More hydrating than Hyaluronic Acid – Huxley’s power of Cactus Extract

I was always wary of Hyaluronic Acid. It has been marketed as the best humectant in skincare, but in a dry environment, your skin will lose more moisture to the environment with Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acis in its original state has a very thick, gloopy and sticky texture that’s not very pleasant to work with. In recent years companies have tried to reduce the molecular weight of Hyaluronic Acid and making it better absorbed and more pleasant to use. But still, products with Hyaluronic Acids are usually thicker and more occlusive.

On the contrary, Cactus Extract has always been an ingredient I loved. It’s extremely hydrating and soothing, that makes the skin comfortable and plump. I’m so excited to see it being used more and more.

Huxley is a brand that’s dedicated to the Cactus plant. The brand came to my attention last year due to its sleek packaging and classy brand imagery. It quickly became one of the hottest skincare brands in Seoul. However, the reviews have been mixed. Some people enjoyed it a lot, others have commented on its heavy use of fragrance, which has been put me off to try the brand until recently.

After trying the Huxley Grab Water Essence, it instantly reminded me how much I loved Cactus products and the hydrating effects are just phenomenal.

Packaging

Huxley Grab Water Essence comes in a clear, thick glass bottle with a dropper applicator. It’s not too heavy because there’s only 30ml of content. I notice the rubber of the dropper is quite thin, which makes picking up the product very easy and effortless. The dropper is on the short side and gets filled to its top. Overall, the design is simple and sleek. It feels quite classy and elegant.

Ingredients

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Menthapiperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide Np (Ceramide 3), Acorus Gramineus Root/Steam Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Perilla Frutescenx Leaf Extract, Malachite Extract, Methyl Gluceth-20, Water, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Polysorbate 80, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance

Most of the content is comprised of Botanical Extracts. Apart from the Cactus Extract and Cactus Seed Oil, the Grab Water Essence also contains Birch Sap Juice and Bamboo Juice, which are great for hydration and clarifying.

Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf or Yerba Maté is an antioxidant-rich leaf that contains 196 active chemical compounds (of which only 144 are also found in green tea) including 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids and 11 polyphenols.

Other antioxidant-rich ingredients included are extracts of Plum, Acai, Camu Camu and Quinoa Seed.

Alcohol is third on the ingredients list. It’s not clear how much alcohol content is there, but I could feel it and smell it though very slightly. I have quite sensitive skin. The alcohol content has made me a little uncomfortable, but I had no reactions. The Alcohol content has also made the essence less hydrating than it would have been. My feeling is that the Alcohol was added to thin out the texture of this product.

Final two ingredients are Phenoxyethanol and Fragrance, which are both sensitising to the skin. Therefore, it’s not a product for sensitive skins.

Texture

The texture of the Huxley Grab Water Essence is flowable and lightweight, which is rather surprising for a hydrating essence. It felt like a watery gel when pumped out of the bottle and spreads out to a water-like consistency that quickly (partly) absorbed and (partly) evaporated.

Scent

It has a distinctive cactus scent. It smells fresh but slightly heavier than natural. I quite like the scent but wish it was toned down a little more.

Colour

The liquid is completely clear.

Application

I’ve started with 1 pump for the entire face, but have found that was a little too much, and reduced the application to 5 drops (about 1/2 pump). The essence spreads very easily onto the skin, then partly absorbed and partly evaporated. It leaves the skin slightly shiny due to the oil content and the skin feels both hydrated and moisturised.

Results

Despite the slightly drying effect because of the Alcohol content, my skin felt well hydrated and plump when using the Huxley Grab Water Essence. The oil content also added moisturisation to the skin which prevented the hydration to evaporate too quickly. I like how the texture is not thick and gloopy that I can easily layer with another essence or serum to boost up the brightening or anti-aging function of my skincare routine.

Verdict

Huxley Grab Water Essence is a great hydrating essence that’s lightweight and easy to use. It delivers its claims and the benefits of Cactus. The downside is its use of alcohol, fragrance and Phenoxyethanol, which made it unsuitable for sensitive skins.

Where to purchase Huxley?

Postscript

I can now totally understand the mixed reviews of Huxley as a brand. I personally also have a love and hate relationship with their products because I do enjoy the hydrating effects of the products but also wary about using Alcohol and other sensitising ingredients on my skin. I hope Huxley do improve their formula to remove the skin sensitising ingredients so that more people can enjoy the benefit of Cactus.