Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar

A brand that has served the world with many of its beauty product classics is Philosphy. I had never tried anything by this brand as it is on the pricey side, but I was intrigued after reading many rave reviews left and right. Hope in a Jar was their classic cream and it was reformulate a while ago and renamed to Renewed Hope in a Jar. I never tried the original, but that doesn’t mean that I cannot form an opinion on this beauty classic.

Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar

Renewed Hope in a Jar is a moisturizer that promises several triple effects: hyaluron, alpha hydrox acids and three skin renewing ingredients which should leave your skin looking plumper and well-nourished. 60 ml will set you back nearly €50. That is quite on the steep end of my budget and that is why I didn’t buy this myself. I received it in a goodie bag and so I didn’t have to pay a penny for this, but that doesn’t mean I can’t tell you what I think.

The jar comes in a simple cardboard box. Some people love the style of Philosophy packaging. There are quotes and definitions that differ per product. For Renewed Hope in a Jar, Philosophy added their interpretation of philosophy: live with optimism, renew with hope.

To me, this feels a little gimmicky and the packaging itself isn’t all that. First of all, the cream comes in a jar. A jar! And if you don’t have a spatula already: it is not in the box. Not very hygienic. Secondly, the jar is made of a cheap feeling plastic. This packaging does not feel as if you’ve just paid €50 for a cream.

The ingredient list also didn’t make me jump with joy. I have fairly sensitive skin, which makes it tricky to try out skincare. I have been using this for a few weeks now, but haven’t had a reaction so far, but just looking at the ingredients I don’t think this is the best cream if you easily get allergic reactions.

The main ingredient is water and everything else on the list are silicones, glycerin and lots of abracadabra. In short, this is a very manufactured cream with the ‘real’ ingredients not being listed until the bottom third of the ingredient list. Well after perfume.

That doesn’t mean that this cream isn’t any good. It promises to refine the texture on your skin, leave it soft and dewy, and hydrate the skin all day. It should make your skin look more glowy and re-energized, while minimizing pores and fine lines.

Renewed Hope in a Jar is sealed off with an extra lid and when you remove that you will find a rather thick, white cream. It is not so thick as whipped cream, but more like a very wet smoothie. You can see the product glistening in the jar: that’s one big chunk of moisture right there.

Swatched, you can clearly see what I mean. At first this feels like a rather thick cream. When you start applying it and blending it into your skin, it turns more wet and you get a moisturizer which is easily absorbed by the skin. I do feel that this is best used if you have dry or dehydrated skin. If you have an oilier skin type, then I think this may be too rich for you. Especially if you are trying to use this in the day time. Right now I like using it as a night cream mostly because of that.

Have I noticed a true difference in my skin? Not really, but that might be because I am too young to be using this yet. Perhaps this works better on more mature skin. In any case, I was using the Olay moisturizer I love before this and I feel Renewed Hope in a Jar has a similar effect. Moreover, the Olay version comes in a pump and costs less than half the price of one Renewed Hope in a Jar. So would I repurchase? Not any time soon. I prefer the Olay over this one as that gets the job done for me just fine.

What moisturizer do you use?