Honey Drop Drop Top | Farmacy Honey Drop Moisturizer Review
There are certain categories of products that give me heart eyes and an urge to spend all the moneys. Mists, oil cleansers, and moisturizers. My latest love in the latter category is Farmacy's honey drop moisturizer. I was lucky enough to receive a complimentary jar at a pre-launch event in May aaaand it quickly became my go to daytime moisturizer over the past few months!
Claims
To moisturizify 💦
But that's pretty obvious, right? The brand claims this is a long-lasting, lightweight moisturizer that's supposed to grant you a vibrant, glowing complexion ✨ It's filled with antioxidants, three different weights of hyaluronic acid, fatty acids, cupuaçu butter beads, and so much more. You can read more about all the good stuff on the product page.
Price & Size
$45 USD for 1.7 fl. oz/ 50 mL available via Sephora & Farmacy's site
Ingredients
Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, C13-15 Alkane, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract, Honey Extract, Propolis Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Allantoin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Flower/Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Adenosine, Betaine, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Flavor (Aroma), Sorbitan Olivate, Sucrose Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium Edta, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Agar, Calcium Alginate, Mica, Iron Oxide (Ci 77492), Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Diheptyl Succinate,Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tromethamine, Cetearyl Olivate, Alcohol Denat., Caprylyl Glycol
This moisturizer is filled to the brim with good shit.
I'm not a cosmetic chemist or professional scientist gal so when I attempt to do ingredient breakdowns, I like seeing how high up on the ingredient list the toted "star" ingredients are (since per US regulations, ingredients must be listed from highest concentration to lowest concentration.) Of course, there are certain ingredients that won't follow these guidelines (like acids) but for the most part, it's a good system for me.
So what are the star ingredients of this moisturizer according to the brand?
Echinacea Greenenevy which is their claim to fame patented ingredient and is rich in cichoric acid, a powerful antioxidant. Future Derm did a brand review and according to her, the ingredient checks out ✔️
Echinacea Greenenevy honey as a humectant. Honey is one of the OG skincare ingredients that people have literally been using for thousands of years. It's been found to not only be an effective humectant, but also soothes the skin, helps to regulate pH, and protects against pathogens.
Propolis-- a popular skincare ingredient in Korean skincare products so naturally I was excited to see a Western brand using the ingredient as well. Alicia Yoon, the founder of Peach & Lily, wrote up a piece all about the benefits of propolis on Byrdie. The highlights? It's anti-bacterial, moisturizing, and packed with antioxidants.
Royal jelly which is rich in vitamins and amino acids. I tried doing more research on royal jelly as a topical skin care ingredient but couldn't find much helpful info. The best article that I found is on a blog called Cosmetics & Skin where the author goes through the history of Royal Jelly as an ingredient in skincare. Apparently, it was popular in the early 20th century but its popularity dropped in the 50s after the FDA couldn't support the claims of its benefits. Of course, it's been 70 years since then so who knows what's gone down since then! Also, the creams of back then had a less than 1% concentration of royal jelly. Considering how high up royal jelly is on the ingredient list, I would assume it's more than 1%.
Three different forms of hyaluronic acid to help hydrate the skin. Hyaluronic acid is a popular ingredient in moisturizers since it can hold up to 1000x its weight in water.
And last but not least, cupuaçu butter aka Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter which the brand describes as "nature's super moisturizer" and my Ph.D. in googling confirms said statement. It's a vegan alternative to lanolin which helps hydrate the skin while also battling against free radicals (although the only sources I could find that state its antioxidant benefits are retailers that sell cupuaçu products like Lush and Sol de Janeiro so take that bit with a grain of salt.)
Going back to my original point, all the star ingredients are at the tippy-top of the ingredient list 👏
Of course, all that doesn't really matter to me if the product doesn't perform. Performance >>>> amateur ingredient analysis any day.
Packaging
If you're familiar with my blog, then you know I am a sucker for packaging. And packaging that's pretty and functional? Yes, please 🙋
The moisturizer is packaged in a hexagon shaped, heavy glass jar (shaped like a honeycomb!) and is topped off with a wooden lid. And it comes with a spatula! That's magnetic! And sticks to the lid!
I've thrown this in a travel makeup bag and didn't have any issues with it leaking so the lid screws on nice and tight.
It's pure packaging perfection.
Texture
As this has a water base, it's got a very lightweight and watery texture. Tbh all lightweight moisturizers should feel like this. Since my skin is prone to breaking out from products with silicones near the top of the ingredient list, it's refreshing to find a lightweight moisturizer that is completely silicone free!
If you look at my swatches down below, you'll (hopefully) see yellow beads(that I painstakingly tried photographing.) While at first glance you might assume they're those tiny yet evil plastic beads they're actually the cupuaçu butter beads! As you start patting/ rubbing the moisturizer onto your skin, the beads magically disappear before your eyes ✨
It doesn't take a lot of pressure or effort for them to blend away, actually I had to be extra gentle when swatching the moisturizer to make sure the beads were still visible.
