Hydrating Skincare with AHC Beauty | GIFTED

*this post contains products which have been gifted for testing and review purposes. It does not contain paid for advertorial content, and all opinions are my own.

A hydrating skincare routine is one of my beauty must-haves. And as someone with combination skin, that can be a tricky thing to achieve. I’ve tried a number of moisturisers over the years, with varied success. My current faves include the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream and the Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème. But, there are plenty more that I’d love to try out!

I recently received a VoxBox from Influenster and AHC Beauty, which included 2 complimentary samples of their products. The UK website states that AHC Beauty is the #1 Korean skincare brand – quite a name to live up to. The website is minimalistic and easy to use – without millions of products to baffle customers. I’d never tried a Korean beauty brand before, despite the hype of Korean skincare products. The package conveniently arrived just as I was scraping the last of my Kiehl’s moisturiser from the pot – perfect timing! I received full-size samples of AHC Beauty’s Aqualuronic Cream and Natural Essential Aqua Calming Mask.

Aqualuronic Cream

The Aqualuronic Cream comes in a 50ml jar, with a little spatula for application. My first thought was around how heavy the jar was! The packaging is particularly heavyweight, which for me gives an air of quality and luxury. The box describes the cream as lightweight, with a gel formulation including French sea water, ceramide and triple hyaluronic acid for maximum hydration. No idea why French sea water is more hydrating than other sea water, but I’ll take their word for it! As a lover of hyaluronic acid (in serums as well as filler), I was intrigued by the triple HA formula.

The instructions recommend scooping out 3-4 small dollops of product using the spatula, and applying to the face and neck. The first time I tried it, I used 3 dollops and found this to be FAR too much. I think my interpretation of ‘dollop’ might have been a little larger than AHC intended! That being said, the gel formulation really helped the product to absorb into my skin quickly – even if I did have a little extra left on the surface on my first try! The lightweight description was absolutely bang on; once absorbed, my skin didn’t feel as though I was wearing any products.

I’ve used a fair few skincare products with a gel formulation, and every one is a favourite in its category. My SPF also has a gel formulation. I find that gel products absorb without leaving that greasy feeling sometimes left behing by creamier moisturisers or oil-based products. But the Aqualuronic Cream has left my skin feeling hydrated all day, without feeling oily – even later in the day. I’ve been using it twice a day, and have had no irritation at all.

But I think one of the biggest benefits for me is how plump and even my skin feels. I’ve used hyaluronic acid serums for a while now, and I get the same results, so I’ll assume the triple HA is doing the legwork. It means that my makeup has a more flawless finish – who doesn’t want that?!

Now that I’m not using 4 dollops of moisturiser each time (literally, 2 is plenty for me) the jar will last me a good while.

Natural Essential Aqua Calming Mask

AHC Beauty have a few different sheet masks on their website. I received the Calming Mask, but they also offer a Lifting Mask and a Nourishing Mask too. They’re catering for multiple skin concerns! The Calming Mask is aimed at those with tired, stressed out skin. It’s made from 100% natural cotton, and it contains a patented ingredient called Aqua Ceramide for intense hydration. The packaging looks like a serum bottle – little details like that make me smile, as well as helping a brand stand out!

On opening the sheet mask sachet, my first thought was how wet the mask was. I expect sheet masks to be moist, but when I took the mask out of the sachet, it was dripping wet. It was folded twice like most sheet masks, but I found it quite difficult to unfold because of all the moisture. A messy start to my pamper night!

My go-to sheet masks are the Garnier Moisture Bomb range. One of the things I like most about them is the backing sheet on the masks themselves, which make them a little more sturdy to unfold and apply. The AHC Beauty ones don’t have this backing sheet, so again it made things a little tricky to unfold. I’d hate to rip it! Once unfolded though, I found the mask was really easy to apply. The moisture made the sheet mask stick to my face easily, and the holes were in reasonable proportion. Nothing worse than feeling like the mouth hole is halfway down your chin!

Once applied, it was time to relax! The recommended time for this particular mask is 10-20 minutes – I took full advantage and chilled out for the maximum time. After removal, there was a lot of moisture left on my skin, so I massaged that in as normal. But, similarly to when I put too much moisturiser on, I felt as though some remained on the surface of my skin, even after an hour or two had passed.

My skin can be really sensitive to new products, but I had no reaction to the sheet mask at all. Instead, it just felt intensely hydrated with no tightness or irritation.

The Verdict

The Aqualuronic Cream retails for £32, and the sheet masks retail for £6 each at the time of reviewing. As mentioned above, I received these products on a complimentary basis so that I could try them out. But would I spend my own money on these?

The sheet masks I usually buy are around half the price of the AHC Beauty ones – and even then, I have a habit of stocking up when they’re reduced. It’s quite strange, considering how much money I’d happily spend on other products. Maybe it’s something to do with most sheet masks being single use. If I get a lot of use out of a product, I’m more likely to splurge. My skin did feel great after using the mask, so I may purchase it in the future as a special treat. But, I can’t see the Calming Mask replacing my Moisture Bomb ones any time soon.

The Aqualuronic Cream, on the other hand, I would definitely pick up to add to my collection. I have a list of moisturisers that my skin absolutely hates, so it’s a relief to find another one that works for me. In terms of price point, it’s right in the middle between my 2 other top moisturisers. Plus, those two are frequently sold out, so hopefully this one might be a little easier to get hold of! That being said – I think the spatula can go straight in the bin!

Have you ever tried any products from AHC Beauty? xx