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Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream
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Moisturizers
About this product

A lightweight water-based moisturizer cream formulated with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and natural moisturizing factors to hydrate and plump the skin.

Full ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, C10-30 Cholesterol/​Lanosterol Esters, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Serine, Glycine, Alanine, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Lysine Hcl, Glutamic Acid, Sodium PCA, Pca, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Betaine, Allantoin, Fructose, Maltose, Trehalose, Glucose, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tropolone, Sodium Hydroxide

More from Neutrogena 66 products · Guru Score 91% →

Guru Score

87%

Yay

7 experts · Strong agreement
Guru Certified
Broad expert consensus

What the gurus are saying

This water cream earns consistent praise for being lightweight yet deeply hydrating, making it ideal for oily and acne-prone skin without feeling heavy or greasy. Dermatologists and skincare experts highlight that its thin texture layers beautifully under sunscreen and works across all skin types, while the hyaluronic acid plumps fine lines when applied to damp skin. The fragrance-free formula and simple ingredient blend of ceramides, amino acids, and natural moisturizing factors appeal to those with sensitive skin, and at an affordable price point it's a go-to summer moisturizer or morning routine staple.
Synthesized from 7 expert reviews · most recent take June 2026

What they liked

  • Fragrance-free and niacinamide-free
  • Fast-absorbing, non-greasy feel
  • Affordable price

What they flagged

    Nothing. None of the experts who reviewed it raised a problem.

    Type

    MoisturizersCream

    Key actives

    Formula notes

    Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

    Where to buy

    Opens a store search. We may earn from these links.

    Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

    What the experts use it for.

    The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

    Breakouts and acne2 experts

    “This moisturizer is exactly that highly recommend especially in the summer time for those who are oily and or acne prone”

    Dr. Jenny Liu, watch at 3:01

    Fine lines and wrinkles2 experts

    “No fragrance, very lightweight, plumping, full of hyaluronic acid, and definitely helps hide fine lines and wrinkles.”

    Dr. Daniel Sugai, watch at 7:49

    Excess oil and shine1 expert

    “I think it's definitely better suited for the wintertime for those with more oily and combination skin.”

    Dr. Jenny Liu, watch at 4:05

    Skin barrier support1 expert

    “It also has ceramides which are good for the moisture barrier.”

    Dr Dray, watch at 7:26

    Rough or uneven texture1 expert

    “But the urea also helps support skin cell turnover and gentle exfoliation so you get smoother skin essentially.”

    Dr Dray, watch at 13:41

    Fine lines around the eyes1 expert

    “I like using this around my eyes. It's moisturizing, it's hydrating, and it has that effect of moisturizers to plump the skin surface to diminish the appearance of fine lines.”

    Dr Dray, watch at 15:07

    What the gurus are saying.

    Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

    All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
    Dr. Daniel Sugai
    Dr. Daniel Sugai
    724k subs
    ✓Yay
    "Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream or the water gel are very plumping because they are filled with hyaluronic acid. If you apply that to damp skin, it's going to help plump up your skin and temporarily hide those fine lines and wrinkles very well. That's one of my wife's favorite moisturizers."
    All 4 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai
    How to Layer Your Skincare Products in an Anti-Aging Skincare Routine
    "If you want something lightweight, Neutrogena Hydro Boost is a very popular option. [...] This is their water cream. My wife and my daughter love this one. If you [...] have very oily skin, the Hydro Boost is a great option."
    I Went to Costco for Skincare… Here’s What You Should and Shouldn’t Buy!
    "My wife's favorite is the Hydro Boost line by Neutrogena. This is her water cream. No fragrance, very lightweight, plumping, full of hyaluronic acid, and definitely helps hide fine lines and wrinkles. A great compliment to your retinol."
    Dermatologist Reviews: Holiday Skincare Picks for All Ages 2023
    "Recently the water Cream came out which is a nice compromise no fragrance but very nice and hydrating moisturizer not breaking the bank"
    If Your Skin Looks Dull, Do This Drugstore Routine
    "Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream or the water gel are very plumping because they are filled with hyaluronic acid. If you apply that to damp skin, it's going to help plump up your skin and temporarily hide those fine lines and wrinkles very well. That's one of my wife's favorite moisturizers."
    Dr. Mamina
    Dr. Mamina
    283k subs
    ✓Yay
    "I love their Hydroboost line, especially their water cream and the Hydroboost gel cream. So good."
    All 3 takes from Dr. Mamina
    Dermatologist Ranks Popular Skincare Brands (Some Might Shock You!) | part 1
    "I love their Hydroboost line, especially their water cream and the Hydroboost gel cream. So good."
    My Favorite Summer Skincare Tips & Products
    "I would transition from heavier creams or ointments to lighter gel cream creams or lotions. Some of my favorite summer moisturizers are the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream."
    Tips to Hydrate Your Skin for Plump, Dewy Skin
    "I'm also a big fan of Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream"
    Dr. Aleksandra Brown
    Dr. Aleksandra Brown
    154k subs
    ✓Yay
    "Neutrogena Hydro Boost, I prefer the water cream versus the gel version for this. I find the water cream to be appropriate for all skin types, whether you're dry, combination, or oily. It's so thin it really allows me to layer sunscreen on top without anything rolling off or peeling."
    Top Pick: versatile over the counter moisturizer
    Dr. Jenny Liu
    Dr. Jenny Liu
    324k subs
    ✓Yay
    "This moisturizer is exactly that highly recommend especially in the summer time for those who are oily and or acne prone"
    All 2 takes from Dr. Jenny Liu
    Amazon Prime Day 2024| BEST OF SKIN & HAIRCARE Dermatologist top picks
    "This moisturizer is exactly that highly recommend especially in the summer time for those who are oily and or acne prone"
    Drugstore moisturizers for winter $35 or less | Dr. Jenny Liu
    "This moisturizer is fragrance-free so great to use on everyone even if you have sensitive skin. It contains a wonderful blend of ingredients including hyaluronic acid, ceramides, natural moisturizing factors and amino acids that really helps to plump and hydrate the skin and keep your skin hydrated throughout the day. With the water cream texture it's lightweight and fast absorbing. I think it's definitely better suited for the wintertime for those with more oily and combination skin."
    Tea with MD
    Tea with MD
    115k subs
    ✓Yay
    "I love recommending the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream to patients because it's affordable, it's very simple to use, it's no fuss, it's fragrance-free, it's great for those with acne, it's super hydrating without feeling very heavy or greasy on the skin so you can use this morning or night. It's a really hydrating and rich cream that contains hyaluronic acid, natural moisturizing factors, tons of amino acids, electrolytes, essential lipids, and ceramides as well."
    Nipun Kapur
    Nipun Kapur
    413k subs
    ✓Yay
    "Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream has ceramide, it's a water gel, a light gel, a watery cream, some beautiful moisturizer for the morning so you can basically use that and use your sunscreen. [...] This morning routine is giving you anti-aging benefits with peptides, which are chains of amino acids proteins, niacinamide, a fabulous ingredient, antioxidant that protects against environmental aggressors like heat, pollution, and sunshine."
    Dr Dray
    Dr Dray
    2.69M subs
    ✓Yay
    "It's the water cream. Very similar texture, finish, feel, performance. Has hyaluronic acid like the CeraVe product to hydrate. No niacinamide, no phenoxyethanol. So, if those are CeraVe stingers for you, you might want to go with this one. It's got ceramides also. It has urea and amino acids, which are very hydrating and good for the dryness."
    Sponsored
    All 17 takes from Dr Dray
    Would I Buy It Again? Derm Empties Review
    "Love this to bits. Fragrance-free. This [...] water cream has hyaluronic acid, it's very thick, but not heavy. The hyaluronic acid helps with water retention in the skin of course, but a jazzy thing about this is it also has urea which is good for again hydrating the skin. Hence the whole hydro, right? We're amping up water content in the skin which helps with barrier integrity. But the urea also helps support skin cell turnover and gentle exfoliation so you get smoother skin essentially."
    Ulta Beauty World 2025 Was OUT OF CONTROL
    "I'm a big fan of this body gel cream. It's a great value. I even use it on my face. [...] The water cream has natural moisturizing factors and ceramides. If you're sensitive to niacinamide, check these out because they don't have niacinamide."
    Trying Minimalist Moisturizer And Antique Shopping | Vlog
    "I just finished last night the Hydro Boost Water Cream fragrance free. Love it."
    *NEW* Skincare Finds At Costco
    "This is the fragrance-free Hydro Boost Water Cream with hyaluronic acid and natural moisturizing factors. It also has ceramides which are good for the moisture barrier."
    *NEW* Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream And Water Gel Review
    "I personally think these are an upgrade in comparison to the old formula. I actually prefer the consistencies of both, the textures of both. I think they're a little bit more elegant. [...] You definitely can see that they tweaked it a bit to improve upon not only the ingredient profile and the performance of the product but also the aesthetics and the texture. Just like the old water cream, you get 1.7 ounces of product, although the newer jars look a lot smaller."
    *NEW* Skincare At Target 2024
    "I'm currently using the water cream. [...] One of my favorite moisturizers they discontinued and they came out with a cream and a gel in its place and I like both of them but the cream has natural moisturizing factors, it has ceramide, it has urea as a natural moisturizing factor so it's new and improved for sure in terms of the ingredients. The consistency is a lot richer in comparison to the older formula. I really like it, I really enjoy it."
    Using My Red Light Mask Again | Skincare Vlog
    "The texture is kind of interesting in comparison to the old Hydro Boost. Neutrogena used to have the Hydro Boost extra dry that I loved so much, it was fragrance-free and they discontinued it, which is a bummer, but in its place they came out with the water cream and the water gel both of which are fragrance free, which as a side note Neutrogena has been doing a lot more fragrance-free, which I greatly appreciate. I really like it."
    Shopping New Skincare From MCoBeauty | Vlog
    "I'm almost done with this Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream as my face moisturizer."
    *NEW* Anti-aging Skincare At Costco | November 2023
    "It also has hyaluronic acid and natural moisturizing factors to help improve water retention, and that just helps the barrier function better. It has Urea which can soften and gently exfoliate dry rough skin as well as help with moisture retention. I really like this new formula. [...] I've been using Hydro Boost for years and this newer water cream is definitely definitely even a step up from what was already an excellent product."
    *NEW* SKINCARE DEALS AT COSTCO
    "This is the new reformulation of the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream that I used to rave about. They have this new one and it [...] has ceramide in it, which is a new addition. This really does offer nice sustained hydration. It's great around the eyes too. I have found it as a moisturizer for temporarily smoothing the look of fine lines through moisture retention, which at the end of the day is the name of the game when it comes to the bulk of what skincare products do for you."
    Dermatologist Reviews the NEW CeraVe Water Gel
    "It's the water cream. Very similar texture, finish, feel, performance. Has hyaluronic acid like the CeraVe product to hydrate. No niacinamide, no phenoxyethanol. So, if those are CeraVe stingers for you, you might want to go with this one. It's got ceramides also. It has urea and amino acids, which are very hydrating and good for the dryness."
    Skincare Products I Can't Believe I Used Up
    "This is a great option from Neutrogena, it is their newly reformulated Hydro Boost Water Cream. [...] I really really like these newer formulations of the Hydro Boost moisturizer because they include natural moisturizing factors in addition to hyaluronic acid and I like the texture a little bit more in comparison to the older formula. Gentle enough to use obviously the entire face, the neck, used around my eyes. Really really like this a lot."
    *NEW* Drugstore Skincare Finds 🛒
    "I am currently using the Hydro Boost Water Cream a lot and I really like it. It's got natural moisturizing factors, lipids, and hyaluronic acid, so it's really good for dry skin, winter skin, but it's nice and lightweight too."
    Skincare Products I Use Every Day | Skincare Vlog
    "I like using this around my eyes. It's moisturizing, it's hydrating, and it has that effect of moisturizers to plump the skin surface to diminish the appearance of fine lines. I've rather been enjoying it."
    Skincare Worth Buying At Costco This September 2024
    "I really enjoy it. It's $29.99, though last time we were here I think it was on sale, so keep an eye out for the sales because I think it was like $5 off the $29.99. [...] This is really nice in contrast to the older formula. It has natural moisturizing factors like urea, which is not only good for improving hydration in the skin but also very gently exfoliates, and the hyaluronic acid also helps with water retention."
    Skincare In Your Nose | Skincare Vlog
    "Currently I'm using and loving the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream. [...] The texture and everything is just completely different from the other one. I kind of adore this. Like I said in my review, I prefer it to the other one when it comes to it. A lot of the heavy lifting of your skin care products comes down to the moisturizing aspect of things."
    Skincare Products I Used Up | 2024 Skincare Empties
    "I went through two jars of Hydroboost moisturizer. I went through the water gel and the water cream. The water gel is a lot more lightweight in consistency compared to the water cream but they have very similar ingredient profiles. They are both free of fragrance and they have natural moisturizing factors like urea for example along with hyaluronic acid."

