Moisturizers are hands-down my favorite skincare item, and I’ve made it my mission to continuously hunt down and try out reasonably affordable ones that’ll work for my skin type and, hopefully, top the previous one.
Cue the Shiseido Waso Giga-Hydrating Rich Cream. This hydrating cream utilizes the power of superfoods such as fermented soybeans and ninjin carrot to produce a rich hydrating effect, balance skin, and lock in moisture.
Note that I will use cream and moisturizer interchangeably in this review. Although they are technically different things, I personally use creams as moisturizers and don’t differentiate the two.
The Waso Giga-Hydrating Rich Cream is a very aesthetically pleasing product, with a clean, minimalist-looking packaging that I absolutely love. It’s housed in a light peach pot, with a white twist-top cover.
Although the cream comes in a pot, a tiny plastic spatula is included to scoop up product, eliminating any hygiene concerns. This spatula can be washed and stored for your next application. However, if that isn’t a concern for you, you can use your fingers instead.
The whole setup just looks and screams luxury – exactly how most people want to feel while doing their skincare routine, and of course, very consistent with the Shiseido brand. This cream retails at $38 at Sephora and Shiseido, but you can purchase it for around $35 on Amazon. For me, this is on the pricier side of moisturizers, but if you know Shiseido, you’d know their products are typically on the higher end.
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The Waso Giga-Hydrating Rich Cream claims to absorb quickly for a non-greasy smooth finish, deliver 48-hours of hydration and create a protective barrier to lock in moisture and prevent dryness-related skin issues. As earlier mentioned, it highlights the superfoods – Natto fermented soybeans and ninjin carrot, both used in the traditional Japanese cuisine, ‘Washoku’- as the main moisture-infusing ingredients in the cream.
Look & Texture:
The giga-hydrating cream is a white-colored cream with a smooth texture and medium-thick consistency. It absorbs readily and dries down when rubbed into my skin without leaving any residue or film on the skin.
Scent:
This cream has a strong floral scent. The ingredient list includes fragrance, so if fragrance irritates your skin, you might want to do a patch test before applying over a wider area. While my skin can handle fragrance, my nose often can’t and tends to be a little more sensitive. Straight from the cream’s pot, the scent isn’t too strong; however, it gets quite overpowering once applied to the skin. Again, I will note that I am a little more scent-sensitive than the average person.
How To Use:
In my experience, the best way to use this cream is to wash your face, pat it dry and then apply it directly to the skin. Since this cream absorbs well into the skin, other products can easily be layered on top.
If you’re like me and prefer applying moisturizers directly on wet skin, I would discourage that with this cream. When I applied this on damp skin, it became greasy, slid around, and took a while to absorb. However, on skin that has been patted dry, it absorbed much easier.
With this cream’s consistency, a little goes a long way, especially if you don’t have dry skin. Shiseido recommends two pearl-sized drops, but one should be more than enough. If needed, you can apply a second layer for more moisture. The best part about needing only the tiniest amount is that it allows you to stretch out the cream, especially since you only get a 1.7oz worth of product.
Does Shiseido’s Waso Giga-Hydrating Rich Cream live up to its claims?
This cream applied smoothly and absorbed well, leaving my skin feeling moisturized. But this took time. In my first week of daytime use, my skin didn’t feel very moisturized after the 1-hour mark, so I often had to layer another moisturizer over it.
However, with continuous use into week 3, the moisturizing effect seemed to last much longer, and I eventually transitioned to using it as a standalone moisturizer.
Since the cream dried down so well, I was able to apply makeup over it without any greasiness or bulkiness.
Without layering any serums or moisturizers, I tested out using this cream by itself at night time, and I loved it! My skin felt extremely soft and plump in the morning. Soon enough, I converted to strictly using it at night because of how soft my skin felt when I woke up. There was no noticeable change in my skin’s texture, which is fine as improving texture isn’t one of the cream’s claims.
If anything, this cream definitely delivered on the smooth,non-greasy finish; however, the 48-hour moisture claim might be disappointing for those with extremely dry skin types.
Who would I recommend this for?
This cream would work best for those with normal to oily skin. I wouldn’t recommend it for dry, sensitive skin types mainly because there are cheaper products on the market that’ll provide a lot more moisture without the fragrance.
Pros
Non-Comedogenic
Mineral Oil-Free
Paraben-Free
A Little Goes A Long Way
Cons
Fragrance
Wait-time before reaping moisture benefits
May not be impressive to extremely dry skin.