This review contains PR samples° and affiliate links* Even though I’ve talked about the Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream on this blog before, I decided that it deserves a dedicated review of its own, given how much I’ve enjoyed this K-beauty moisturiser these past weeks!
Summer is always over, and we are transitioning into fall. This is a tricky time for many people in regards to their skincare routine, because the changes in weather patterns are taxing for our skin – both autumn and spring are especially volatile in terms of temperature changes and humidity fluctuations, so our skin needs a bit of time to re-adjust its sebum production. It’s difficult to find the right type of moisturiser when your skin seems to go from oily to dry days somewhat haphazardly, and of course for us with a menstrual cycle, the monthly hormonal changes add to the seasonal changes to create quite the challenge.
With my oily combo skin that is starting to show more and more signs of ageing (such as constant dehydration), it’s quite the mission to find good moisturisers at the best of times. I break out pretty much instantly if a cream is too rich, but still need a bit more “oomph” from lighter textures than them just being basically water. So, to find a water-based texture that is still rich and, well, creamy – that is the big mission. Enter: The Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream…
Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream – the Basics
I spoke about the Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream on this blog before, praising its texture as ideally suited for summer. Klairs has really impressed me with their Fundamental skincare range, which features deliberately minimalist products, though with a highly sophisticated (and usually pretty long…) ingredient list. The idea is that of a range of everyday products for all skin types, and so far all of the Klairs Fundamental products are free from any alcohol, fragrance or essential oils, which will please many people indeed.
The Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream is the first moisturiser in the range, which so far is comprised of an oil in water facial mist*, a beautiful watery oil serum* (which I definitely need to review here too sometime soon!), a watery-light eye serum* (which is…so-so in my eyes (heh), but I know some people are crazy about it), and an eye butter* I’m quite keen to try out. I suspect more products will come out in the future, at least I sincerely hope so!
But back to the Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream: this is an aptly named product, for sure, since I would describe the texture exactly as stated – a watery gel cream with surprising richness. It contains a number of star ingredients with powerful antioxidant properties and great hydrating benefits such as green tea water sourced from clean-gree Jeju Island, rice extract, algae extract (which is starting to become a surprise trendy ingredient lately in K-beauty!), and good old humectant glycerin.
Here is the full list of ingredients for the Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream:
“Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Aqua (Water), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Panthenol, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, HibiscusEsculentus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Phytosphingosine, Caproyl Sphingosine, Tocopherol, Glyceryl glucoside, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Trehalose, Jojoba Esters, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane.”
No drying alcohols, no fragrance, no added essential oils – this one will delight many a skincare nerd! Now, some purists also try to avoid certain plant extracts such as the added rosemary leaf extract (which has antibacterial properties great for acne-prone skin types), so as always, make sure to double-check the list for any personal sensitivities. Richer moisture is provided by the added sunflower seed oil and jojoba esters. People with redness-prone and oilier skin will also enjoy the addition of centella asiatica extract and mugwort (artemisia vulgaris) extract, both excellent skin-soothers and anti-inflammatory superstars.
Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream – Did I Mention that Amazing Texture yet?
I feel that people will start to get sick of me constantly going on about the texture of the Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream, but its beauty simply cannot be overstated: it is that perfect balance between light and rich, melting into skin without any greasy feeling, yet still providing a noticeable “oily” slip when applied.
Now, the only thing that is a tad annoying about this moisturiser is the fact that it has a very runny consistency for which the jar packaging isn’t ideal. It’s somewhat awkward to scoop out the runny gel cream from the jar, and I’ve actually had a very sad accident where I accidentally spilled a big chunk of the product onto my desk. Thank god the generous 70ml contents will nevertheless last me a few more weeks, phew.
The Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream has a vey light scent to it that likely results from the added plant extracts, giving it a “baby powder” type scent that I personally find very pleasant. And I just love the subtly glowing, but never too shiny finish the gel cream leaves on my skin, making it look plump and healthy.
This does a wonderful job providing my skin with moisture and deep hydration, though I would say dryer skin types may not be sufficiently satisfied. For oilier skin types, this should work fine, though if you are very sensitive to oils and butters, it may be a tiny bit too rich. Truly, this one is just right for us combo skin peeps, as it balances out both the dryer areas of the face while simultaneously keeping excess sebum at bay.
Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream – the Bottom Line
I am hard-pressed to find any negatives with the Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream, which I know sometimes tends to make people suspicious about reviewers’ opinions. But, you all know that I do not hold back when something doesn’t impress me, so when a K-beauty product does make me fall in love, it’s truly from the depth of my heart.
Klairs just knocked it out of the park with this beautiful moisturiser, which I will happily use up to the last drop, and likely repurchase at some point in time! This leaves my skin looking and feeling plump and supple, with a healthy and natural glow.
If I’ve made you curious about the Klairs Fundamental Water Gel Cream, you can find it for purchase at Wishtrend* for 31$ for the large 70ml jar, or at Yesstyle* for currently 30$.
Let me know in the comments: Have you tried this moisturiser yet? What’s your favourite K-beauty moisturiser?
Take care guys, and stay safe!
Sugarpeaches
°PR Sample, kindly provided by a brand or shop – I am not obligated to write this blog article, was not paid for the article, and my opinions are entirely my own.
*Affiliate Links, meaning I earn a small commission if you decide to use the link to purchase an item. This does not raise the purchase price for you, and it helps me and my blog to grow – so, thank you for supporting me in this way!
How does it compare to the I‘m from vitamin tree water cream? Which one do you like better?
Do you like the Klairs Vitamin E mask or the fundamental Water Gel Cream better? And would you compare it to the I‘m from vitamin tree water gel cream? What do you prefer ? 🙂
The Vitamin E mask is a very different product, as it’s a sleeping mask and not a moisturiser, so I can’t really say one is “better.” I like them both! As for the Vitamin Tree Gel, it is a lot lighter and more watery than the Klairs Water Gel.