    What the evidence says.

    Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

    Urea

    Urea both holds water in the skin and gently loosens dead surface cells. At higher strengths it has good evidence for very dry or thickened skin.

    Source: DermNet

    Ceramides

    Ceramides are part of the skin's own barrier, and moisturisers built around them have evidence for holding water in and settling the tightness and flaking that come with a damaged barrier.

    Source: DermNet

    Humectants and emollients

    Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

    Source: DermNet

    Frequently asked.

    What is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream?

    A lightweight water-based moisturizer cream formulated with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and natural moisturizing factors to hydrate and plump the skin.

    Is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream worth it?

    Yes. All 7 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 87%.

    What is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream's Guru Score?

    Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream holds a Guru Score of 87%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 7 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

    Who is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream best for?

    Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream is generally suited to dry skin and sensitive skin.

    What is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream good for, according to the experts?

    In their reviews, experts say Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream is good for breakouts and acne (2 experts), fine lines and wrinkles (2 experts), excess oil and shine (1 expert), skin barrier support (1 expert), rough or uneven texture (1 expert) and fine lines around the eyes (1 expert).

    Is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream good for breakouts and acne?

    2 experts who reviewed Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Cream say it is. Dr. Jenny Liu put it this way: “This moisturizer is exactly that highly recommend especially in the summer time for those who are oily and or acne prone”

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