Jelly Products Are One of the Hottest and Most Fun Beauty Trends

[Photo by fleur kaan]

Originating in Korea, skin and haircare products that feature a gel or jelly-based texture have become one of the hottest beauty trends in the US. But don’t let their lightweight nature fool you—these products pack quite the punch due to being water-based, which increases skin hydration.

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There’s something about the consistency of jelly products that indulges my inner child. They’re fun to play around with and they feel amazing on skin, especially when you refrigerate them for an extra-refreshing touch. Many jelly products feature innovative technology such as hydrogels, which enhance the soft and effective delivery of their active ingredients into skin.

goodhabit is an innovative beauty brand that launched a line of skincare products designed to nourish skin and neutralize the effects of blue lights caused by today’s modern-day tech devices. One of their key products is Water Jelly Dew Cream, a quick-absorbing gel-cream that provides instant relief to dry skin while helping to prevent future signs of aging cause by artificial blue light.

“It’s packed with 400% more humectants than what you will find in a typical hydrator,” says Jeniece Trizzino, goodhabit’s VP of Product Development. “The high level of humectants means that, upon application, the formula immediately goes to work drawing and locking water into skin. So when we say a dime size amount—we mean it!”

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Trizzino recommends starting with a small amount to see how skin feels, then layer on as needed—particularly if your skin is ultra-dehydrated. Make sure to allow enough time for the formula to fully absorb into skin before applying makeup. If you need an extra boost of hydration throughout the day, she suggests rubbing a small amount into the palm of your hands then gently pressing into skin to give your complexion a much-needed pick-me-up!

Read on to discover and shop our guide to some of the best jelly products for skin and hair. From an exfoliating scalp scrub and overnight sleep masks to hydrating cleansers and high-shine lip jellies, there are a wide range of innovations on this list that will add a fun element to your beauty routine while boasting major benefits.

Amika Reset Exfoliating Jelly Scalp Scrub ($25)

This innovative jelly shampoo utilizes charcoal, pink clay, and sea salt to deep clean, purify, rebalance, and soothe the scalp. The weekly treatment absorbs toxins, dirt, and pollutants from the hair and scalp—leaving hair feeling fresh and ready for styling!

Beekman 1802 Milk Wash Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser ($10-$38)

This AHA- and BHA-powered cleanser instantly transforms from a light jelly formula into a deep-cleansing milk to help dissolve makeup, deeply purify, and exfoliate without causing irritation. The multi-action cleanser helps draw out oil-based debris and leaves skin feeling silky-soft and moisturized. Lactic, glycolic and salicylic acid help to gently exfoliate and resurface skin with 100% natural AHAs and BHAs: sugar maple extract, orange fruit extract, lemon fruit extract, and sugarcane extract. The Triple Milk Complex™ is the brand’s proprietary blend of goat milk, milk probiotic, and colostrum–like a daily dose of probiotics, it deeply nourishes, bringing balance to all skin types for healthy, dewy, radiant skin. 

belif Aqua Bomb Jelly Cleanser ($28)

This gentle jelly-to-foam cleanser features the same explosive burst of hydration as the brand’s cult-favorite, The True Cream Aqua Bomb, and gently removes makeup and impurities without stripping skin.It’s formulated with amino acids and glycerin-based cleansing agents that gently cleanse skin. Lady’s Mantle minimizes the look of pores and helps remove free radicals from skin while supporting natural cell turnover. Napiers Aqua Formula supports hyaluronic acid, which retains water to keep your body’s tissues lubricated and moist.

Bioré Brightening Jelly Cleanser ($7.99)

This next-level formula goes beyond typical cleansing action and cleans away stubborn, impacted pore-clogging dirt. It’s fortified with Yuzu lemon, a natural source of vitamin C, known for its ability to balance and brighten. Also includes ginseng to energize skin and the brand’s proven Japanese technology to boost brightness and leave a radiant glow. After application, massage into skin for 60 seconds to ensure maximum pore plug-dissolving action, followed by 30 seconds of rinsing. 

Biossance Squalane + Elderberry Jelly Cleanser ($28)

This gentle yet powerful all-in-one jelly cleanser nourishes your unique microbiome while effortlessly removing makeup, daily pollutants, and impurities. Antioxidant-rich elderberry extract and a nourishing prebiotic complex strengthen, protect, and promote an overall healthier-looking complexion, while hydrating squalane leaves skin clean, soft, and refreshed. Safe for all skin types, the cleanser transforms from a naturally hued jelly to a silky oil, then rinses clean as a soft milk.

Chanel Le Gommage Anti-Pollution Exfoliating Gel ($45)

This exfoliating face scrub removes impurities and dead skin cells while helping prevent irritation so that skin looks refined, smooth, and ready for makeup! The new formula combines two marine ingredients that help exfoliate and preserve skin’s essential functions: Purple Micro-Algae supports skin rejuvenation, while Marine Sea Water provides remineralizing properties. Jojoba beads are suspended in a jelly-like texture for delicate-yet-effective exfoliation.

Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly ($29.50)

This lightweight, oil-free water-jelly delivers 24-hour hydration repair plus pollution protection. It features Clean Shield Technology™, which locks in moisture and filters out pollution. It also strengthens skin’s moisture barrier, improves resiliency, and creates skin that is smooth, strong, and healthy-looking with a pure, clean glow. 

COSRXGreen Tea Aqua Soothing Gel Cream ($25)

Immerse skin in hydration with this cooling, non-oily gel cream moisturizer helps heal and refresh skin. Aloe Ferox Leaf Extract and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract provide a cooling relief to soothe redness, blemishes, and sunburns while the formula refreshes oily, heated skin. The cooling gel cream absorbs quickly and melts into skin to deliver instant hydration.

Dior Hydra Life Glow Better Fresh Jelly Mask ($69)

This three-minute radiance gel-mask melts into skin for a smoother and clearer appearance that glows. It offers a dual scrub that is both gentle and powerful—a light peel from citrus fruit extracts and a physical scrub from apricot kernel particles. Its refreshing, citrus-colored, water-rich gel texture revives skin on application and helps with dullness/uneven texture, roughness, dark spots, and uneven tone.

Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser ($32)

This gentle cleanser removes makeup, oil, pollution, and grime—rinsing impurities away without leaving behind any residue so skin feels soft and clean. Ingredients include glycerin, cantaloupe fruit extract, and Mild Surfactant Blend, which is a stack of mild cleansing agents (including coconut-based surfactants rich in fatty acids) that work together to create a gentle lather for a deep clean.

Elemis Superfood Blackcurrant Jelly Exfoliator ($28)

This antioxidant-rich jelly facial scrub is packed with exfoliating crushed blackcurrants to leave skin feeling smooth, soft, and revitalized. Its antioxidant-rich superfood extracts include Nordic Bilberry and Black Tea. It’s also formulated with sustainably-sourced blackcurrant scrub particles, a by-product of the juicing industry in France and Poland, to gently yet effectively cleanse the skin of dulling dead cells, revealing a super smooth and radiant complexion. A Prebiotic naturally-derived from sugar helps to maintain balance in the skin’s microflora.

e.l.f. Cosmetics Jelly Pop Glow Stick ($8)

This hydrating highlighter stick gives skin a dewy, luminous glow with a hint of golden color. Infused with hydrating watermelon extract, it helps you achieve a “glass skin” effect with a soft hint of golden color and shimmer that looks great on all skin tones. The twist-up stick allows for easy application and prime blendability—just dab and blend onto high points of the face like the cheekbones, nose bridge, and brow bone for a radiant finish!

goodhabit Rescue Me Water Jelly Dew Cream ($24-$55)

The quick-absorbing gel-cream is packed with over 20% humectants that provide intense hydration with a lightweight feel, while BLU5 technology minimizes and helps prevent future signs of aging caused by artificial blue light. It also minimizes the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation, helping to create a more even-looking complexion, in addition to visibly lifting and sculpting skin for firmer, more defined facial contours. Also available in a convenient mini travel-size version.

H2O+ Hydration Oasis Refreshing Gel Moisturizer ($42)

This silky gel glides smoothly onto skin, hydrating and locking in moisture while boosting skin’s daily renewal process. This upgraded version of the original bestselling Oasis blue gel features a powerful clean formula designed in Japan with Hydro-Amino Infusion, Mini Hyaluronic Acid, and Skin Boost Technology. Doubles skin hydration and hydrates for up to 24 hours, in addition to plumping skin’s appearance and overall skin complexion health.

Haruharu WONDER Honey Green Aqua Bomb Gel ($24)

This intensely hydrating gel-like moisturizer is made from fermented green tea and honey, which help to moisturize, brighten, improve the appearance of wrinkles, and decrease inflammation. The unique fermentation formula is 95% natural and transforms raw ingredients into a more flexible configuration for the skin to absorb. The company has developed a formula targeting powerful absorption by utilizing patented Ultra Deep Technology—made to deliver active ingredients deep within the skin.

Herbivore Pink Cloud Rosewater + Tremella Creamy Jelly Cleanser ($24)

This effective yet gentle cleansers removes makeup and leaves skin clean, comfortable, and never stripped of moisture. It features a base of rose water and coconut water, in addition to gentle, plant-based surfactants that lift dirt and oil, vegan squalane, and superfood tremella mushroom to provide hydration and a jelly texture. 

INC.redible Jelly Shot ($10)

Enriched with natural oils, these transparent jelly lip quenchers help nourish, moisturize, and repair lips. They include a blend of avocado, vitamin E, and rice bran oil—and are available in five gorgeous tints with a super cute hidden flower detail. Collect them all!

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly ($24.99)

This unique jelly moisturizer features hyaluronic acid and PatchH20™ technology to combat dullness, dehydration, dryness, and signs of premature aging by providing skin with instant and long-lasting hydration. The high molecular weight of hyaluronic acid allows the jelly to form a protective layer on the skin’s surface to lock in hydration and prevent moisture evaporation. It saturates skin with fast-absorbing ingredients, which leaves skin soft, smooth, plump, and radiant.

innisfree Jeju Cherry Blossom Dewy Glow Jelly Cream ($25)

This bouncy jelly cream is infused with a blend of cherry blossom leaf extract, niacinamide, and betaine that visibly brighten and hydrate skin for glowing, glass-like skin. The lightweight jelly texture allows the cream to absorb instantly, creating a layer of hydration to lock in moisture for dewy, bouncy skin.

