I bought this water oil almost immediately after seeing it on fanserviced’s instagram and it’s the best thing I’ve found in a long, long time for my desert dry skin.

Goodal Skincare

Goodal (a play on “good” and “all”) is the skincare arm of Club Clio, which also includes Clio Professional (of Kill Black eyeliner fame) and Peripera. The brand focuses on natural ingredients and uses fermented oil extracts (which are water soluble) for easy absorption / higher penetration into the skin. Also, in line with their natural image, the brand avoids parabens, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes, mineral oil, SLS, alcohol, and phenoxyethanol in its products. I don’t have a problem with parabens, mineral oil, or alcohol (in moderation) but if you do, these products won’t have them.

Waterest Lasting Water Oil

This bottle is smaller than I was expecting, but at 1 – 2 pumps a use, I expect it to last awhile. The water oil has a thin, jelly like texture (similar to the benton snail bee essence) and smells very faintly of verdant herbs and peppermint. I don’t find the smell unpleasant, but am glad that it fades almost immediately.

Here is the ingredient list, with irritants and acne triggers identified by cosdna indicated accordingly.

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Raffinose, Betaine, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Phenllinus Linteus Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Pueraria Thunberguaba Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Cnidium Officinale Root Extract, Monascus Extract, Soluable Collagen, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Oil, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Eugenia Caryophyilus (Clove) Leaf Oil, Rose Damascena Flower Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Camellia Sinesis Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernal Oil, Olea Europea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, !,2-Hexanediol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimenthyl Silane, Cellulose Gum, Ethlyhexylglyverin, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Disopatassium Glycyrrhizate, Capryliv/Capric triglyeride, Folic Acid, Ceramide 3, Cholesterol, Acetic Acid, Lactic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate

For simplicity, I separated it into three categories: extracts, oils, everything else.

This product delivers a seriously hefty list of extracts and oils. Although I like the idea of having a super-juice skin serum, I have my doubts. I use about a dime size worth of product twice a day, which means the amount of each individual oil being applied is a fraction of a dime size, times two. However, it does include some ingredients I’m fond of / interested in, such as Bifida ferment lysate (which is a star ingredient in Estee Lauder’s ever so popular Advanced Night Repair / Synchronized Recovery Complex) and jojoba oil (which is the one oil that actually seems to make a difference with my dry skin), so I figure the other extracts and oils can’t help. Also, I got this product to help add moisture to my skin, not to brighten my skintone or restore vital nutrients. Since adopting the Korean 200 step skincare routine, I’ve developed a strong bias against multi-taskers anyhow. If any of these star ingredients (below) identified by Goodal manages to follow through with its purported benefits, that’s all just extra.

Fermented Red Rice Yeast Oil – protects skin from internal / external stressors

Bifida Ferment Lysate – reduces skin sensitivity and increases skin barrier’s ability to repair itself

Niacinamide – anti-inflammatory, promotes cell-communication enhancing barrier function, increases ceramide levels, and lightens hyperpigmentation

Licorice root extract – anti-inflammatory, promotes brightening, promotes even complexion

Sunflower seed oil – restores vitality

Jojoba seed Oil – boosts hydration

Camellia flower – prolongs hydration

Green Tea Seed Oil – brightens

Argan oil – firming and elasticity

Olive fruit seed – soothes sensitive skin

Macadamian nut – restores vital nutrients

Glycerin and niacinamide are probably doing the heavy lifting here in terms of adding and retaining moisture. Also, instead of using paraben as a preservative, Goodal uses Ethylhexylglycerin, which can cause irritation.

This stuff applies smoothly and sinks in beautifully. Goodal claims this product delivers 24 hour long-lasting hydration. It’s a lofty claim and one that does not fully deliver. There is a definite decline in hydration after 6-8 hours, yet even when my skin starts to feel dry, it does not look dry. In addition, this water oil (used in conjunction with the Benton steam cream but I suspect it’s the water oil doing the heavy lifting) somehow keeps my skin baby soft to the end of the day. When I first started using it, I would catch myself touching my skin randomly throughout the day like a weirdo. Lastly, my skin is probably pretty far on the dry side of the spectrum so 6-8 hours of moisture on my skin might actually translate into 24 hours of moisture on normal skin.

Final thoughts: Amazing product for dry skin! Probably light enough to use in warmer months as well.

Purchased from Roseroseshop where it seems to have been discontinued (new version here). Reviews version still available on W2Beauty and TesterKorea.