Korean Aloe Vera Gel

Nature Republic's aloe vera gel

 

Online, from what I've seen, this usually costs around $10-$15. The cheapest I bought've it was $6 from iMomoko (buy 2 for $12), but the shipping cost ($5.99) made it about $9 each. iMomoko no longer sells this product; I think they are focusing on Chinese and Japanese products now.

So I've used like at least 5 of these, but I stopped after finishing the last one I got from iMomoko.

My thoughts/what I realized:

-smells great (at first, you get used to it afterwards)

-my skin would feel dry during the first few weeks, then become soft

-not 100% aloe, and contains alcohol

-there is a clear lid that seals the product, but half the time it gets stuck in the lid

-the container is not hygienic, but I guess the alcohol would kill all the bacteria

-I read online that this is good for hair--it's not (for my hair). It just made my hair feel dry like hay

-there is a nice cooling sensation

-only use however much you need--too much, and you will be sticky and shiny

-because if you use too much, it will never absorb completely

-I tried it as a mask (applied a thick layer) and it felt like it just sat on my face (maybe reverse osmosis made my skin dry)

-since it made my skin dry the first few weeks, my skin became a bit sensitive to all products, including this one

-my skin would sometimes become red, or it would be so dry my face felt like it was cracking

-it took a few weeks for my skin to adjust to this product

-my skin doesn't feel much different after using this product and from a prolonged time of no use

Honestly, I feel the same with Holika Holika's aloe vera gel. It has alcohol, and my skin felt dry after using it. A light layer of aloe vera gel will absorb easily (because it is a gel), but any more than that, it'll just sit and be sticky. However, no matter how much you use, your (actually, my) skin would always just feel dry and in need of some intense, moisturizing cream. This was especially true when winter rolled around. The aloe vera gel was just not enough.

But if you live in the tropical belt with lots of humidity, this product will work great. Just be careful of the alcohol, because it still took me a while to adjust to it.

Rating: 3/5

Good, but I honestly didn't really see many results. There are better skincare items.

And the price of this online was outrageous compared to it just being $5 in Korea (I've found other sites that sell it cheaper, but I no longer wish to use these types of aloe vera products on my face). 

I also did a review of this product a while back, but after not using this gel for about 2 year, I feel no desire/need to go back :) Although I've only used 2 different brands, I would like to say that they all are similar.