Huxley is a brand I was intrigued by on Glowrecipe.com. The Korean brand has a philosophy of:
As the “Brave New World” that author Aldous Leonard Huxley predicted becomes a reality today, “Huxley” is born. Inspired by and named after this visionary, Huxley aims to introduce the best genuine products amid a flood of irrelevant cosmetic information. "Huxley” is a new and special skincare brand that takes the natural value of skin as its top priority and pursues the true beauty.
I grabbed three items to test from the brand. All of Huxley's items are based on the desert Prickly Pear Oil or The Secret of the Sahara. The idea is the women of the desert have been using this oil to hydrate for years and now it's available to everyone. I'll start with the Essence; Grab Water.
This brand has a very luxe Instagram worthy aesthetic appeal. Its clean and looks great on a counter. The Essence; Grab Water is a light watery gel in texture with a hint of blue for color. It's fresh feeling when applied. Like a hydrating cool glass of water. It's not oily and it is suitable for all skin types. I like layering this under a moisturizer for a boost of hydration. Details per Glowrecipe:
This watery gel essence provides lightweight nourishment with Organic Sahara Cactus extract while deeply hydrating. This refreshing watery gel essence is an oasis for tired skin. The Huxley Water Grab Essence fills and plumps skin with intensive hydration. Featuring 85% Sahara Cactus extract along with Peppermint and Grapefruit extracts, this essence quenches and awakens skin. Sahara Cactus Seed Oil, a non-comedogenic oil high in Vitamin E, is revered for its ability to quickly absorb into skin while imparting lasting hydration and protecting the skin from stress and aging with its high concentration of antioxidants.
We love the watery gel trend in K-Beauty. This texture is ideal of oily and combination skin types as it leaves skin feeling plump, but matte. Full of Natural Moisturizing Factors, this essence truly does ‘grab water’ to the skin and doesn’t let go. Inspired by the natural flora and fauna that thrives in the harshest environments and terrains, Huxley harnesses only the most resilient ingredients to strengthen, hydrate, and protect skin.
I love the texture, idea behind the essence and general product. I'm not a huge fan of peppermint in products as I don't like the cooling effect. It's OK in the summer but it's just not my favorite in general. The scent is also quite strong. Stronger than I thought it would be. It's white floral, powdery and not my type. If you can handle the scent you'll like this. It's hydrating without being greasy, oily or heavy. Very refreshing.
Ingredients
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Phyllostachis Bambusoides Juice, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Menthapiperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide Np (Ceramide 3), Acorus Gramineus Root/Steam Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Perilla Frutescenx Leaf Extract, Malachite Extract, Methyl Gluceth-20, Water, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Polysorbate 80, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.
Next is the Cream; Fresh and More. This is Huxley's version of a gel cream. It has a light gel cream texture and is sheer white in color. This could be used on oily skin types as the only moisturizer, or used on normal to dry skin types by layering it under another moisturizer. Details per Glowrecipe:
Huxley’s Fresh and More Cream is a lightweight gel cream that locks in hydration for a lasting, all-day glow. The naturally amino acid-rich, Organic Sahara Cactus oil nourishes while Natural Moisturizing Factors such as Ceramides fill and smooth skin. Comprised of 56% Sahara Cactus Seed Oil, a non-comedogenic oil high in Vitamin E, revered for its ability to quickly absorb into skin while imparting lasting hydration and protecting the skin from stress and aging with its high concentration of antioxidants.
We love the watery gel trend in K-Beauty. This texture is ideal of oily and combination skin types as it leaves skin feeling plump, but matte. Full of Natural Moisturizing Factors, this cream leaves skin feeling fresh and nourished and hydrated and more. Inspired by the natural flora and fauna that thrives in the harshest environments and terrains, Huxley harnesses only the most resilient ingredients to strengthen, hydrate, and protect skin.
The texture is light and refreshing. It's hydrating without being greasy nor heavy which makes it suitable for all skin types. This has the same powdery floral scent as the Essence; Grab Water. I liked this, if it was without the strong scent I would be much more into this product. That's the only thing holding me back from loving it.
Ingredients
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Water Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Cyclohexasiloxane, Triciloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Ceramide Np (Ceramide 3), Phyllostachys Babusoides Juice, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Acorus Gramineus Root/Stem Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Dimethiconol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Propanediol, PEG-40 Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexyglycerin, Stearic Acid, Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polysorbate 80, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Phenosyethanol, Fragrance.
Lastly I grabbed the Cleansing Gel; Be Clean, Be Moist. This is a basic gel cleanser. It foams and cleans without stripping the skin. It is SLS free which is a big plus. Details per Glowrecipe:
Huxley's Be Clean, Be Moist Cleansing Gel is a SLS-free pH balanced cleanser, formulated with nourishing Sahara Cactus Oil. The Huxley Be Clean, Be Moist Cleansing Gel is an ultra-gentle SLS-free cleansing gel that melts impurities and makeup from the skin. Formulated with nourishing, antioxidant rich, Organic Sahara Prickly Pear Cactus Extract to calm the skin while delivering a thorough, hydrating cleanse. Sahara Cactus Oil helps to nourish skin while deep cleaning pores for a glowing visage that's perfectly prepped for skincare. The addition of brightening Orange, calming Asiatica and Willow Bark extracts leave skin balanced and hydrated.
Estheticians often recommend a SLS-free cleanser as sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates have potential to irritate skin. These ingredients can turn skin more alkaline and off balance, leaving it vulnerable to bacterial growth. Huxley's Cleansing Gel is fortified with Cactus extract to impart anti-aging antioxidants. We love pairing this with Huxley's Cleansing Water for clean, hydrated, and nourished skin.
The texture is a thin gel cleanser. It's clear in color. This is good as a second cleanse or morning cleanse. It's not strong enough to remove all makeup. I love that it's SLS free and doesn't strip the skin like some basic gel cleansers. I do hate the strong powdery floral scent. It's too much for me. I liked it as a hydrating gel cleanser, minus the scent.
Ingredients
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Water, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Betula Alba Bud Extract, Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Bud Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Bud Extract, Juglans Regia (Walnut) Leaf Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Hydroxide, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Isostearic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Propanediol, Glycerin, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.
If you haven't noticed a theme, I love the hydrating products by Huxley. I used to work in a bar that served prickly pear margaritas. I loved them. Now I have a new way to love prickly pear cactus. Huxley uses unique fun ingredients. The only downside to Huxley's line is the strong powdery floral scent. It just takes away from the products. If they fixed that one thing they would be so much better. I'm sure a good majority of people have no issue with the scent. However, a good portion of the population do get irritated by scent like me. Not only do their products look good on the bathroom counter, they feel hydrating and great on the skin.
*Some images courtesy of Huxley's website