Because the moisturizer has such a lightweight texture but still delivers a nice kick of hydration and moisture, I think it would be suited for oily skin-types as well! I personally have dehydrated dry skin and love how this doesn't make my skin feel tacky or sticky. I will probably rotate it out of my stash come winter because I will need something heavier but for spring/ summer, it's perfect.
Scent
When I apply it, I don't notice any sort of smell. When I stuck my nose in the jar for the sake of this review, I did notice a scent although I can't name it. I didn't smell good and it didn't smell bad. It just...had a scent.
I'm not sure if it contains synthetic fragrances as the ingredient list includes something called "Flavor (aroma)"
Performance
Like I mentioned up above, this moisturizer has a very lightweight, watery texture. But at the same time it's still very hydrating and moisturizing. It melts and feels very soothing upon contact.
It layers well-- under sunscreen, under makeup, under itself. Sometimes if I apply too much moisturizer my skin starts feeling tacky or sticky-- I'm especially prone to this in the summer. Even on days when I apply this with a very, very heavy hand, I still don't have any issues! My face is a bit wet for a few minutes but it quickly goes back to normal.
Lately I've been using squalane oil day and night. There are certain products that I have to wait to dry down before layering said oil to avoid pilling. Or I have to wait for the oil to sink in for a few minutes before layering said product to avoid pilling. This moisturizer is one of the layers that I don't have to wait around for. It doesn't pill even if I apply it straight after applying oil. I've also quickly layered it on top of silicone heavy products (on my neck, cause on my face I would break out from the 'cones) and it didn't pill with those either. Basically it plays well with both silicones and oils.
I'll usually use this in the daytime although I have used it at night as well. Since I like sleeping with my face right in front of my fan, my skin tends to dry out quickly. I can't use this alone and hope for well moisturizer skin in the morning, but when I wear it underneath the Cosrx rice sleeping pack my skin is still soft in the morning!
In the daytime, it's my perfect moisturizer. Because I have dehydrated skin and live in a climate that has humid summers, I need to strategically layer my morning skincare. I need something that won't feel heavy for when I'm outdoors in 70%+ humidity but will also prevent my skin from drying out when I'm indoors and the AC is blasting. Honey drop is the answer. It's lightweight so I won't sweat my face off outdoors but packs a punch of moisture so my face won't shrivel up and dry out indoors.
Bottom Line
There's nothing I don't like about this moisturizer. It has an elegant ingredient list, performs wonderfully, is packaged perfectly, and suits a whole range of skin types. It's a win all around in my book 🤓
To moisturizify 💦
But that's pretty obvious, right? The brand claims this is a long-lasting, lightweight moisturizer that's supposed to grant you a vibrant, glowing complexion ✨ It's filled with antioxidants, three different weights of hyaluronic acid, fatty acids, cupuaçu butter beads, and so much more. You can read more about all the good stuff on the product page.
Price & Size
$45 USD for 1.7 fl. oz/ 50 mL available via Sephora & Farmacy's site
Ingredients
Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, C13-15 Alkane, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract, Honey Extract, Propolis Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Allantoin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Viscum Album (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract, Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Flower/Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Adenosine, Betaine, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Flavor (Aroma), Sorbitan Olivate, Sucrose Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium Edta, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Agar, Calcium Alginate, Mica, Iron Oxide (Ci 77492), Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Diheptyl Succinate,Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tromethamine, Cetearyl Olivate, Alcohol Denat., Caprylyl Glycol
This moisturizer is filled to the brim with good shit.
I'm not a cosmetic chemist or professional scientist gal so when I attempt to do ingredient breakdowns, I like seeing how high up on the ingredient list the toted "star" ingredients are (since per US regulations, ingredients must be listed from highest concentration to lowest concentration.) Of course, there are certain ingredients that won't follow these guidelines (like acids) but for the most part, it's a good system for me.
So what are the star ingredients of this moisturizer according to the brand?
Echinacea Greenenevy which is their claim to fame patented ingredient and is rich in cichoric acid, a powerful antioxidant. Future Derm did a brand review and according to her, the ingredient checks out ✔️
Echinacea Greenenevy honey as a humectant. Honey is one of the OG skincare ingredients that people have literally been using for thousands of years. It's been found to not only be an effective humectant, but also soothes the skin, helps to regulate pH, and protects against pathogens.
Propolis-- a popular skincare ingredient in Korean skincare products so naturally I was excited to see a Western brand using the ingredient as well. Alicia Yoon, the founder of Peach & Lily, wrote up a piece all about the benefits of propolis on Byrdie. The highlights? It's anti-bacterial, moisturizing, and packed with antioxidants.
