Review: Adovia Dead Sea Mineral Eye Gel

Hi, friends! I haven't done a legitimate review on this blog in a stupidly long time (I blame the tags -- they're so addicting!) so today I bring you a skincare review. I'm always on the lookout for an affordable eye cream, since whenever I look at department store prices I kind of want to vomit. After testing the Adovia Dead Sea Mineral Eye Gel for two weeks, here are my thoughts on it.

About Advoia + Dead Sea Mineral Eye Gel:

ADOVIA MINERAL SKIN CARE is made in Israel. Their products rely on dead sea minerals as their main ingredient. Ingredients they use most often are shea butter, aloe vera, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, seaweed, dead salt, and other minerals.

The ADOVIA Dead Sea Mineral Eye Gel claims to reduce the appearance of wrinkles around your eyes and smooth out fine lines. It contains Vitamins A and C, as well as dead sea minerals and other antioxidants to quickly deliver rich moisture. It is a light gel consistency that claims to be highly concentrated with nutrients without the heavy texture. It should help the skin around the eyes maintain natural moisture to prevent aging, as well as daily damage.

Ingredients of ADOVIA Dead Sea Mineral Eye Gel:
Demineralised Water & Dead Sea Water, Stearic Acid, Propylene Glycol & Chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis) Extract & Algae Extract & Papaya (Carica Papaya) Extract & Aloe Vera (Barbadensis) Gel, Caprilyc/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sweet Almond (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis) Oil, Glycerin, Carbomer, Olive (Olea Europaea) Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Evening Primrose (Oenothera Biennis) Oil, Urea, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Keratin, Peach (Prunus Persica) Kernel Oil, Cornflower (Achinicea Pallida) Extract, Lactic Acid, Hydrolized Collagen, Benzoic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzalkonium Chloride, Propylparaben, Dead Sea Salt, Exotic Verbena (Litsea Citrata) Oil, Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) Extract, Soybean (Glycine Soja) Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate. 

Let's talk about a few of the top ingredients.

Demineralized Water - Sounds fancy, but it's just filtered water.

Stearic Acid - Fatty acid used as a thickening agent to keep all the ingredients together.

Propylene Glycol - Helps keep the product together and the ingredients stable: another emulsifier. It absorbs quickly into the skin and is often used as a vehicle to help get other ingredients into the skin.

Algae Extract - A plant extract that also acts as a thickening agent. Many skincare companies claim that it helps to stop or eliminate wrinkles, but there's no real concrete evidence to that. It's often made out to be a miracle ingredient (Creme de la Mer [review] touts their sea kelp extract like it's gold) but it's not really proven.

Papaya Extract - Can help exfoliate. May irritate the skin. Not exactly what I want in an eye cream. Just because it comes from fruit doesn't mean it's good. Bad stuff. 

Aloe Vera Gel - Calming and soothing. Has a cooling effect (ever use it on a sunburn?). Good stuff. 

Caprilyc/Capric Triglyceride - A mix of fatty acids that comes from coconut oil and glycerin. Helps repair skin and prevent moisture loss. Good stuff. 

Cetearyl Alcohol - Can be natural or synthetic. A fatty acid used as an emulsifier / thickening agent / carrier for other ingredients. Lots of fats are in creams, folks.

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate - Typically used as a cleansing agent. I don't know why there's a cleanser in here, but there's nothing wrong with it.

Sweet Almond Oil - Has a good deal of fatty acids and skin-repairing qualities (as long as you're not allergic to nuts) Good stuff. 

Price and Availability:

1.7oz - Amazon [$29]

My Experience:

So I've been using this for two weeks, and there are my thoughts on it:

The Packaging: 

• It comes in an expensive-feeling glass jar, though the silver top feels thin, kind of like tin. 
• Jar packaging allows all of the product inside to be exposed to the air, making the product expire faster and ingredients become more unstable/ineffective over time. 
• This is a larger jar than eye creams usually come in, and you get a lot of product in there for the cost. 

The Stuff Inside:

I found this to be on the lighter side, due to its gel-like consistency. I think it makes for a good morning eye product, since heavier eye creams can sometimes make your eyes puffy. It makes the skin under the eyes more hydrated, ready for undereye concealer and any other makeup you'll put on. However, I like to use a thicker eye cream at night, since my undereye area can get dry, and I don't think this makes the cut for evening in my case. If your undereye area isn't very dry, this could very well be both your AM and PM eye product, since it does not contain SPF. There are SPF eye creams out there that I find to be more hydrating, so it's up to you and what your personal needs are. 

The Verdict: 

Pros: 

• Luxurious glass packaging
• Affordable (compared to other eye creams)
• Light in texture
• Does not puff up undereye area
• Unscented (good for those with sensitive skin)

Cons:

• No SPF
• Not hydrating enough for nighttime (for someone with dry skin)
• Jar packaging (despite the ingredients, this product could have held up better in a tube or bottle)

All in all, if you're looking a new daytime eye cream, I think this one from Adovia is worth checking out. If you need something ultra-hydrating and rich for nighttime, you should ask yourself, "How much moisture does my undereye area really need?" and "How much am I willing to spend?" I think this product is really affordable for the amount you're getting, especially since you need very little. It can double as a day and night eye cream as long as you aren't particularly dry. I would recommend it.

What's your favorite eye cream?

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Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. This post was not sponsored. College Beauty Buff does not accept monetary compensation for reviews. Beautypedia was used as a resource on ingredients.