Works for
2 of 2 advertised claims delivered
MoisturizingCeramide 3, Phytosphingosine + 7 moreStrong evidence
“Like HABA Umi No Houseki boosts skin resiliency and clarity while providing long-lasting moisture.”
This product can help soften the skin and reduce its moisture loss with emollients and occlusives: squalane, oryza sativa germ oil.
Keep in mind that this product does not contain effective ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. This is why an additional product with humectants like glycerin or hyaluronic acid can be helpful (apply it before this product for the best results).
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: ceramide 2, ceramide 3, phytosphingosine
Anti-agingUbiquinone, TocopherolModerate evidence
“CME (Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Maleate) An oil-soluble conjugate of Vitamins E & C. Reverses signs of aging and has strong antioxidant effect, even expelling hydroxyl radicals.”
This product contains ubiquinone. This ingredient help neutralize free radicals in skin. By doing so, they might be able to prevent early signs of aging (like fine lines and wrinkles), at least to some extent. These ingredients will not be able to "reverse" signs of aging.
Anti-oxidationNot advertised by the brand · Ubiquinone, TocopherolStrong evidence
This product contains antioxidants (ubiquinone) that can help neutralize free radicals in skin. By doing so, they can lessen the damage the skin gets from the UV light (sun).
Evens skin toneNot advertised by the brand · Stearyl glycyrrhetinateModerate evidence
The following ingredient (ingredients) in this product might be helpful, but there is no evidence to confirm that it actually works: stearyl glycyrrhetinate.
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy3 flagged ingredientsLow risk
ComedogenicClean of flagged comedogenic ingredientsNone flagged
User reviews
Be the first — your take helps the next person decide.
Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Squalane~25–37%
- Irritation risk
- Low
An oil naturally present in skin. Works as an emollient to soften the skin and form a protective layer on its surface without a greasy feeling.
More about SqualaneDextrin palmitate~6.3–9.5%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps water and oil mix together
More about Dextrin palmitateDodecane~4.6–7%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Polysilicone-1 crosspolymer~3.3–5%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Haematococcus pluvialis oil~2.2–3.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Ubiquinone~1.8–2.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Coenzyme Q10. It helps neutralize free radicals in skin, improves skin hydration and might be helpful agains fine lines and wrinkles. It can be an allergen
More about UbiquinoneCeramide 2~1.7–2.5%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A type of lipid similar to ceramides naturally present in skin. Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin and supports the skin barrier function to keep it hydrated. Can help to prevent inflammation in skin
More about Ceramide 2Ceramide 3~1.4–2.1%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A type of lipid similar to ceramides naturally present in skin. Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin and supports the skin barrier function to keep it hydrated. Can help to prevent inflammation in skin
More about Ceramide 3Ceramide 2~1.1–1.7%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A type of lipid similar to ceramides naturally present in skin. Helps to soften the upper layer of the skin and supports the skin barrier function to keep it hydrated. Can help to prevent inflammation in skin
More about Ceramide 2Phytosphingosine~0.9–1.35%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A type of lipid that is naturally present in skin. It might help in repairing skin barrier function and has anti-bacterial effect
More about PhytosphingosineTocopherol~0.5–1.1%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Pure form of vitamin E. Can help moisturise and protect the skin from free radicals. Often used to help stabilise other ingredients or the formula itself
More about TocopherolAscorbyl tocopheryl maleate~0.5–1.15%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Stearyl glycyrrhetinate~0.3–0.75%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A fatty acid derived from licorice. Works as an emollient and can help calm down inflammation
More about Stearyl glycyrrhetinateOryza sativa germ oil~0.35–0.8%
Simethicone~0.2–0.75%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A type of silicone that helps to create nice product texture and is used as an anti-foaming agent
More about SimethiconeBehenyl alcohol~0.15–0.65%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Non-drying alcohol that helps water and oil mix together. Also serves as an emollient
More about Behenyl alcoholPolyglyceryl-10 pentastearate~0.1–0.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Sodium stearoyl lactylate~0.05–0.25%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps oil and water mix together
More about Sodium stearoyl lactylateIngredient list view
Squalane, Dextrin palmitate, Dodecane, Polysilicone-1 crosspolymer, Haematococcus pluvialis oil, Ubiquinone, Ceramide 2, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 2, Phytosphingosine, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl tocopheryl maleate, Stearyl glycyrrhetinate, Oryza sativa germ oil, Simethicone, Behenyl alcohol, Polyglyceryl-10 pentastearate, Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Compare prices
Retailers ranked by price — lowest first.
Affiliate links · prices updated regularly
Product summary
Based on the ingredients included, "HABA - Squa Essence Balm Koujun" works well for moisturizing the skin.
Ingredient callouts
- As a plus, this moisturizer also contains Ceramides (phytosphingosine 0.90% - 1.35%, ceramide 2 1.10% - 1.70%, ceramide 3 1.40% - 2.10% and ceramide 2 1.70% - 2.50%). Ceramides are a type of lipids that our skin produces itself. They are a building block of the skin's barrier. Ceramides used in skincare are synthetic or extracted from plants. They work well for softening the skin surface and "patch holes" in the skin's barrier.
Irritation risk
This product does not contain known common irritants and is suitable for sensitive skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be low. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 4 studies and safety reviews.
- 1
- 2
- 3Vitamin E in dermatologyncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4Vitamin E and Skin Healthlpi.oregonstate.edu
Affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.