Kiramoon Star Jelly Magic Resurfacing Facial ($45)

This 4-in-1 exfoliating treatment mask gently buffs away dead skin cells and softens pores revealing smoother, glowing, and more clarified skin. Key ingredients include 10% AHA, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, passion fruit seed oil, cactus flower extract, and sweet almond oil. Vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free. Contains no added or synthetic fragrance.

Lancôme Rose Jelly Mask ($35)

This intensely hydrating, leave-on gel mask locks in moisture and visibly plumps skin overnight. It’s  infused with hyaluronic acid, rose water, and acacia honey to intensely hydrate skin. The deep-quenching overnight mask locks in moisture to reveal smoother, softer, and suppler skin when you wake up. 

Lumene Nordic Hydra [Lähde] Oxygen Recovery 72h Hydra Gel Mask ($15)

This ultra-fresh aerating gel mask provides ultimate 72-hour s of hydration for dehydrated skin. Infused with Nordic superwaters: pure Arctic spring water and organic Nordic birch sap, as well as lingonberry, bilberry, and cloudberry waters combined with oxygen recovery minerals—the formula helps to recover a fresh, plump, and healthy look. The product has a cooling gel texture for instant refreshment. Suitable for all skin types.

Moon Juice Plump Jelly Hyaluronic Serum ($58)

This serum has silver ear mushroom (a hydrating super-mushroom that can hold up to 500 times its weight in water), hyaluronic acid, and reishi (helps protect skin against stressors, reducing visible signs of accelerated aging, and supporting skin's resilience and barrier) to lock in hydration and help protect from accelerated aging for plumped-up skin. It provides a necessary dose of hydration, leaving skin looking more plumped and firmer. Tip: it also works on the lips to soften and plump appearance!

Nuria Hydrate Revitalizing Jelly Treatment ($38)

This nighttime jelly treatment is designed to treat dry, damaged skin and help skin retain its natural balance. Ingredients include bilberry, gardenia, spring snowflake, safflower, rosemary, and glycerin to nourish, smooth, and fortify skin. Tip: use as a sleeping mask and wake up with plump and dewy skin!

NYX Professional Makeup Bare With Me Hydrating Jelly Primer ($17)

This primer features a jelly-like texture that creates a moisturized matte finished barrier for a smooth makeup application. The vegan, water-based gripping primer is infused with cucumber and aloe extracts that leave your skin feeling cool and hydrated.

Pacifica Beauty Glow Jelly Dewy Radiance ($12)

This water-based jelly is infused with skincare beneficials (including polysaccharides) that melt onto skin, leaving behind a subtle, beautiful glow. Ingredients include vitamin C and hemp seed oil to add a dewy radiance to skin. Formulated without parabens, phthalates, SLS or mineral oil.

RE:ERTH Hydrating Gel Moisturizer ($70)

This weightless, oil-free gel hydrator offers anti-bacterial properties and prevents congested pores. Ingredients include colostrum (also known as Mothers’ Milk from Danish Cows), which is rich in immunoglobulin and contains vitamins B and E, along with moisture-locking properties to strengthen and invigorate skin cells. The hydrating and greaseless formula features uplifting and fresh floral notes.

Tower 28 Beauty ShineOn Milky Lip Jelly Gloss ($14)

Now available in four fun shades inspired by alternative milks (almond, cashew, coconut, and oat), these bestselling glosses feature apricot kernel oil and raspberry seed oil to nourish, soothe, and protect lips against free radicals and environmental aggressors. The non-sticky lip jellies have the shine of a gloss but with the comfort of a balm with a wash of milky color.

Trilogy Hydrating Jelly Mask ($35)

This natural hydrating jelly mask smooths and revitalizes skin with a refreshing, rejuvenating jelly textured experienced. Among the first of its kind in natural beauty, this cooling gel textured mask infuses skin with powerfully natural hyaluronic acid to help smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, rosehip oil and manuka honey to deeply nourish, and aloe vera and New Zealand kawakawa to refresh. Suitable for all skin types, particularly dry and dehydrated skins.

Truly Beauty Moon Jelly Adaptogenic Body Cleanser ($15)

This jelly cleanser is formulated with Ashwagandha to protect your body from the damaging effects of stress and chamomile flower to gently calm irritated inflamed skin. The relaxing blend of super herbs will help skin cope with environmental stressors like pollution, UV rays, lack of sleep, and daily stress, while calming the skin and mind for a more restful night of beauty sleep.

Valmont Icy Falls ($150)

This refreshing cleansing gel melts into skin to remove makeup and other impurities, leaving skin feeling silky-soft and velvety. The formula is rich in prebiotics and probiotics, which nourish microbiota that protect skin’s surface and enrich skin flora, helping to balance skin so it looks and feels clean and radiant.

[Image courtesy of brands]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk