMO. Periwinkle is one of my favourite colours (Pantone colour of the year, yaayy 😆) and the information is presented on the label in a clear and aesthetically pleasing manner - I don't personally care about packaging appearance at all, but I hope some deserving graphic designers got paid 😂

Edit: oh my God, I almost forgot, and remembered as I was rambling about packaging 😂 - the outer carton packaging was a whole Thing (images here) and I specifically took photos to show y'all. A lot of information, some of it repeated on the bck of the actual tube. I guess they're just leaning into the "Dr." part for the branding heavily.

I will say, although the product was secure and was in no danger of leaking, the carton was deformed, because there was a perforated seam so you can unfold the whole thing and read it. It just halfway crumpled open in transit. Was it required to make the inside an infographic, at the cost of good old structural integrity? 🤔 I appreciated the creativity though, and I'm sure some people like the packaging this way.

UPDATE: ☀ Summer ☀ has arrived, and I've been using this product at night - the amount I use has halved, at least, but on a moist face (I apply it right after showering), it spreads nice and thinly, and isn't sticky. Very nice 😌

If I use too much in hot weather, however, it does form a film that gets a little stuffy and my FA and regular acne both flare up a bit. Yet another example of why I always emphasise technique over products!

Cons would be... I feel like it's worth the price when it's on sale at 380, but the retail price of 550 is a little too much 🙃 But that's entirely personal.

Hope that was helpful. K, thanks, byee ❤