Royal jelly which is rich in vitamins and amino acids. I tried doing more research on royal jelly as a topical skin care ingredient but couldn't find much helpful info. The best article that I found is on a blog called Cosmetics & Skin where the author goes through the history of Royal Jelly as an ingredient in skincare. Apparently, it was popular in the early 20th century but its popularity dropped in the 50s after the FDA couldn't support the claims of its benefits. Of course, it's been 70 years since then so who knows what's gone down since then! Also, the creams of back then had a less than 1% concentration of royal jelly. Considering how high up royal jelly is on the ingredient list, I would assume it's more than 1%.
Three different forms of hyaluronic acid to help hydrate the skin. Hyaluronic acid is a popular ingredient in moisturizers since it can hold up to 1000x its weight in water.
And last but not least, cupuaçu butter aka Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter which the brand describes as "nature's super moisturizer" and my Ph.D. in googling confirms said statement. It's a vegan alternative to lanolin which helps hydrate the skin while also battling against free radicals (although the only sources I could find that state its antioxidant benefits are retailers that sell cupuaçu products like Lush and Sol de Janeiro so take that bit with a grain of salt.)
Going back to my original point, all the star ingredients are at the tippy-top of the ingredient list 👏
Of course, all that doesn't really matter to me if the product doesn't perform. Performance >>>> amateur ingredient analysis any day.
Packaging
If you're familiar with my blog, then you know I am a sucker for packaging. And packaging that's pretty and functional? Yes, please 🙋
The moisturizer is packaged in a hexagon shaped, heavy glass jar (shaped like a honeycomb!) and is topped off with a wooden lid. And it comes with a spatula! That's magnetic! And sticks to the lid!
I've thrown this in a travel makeup bag and didn't have any issues with it leaking so the lid screws on nice and tight.
It's pure packaging perfection.
Texture
As this has a water base, it's got a very lightweight and watery texture. Tbh all lightweight moisturizers should feel like this. Since my skin is prone to breaking out from products with silicones near the top of the ingredient list, it's refreshing to find a lightweight moisturizer that is completely silicone free!
If you look at my swatches down below, you'll (hopefully) see yellow beads(that I painstakingly tried photographing.) While at first glance you might assume they're those tiny yet evil plastic beads they're actually the cupuaçu butter beads! As you start patting/ rubbing the moisturizer onto your skin, the beads magically disappear before your eyes ✨
It doesn't take a lot of pressure or effort for them to blend away, actually I had to be extra gentle when swatching the moisturizer to make sure the beads were still visible.
Because the moisturizer has such a lightweight texture but still delivers a nice kick of hydration and moisture, I think it would be suited for oily skin-types as well! I personally have dehydrated dry skin and love how this doesn't make my skin feel tacky or sticky. I will probably rotate it out of my stash come winter because I will need something heavier but for spring/ summer, it's perfect.
Scent
When I apply it, I don't notice any sort of smell. When I stuck my nose in the jar for the sake of this review, I did notice a scent although I can't name it. I didn't smell good and it didn't smell bad. It just...had a scent.
I'm not sure if it contains synthetic fragrances as the ingredient list includes something called "Flavor (aroma)"
Performance
Like I mentioned up above, this moisturizer has a very lightweight, watery texture. But at the same time it's still very hydrating and moisturizing. It melts and feels very soothing upon contact.
It layers well-- under sunscreen, under makeup, under itself. Sometimes if I apply too much moisturizer my skin starts feeling tacky or sticky-- I'm especially prone to this in the summer. Even on days when I apply this with a very, very heavy hand, I still don't have any issues! My face is a bit wet for a few minutes but it quickly goes back to normal.
Lately I've been using squalane oil day and night. There are certain products that I have to wait to dry down before layering said oil to avoid pilling. Or I have to wait for the oil to sink in for a few minutes before layering said product to avoid pilling. This moisturizer is one of the layers that I don't have to wait around for. It doesn't pill even if I apply it straight after applying oil. I've also quickly layered it on top of silicone heavy products (on my neck, cause on my face I would break out from the 'cones) and it didn't pill with those either. Basically it plays well with both silicones and oils.
I'll usually use this in the daytime although I have used it at night as well. Since I like sleeping with my face right in front of my fan, my skin tends to dry out quickly. I can't use this alone and hope for well moisturizer skin in the morning, but when I wear it underneath the Cosrx rice sleeping pack my skin is still soft in the morning!
In the daytime, it's my perfect moisturizer. Because I have dehydrated skin and live in a climate that has humid summers, I need to strategically layer my morning skincare. I need something that won't feel heavy for when I'm outdoors in 70%+ humidity but will also prevent my skin from drying out when I'm indoors and the AC is blasting. Honey drop is the answer. It's lightweight so I won't sweat my face off outdoors but packs a punch of moisture so my face won't shrivel up and dry out indoors.
Bottom Line
There's nothing I don't like about this moisturizer. It has an elegant ingredient list, performs wonderfully, is packaged perfectly, and suits a whole range of skin types. It's a win all around in my book 🤓
