It’s beloved by everyone from beauty lovers to fitness bloggers like Emily Skye, thanks to a cooling formula, which claims to increase skin’s hydration levels by 70% after use.
Hype or not? We put it to the test.
This is our BelifThe True Cream Aqua Bomb review.
What Is It?
Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb.
It’s a moisturiser for normal, oily and combination skin types.
Belif is a cosmetic company under the LG Household and Health umbrella, LG being one of the biggest conglomerates in Korea. Although Belif has a presence in Korea, including stores in some of Seoul’s trendiest locations, there’s no doubt that Belif has made a bigger impact overseas than it has in it’s home base. With so much competition on the ground in Korea, it can be hard for brands (even big ones) to stand out, meaning the companies that have the marketing budgets to back them up tend to make a bigger impact when they go abroad.
With that in mind, we put this cult moisturiser to the test, to see if it really does live up to the hype.
What Does It Claim To Do?
Belif’s brand story is that it inherited its centuries-old apothecary recipes from Napiers, an old English brand renowned for its “powerful herbal remedies”. The brand philosophy is to make products that are free from “parabens, sulfates, phthalates and synthetic preservatives, synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, mineral oils, and animal origin ingredients.”
So far so good.
As for the Aqua Bomb itself, Belif claims it is:
“(a)n ultra-lightweight, gel-cream that instantly cools and refreshes skin while providing intensive hydration. This water-based moisturizer ‘floods’ the skin with a rush of refreshing hydration and minimizes the appearance of pores for soft, smooth, supple skin.”
What’s In It?
The full ingredients list for Aqua Bomb is:
“Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methl Trimethicone, Alcohol Denat, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Malakite Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Alchemilla Vulgaris Leaf Extract*, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract*, Stellaria Media (Chickweed) Extract*, Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract*, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract*, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract**, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract**, Nepeta Cataria Extract**, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Leaf Extract**, Baptisia Tinctoria Root Extract**, Dimethiconol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Dimethylacrylamide Crosspolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 60, Ceramide 3, Cholesterol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Phenl Trimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Panthenol, Squalane, Triethylhexanoin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, PEG-150, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, C14-22 Alcohols, Arachidyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Carbomer, T***, Trisodium EDTA, Fragrance+, Citronellol, Limonene, Citral, Geraniol, Linalool.”
The formula contains a solid range of humectants and emollients, including glycerin, ceramide 3, shea butter, plantin, oat husk and more.
Lady’s Mantle is one of the standout herbs, an antioxidant-rich ingredient with pore-minimising benefits that helps to remove free radicals from the skin and aids skin turnaround. Malachite is another, which assists in neutralizing free radical activity in the skin.
Unfortunately, the formula does contain several types of alcohols, which may be a problem for those with sensitive skin.
How Do You Use It?
Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb can be used both day and night – if you’re using it at night, we recommend applying it after serum. In the morning, you can use it straight after toner or essence. It apply like any other moisturiser, and a little goes a long way.
What Does It Actually Do?
When you first apply it to the skin, the light gel texture glides across the skin lightly. It wears well throughout the day, locking in moisture and acting as an occlusive.
Despite having no artificial fragrances, the formula actually smells fine, which can sometimes be a complaint when the formulas are natural. (Turns out not everyone likes the smell of nature!)
Skin doesn’t feel oily or dry after using it, and in fact this moisturiser helps to correct visible pores and uneven skin texture.
Final Thoughts
While there’s no doubt that being stocked in Sephora undoubtedly elevated both Belif and its products in the public conscience, the Aqua Bomb is not unworthy of its hype.
If you belong to its target skin type group – normal, combination or oily – you’ll likely be very pleased with the cream’s non greasy formula that hydrates well without turning you into an oil slick. It has no artificial fragrances and does skip out on many of the skin nasties that have rightly earned themselves a bad rap.
Unfortunately, it does contain alcohols, so if you suffer from acne-prone or sensitive skin, we’d suggest giving this one a miss, as it may be sensitizing to reactive skin types.
Have You Tried The Aqua Bomb?
Let us know your Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb review thoughts below!
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