Review: Earth’s Recipe Moisture Bound Cream

I’m continuing my series on the Earth’s Recipe brand line with a review of the Moisture Bound Cream. If you’re interested in the Energy Boosting Toner review, you can find that here. A number of months ago (like, a very large number), I received a box of goodies from them, and I have slowly been using them up. I love the brand enough that I’ve repurchased several of the products on my own.

I realized in writing this review that I haven’t actually reviewed many creams, which is sort of silly given that they’re one of my favorite types of products! If you’ve seen my skincare stash, you know that I hoard creams. I think it goes back to before I really got into skincare and creams were the only thing I knew of that might help the dry patches on my face. They just feel so soothing on my skin.

When testing a cream, I consider how well it absorbs, how quickly it absorbs, if it leaves my face shiny or tacky, and if it layers well underneath sunscreen and makeup. Of course, I also test to see it if helps keep my skin from drying out during the day.

Earth’s Recipe Moisture Bound Cream

Cosdna Analysis

The 150ml plastic jar feels small, and it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of it in here, but it has been lasting me awhile. You don’t need very much. I wish it was in a tube rather than a jar, but this seems to be the norm for creams.

The Claims

“The Moisture Bound cream is the perfect solution for skin that tends to get dehydrated easily. Tremella mushroom, which can hold up to 500 times its weight in water, balances the skin’s moisture level throughout the day. In addition to nourishing botanical extracts, this cream features ceramides, niacinamide, and collagen to support the skin’s moisture barrier and maintain plump, healthy skin.” (BemusedKorea.com)

This cream is meant for dry, dehydrated skin; it claims to help support a strong moisture barrier while keeping your skin hydrated throughout the day.

Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Niacinamide 2%, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus carica (fig) fruit extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Poria Cocos Sclerotium Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Pueraria Thunbergiana Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Cnidium Officinale Root Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Tremella Fuciformis (Mushroom) Extract 0.1%, Soluble Collagen, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) fruit oil, Cymbopogon Nardus (Citronella) Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Xanthan gum, Bisabolol, Adenocine 0.04%, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ceramide 0.01%, Sucrose Distearate, Panthenol, Folic Acid, Cholesterol, Raffinose, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

• Shea Butter: contains anti-oxidants and fatty acids that improve dry skin.
• Niacinamide: helps brighten, lessen wrinkles, and repair skin. This formula contains 5% niacinamide. For my full ode to this incredible ingredient, click here.
• Centella Asiatica Extract: an anti-oxidant rich extract that helps soothe the skin.
• Phellinus Linteus Extract (Black hoof mushroom extract): has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Water: has skin-soothing properties. It also may be effective in evening-out skin tone. It is ideal for sensitive or red/irritated skin.
• Tremella Fuciformis (Mushroom) Extract (0.1%): a humectant that can hold 5x more water than hyaluronic acid. It can also work as a topical antioxidant!
• Aloe Barbadensis leaf juice: Soothes irritated skin.
• Sodium Hyaluronate: the version of hyaluronic acid that has smaller molecules that allows it to absorb into the skin more easily; hyaluronic acid is a humectant that can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water.
• Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4: A fatty acid mixed with amino acids, this is a great wrinkle-fighting ingredient. It’s last on the list, though, so I’m not sure how effective it is.

The Moisture Bound Cream is full of soothing, moisturizing ingredients that are meant to moisturize and plump up dehydrated skin.

The (Personal) Evidence

At the end of my skincare routine, I love a good cream to seal in all of the hydration (water). I expect that it will add its own layer of moisture (oil) to keep my skin balanced.

I have multiple creams open at a time, with some designated for evening use if they’re a bit heavier. I’m always on the lookout for a cream that moisturizes and keeps my face from drying out during the day without being too greasy. I prefer creams to gels because they provide more moisture. I’ve been using this cream on and off for about 2 1/2 months, testing it in various am and pm routines.

The Moisture Bound Cream has the texture of a gel and a cream mixed. Actually, the only way to describe this product is to talk about it in terms of contradictions: it feels slightly sticky, yet glides easily over the skin; it feels thick yet lightweight; the scent is citrusy and also a bit earthy.

This cream works ok in the morning, but I found it leaves my skin a bit tacky, and I have to wait longer for it to absorb than some of my other creams. In swatching it on my hand above, I noticed that it absorbed much faster. I’m assuming because I didn’t have anything else on my hand. I suspect that the number of light layers I use before I put on the cream may be hindering its ability to absorb quickly and fully. And before you suggest that I cut out my light watery layers and replace them with the cream (“a shorter routine!” I can hear you yelling), I need my watery layers for hydration; this cream provides the oil only. My skin needs that hydration.

I definitely have to make sure I don’t apply too much, which I have a tendency to do with creams, or it just sits on my skin. I also have to be careful how quickly I apply a sunscreen after because the sunscreen doesn’t absorb fully, then, either. Additionally, I don’t reach for the Moisture Bound Cream if I decide to go bare-faced because it leaves me looking very shiny. As a result, I’ve had a tendency to use it at night rather than in the am.

In terms of moisturizing, it does a nice job keeping my skin soft and keeping the dry, tight feeling at bay. When I use it in the evening, I find that I have to use a lighter sleeping pack or I end up a bit oily when I wake up. So, it does a good job of locking in hydration and giving skin a boost of moisture. Since my skin has been doing quite well in terms of the moisture barrier, I didn’t really have anything to note about those claims.

Overall, I think this is a fine moisturizer for dry skin, but it’s a bit pricey for how it performed for me. I need a cream that is going to work well with all of the light layers I use. I have found a few that do (and promise to get around to reviewing them!), so I know they’re out there.

I think this would be a good night cream for people with normal skin; I don’t think that they would even need a sleeping pack. It would be too much for oily skin, though.

 

So, will I buy this product again? 

Rating Scale: 

• Did you not read the review? Yes, of course. I will spend all of my money on this product!
• Yes. I enjoy this product enough to purchase again in the future, especially if it’s on sale.
• Meh. Maybe. I mean, I bet there are other, better things out there. I’d use it if someone gave it to me.
• No. I won’t use this again and will probably bad-mouth it to others.
• Hahahahaha. Nope. Noooooooope. Not even if you paid me.

The Verdict: Meh. Maybe. I mean, I bet there are other, better things out there. I’d use it if someone gave it to me OR if I found it for a really good deal!.

Ugh. This was a hard verdict to come up with and I had to edit it a bit. Haha. Overall, I don’t think it is worth the full price tag. Plus, I hate the extra wait time in the am. BUT, it does seem to work ok for me at night. It’s an okay cream, but there are comparable ones that you can grab for around $20. So, I would purchase this if it was on sale for around that price or lower.

 

Where you can buy:

• Bemused Korea: $34
• Costco: $20 (Yes, Costco sells Korean skincare! And this is a fabulous price for this cream. I would repurchase it for this price.)