I was under the impression that creams were all the same until my beloved holy grail, Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream*, came along. I know, spoiler alert!
I enjoyed this cream so much that I decided to buy the Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Mist, which is quite okay (later edit).
I’ll give you my thoughts and experience with Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream, a super hydrating, ceramides-infused, K-Beauty god-sent cream by the Holika Holika skincare brand.
I was not paid for this review or received it as a gift.
At a glance:
- Price and availability
- Brand
- Claims
- Ingredients
- Packaging
- Scent
- Texture
- My experience
- Pros
- Cons
- Verdict
- Shop
Where to buy Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream?
The average price in Asian boutiques is roughly 15$. Price per 100 ml ~ 26$.
Shop Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream on Amazon*, StyleKorean*, Stylevana, YesStyle*, Beauty Bay. (*affiliate links)
The Holika Holika brand
Holika Holika is a Korean skincare brand retailer established in 2010.
Holika Holika’s name and brand concept come from the words “holida” which means temptation in Korean, and the English suffix “holic” which refers to addiction.
The innovative skincare brand aims to care for a woman’s skin to remain as healthy and young as in her twenties with high-quality products made with the finest ingredients.
Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream claims
This moisturizing cream with ceramides perfectly moisturizes the skin and helps restore its protective properties, making it more elastic and tender.
It promotes instant nutrition of deep layers of skin, restores skin-fat balance, and saturates with vitamins and minerals.
The cream neutralizes painful reactions: irritation, burning, tingling, and redness.
The formula of the cream is designed specifically for intensive nutrition of dry skin in the cold season.
With a pH of 5.5, the product maintains the optimal level of moisture in the skin and preserves a healthy protective barrier.
Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream Ingredients
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glyceryl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Stearyl Behenate, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Phytosteryl/ Isostearyl/ Cetyl/ Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Ceramide Np, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Glycosphingolipids, Ceramide Ap, Meadowfoam Estolide, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ceramide Eop, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Aleuritic Acid, Yeast Extract, Glycoproteins, Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyquaternium-51, Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut Oil), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerylamidoethyl Methacrylate/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Bacillus Ferment, Propylene Glycol, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Oil, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil, Niacinamide, Allantoin, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin
See explained ingredients on INCIDecoder.
Key Ingredients
Ceramides
Let’s focus on the star here, ceramide. It’s in the name. Ceramides are a family of lipids that account for 50% of the skin barrier (by weight), so they’re essential, right? Ceramides are crucial to:
- maintain the skin’s moisture levels;
- protect skin from external irritants making skin more resilient;
- help make skin more plump, juicy, radiant, and smooth;
- makes skin tolerate chemical exfoliation much better;
- skin is less likely to become irritated;
- because they prevent dehydration, ceramides are a great anti-aging ingredient;
- regulate the cell cycle and apoptosis (regulated cell death);
- beneficial for all skin types.
Heralded as skincare heroes, ceramides can now be found in cleansers, toners, serums, masks, moisturizers, and even hand creams.
Ceramides are golden children; they get along with everyone (unlike vitamin C and A, those brats). They go exceptionally well with plant oils rich in linoleic acid and cholesterol.
Ingredients not included in Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream:
Good Cera is 7 Harmful ingredients free, meaning it has no artificial colors, synthetic fragrance, mineral oil, Triethanolamine, Talx, Petrolatum, or Benzophenone.
Packaging
To address the elephant on the shelf, the Holika Holika Good Cera Cream does not come with a spatula.
There are probably suitable preservatives in the product, so I try not to sweat the small stuff and use it as provided.
But if you’re worried about the cream going bad or as I’ve seen people being bothered by getting cream under their nails, you can “borrow” the spatula from another cream.
If you still prefer using your fingers but want to be more sanitary, you can try the following trick I learned on the internet:
Sanitize a spatula and use it to fill a smaller, sanitized container with the product.
Then you can use your fingers with the smaller container. Because it’s smaller and gets used up within a month, you don’t have to worry about it getting contaminated.
Also, if it goes bad from some contaminants from your hands, it’s less product wasted.
Smell
Very very faint citrusy smell.
Texture
Its texture is very smooth, creamy, and soothing to apply. It’s a pleasure reminiscing about thick vanilla pudding.
This product is milky white, and the color clears right after application
My experience with Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream
My skin type and concerns
I have a normal – dry skin type, and I live in a temperate-continental climate with cold & dry winters and hot &dry summers.
Honestly, I am beyond happy with Good Cera! I struggled my whole adult life to find a good moisturizer 😅
How long have I used it: I am on my second jar. I used up the first jar during the harsh cold months. Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream lasts three months when used twice daily.
Now, during the summer, I haven’t been reaching for it daily.
How to use Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream?
- I make sure I have clean hands and stick my finger in the jar. I know some of you will cringe because it is unhygienic, but honestly, nowadays, I have very little time.
- I spread the cream on my whole face, including the eye area and lips.
- I also put a decent amount on my neck and my cleavage.
I apply Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide twice daily during dry and cold months.
During summer, I sometimes feel that hydrating sunscreen is enough for the mornings. At night, even on hot&humid nights, the cream absorbs beautifully and doesn’t pill.
Routine
So, this comes after everything else in my arsenal. Wash my face, double cleanse if you may, do my toner, essence, serums, ampoules, oils, and emollients, and now comes the cream.
It feels lovely and luxurious on my face and has worked beautifully over my Stratia Liquid Gold to keep my skin happy, healthy, and, shockingly, plump.
The cream is thick but too thick is my jam! It spreads in very easily and sinks in, leaving my skin nice and soft. My skin afterward tends to still feel clean but moisturized, and if there is a remaining feeling of lotion, it’s very comforting and pleasant.
If necessary, follow up with a sleeping pack and slugging oil.
After you’ve done that, comes the easiest step of all, go to sleep! I’m left with plump, soft, refreshed skin when I wake up.
I loved the results; my skin was so insanely soft!
When used in the morning, it plays well under any makeup.
I recommend this for every skin type, but it’s perfect for dry-sensitive skin.
I also appreciate that it hydrates the eye area but doesn’t sting the eyes.
I expected a regular moisturizer and got a rock star holy grail!
Pros
- Hydrating
- Occlusive
- No fragrance
Cons
- On the pricey side
- The unhygienic jar might bother some
- Not travel friendly
Final Thoughts
The results are lovely. It helps with hydration, flakiness, and any tightness.
I have to say it: Good Cera, good.
I am looking forward to starting tretinoin soon after I stop breastfeeding. I have done my homework and know everything there is to know before I start tretinoin. I am trusting Holika Holika cream to fight the tret uglies.
Will I repurchase Good Cera?
I enjoy this product and am almost certainly going to repurchase it and use it twice daily.
Rating: 5/5
Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream vs Dr. Jart+’s Ceramidin Cream
Holika Holika Good Cera* has been fantastic for me. I was using Dr. Jart+’s Ceramidin Cream, which wasn’t enough for my skin, so I tried Holika Holika as a dupe and fell head over heels. It just makes my skin so happy and healthy.
Shop for this product
Shop Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream on Amazon*, StyleKorean*, Stylevana, YesStyle*, Beauty Bay. (*affiliate links)
Shop the Good Cera line
Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Mist*- Full Review
Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Toner*
Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Cream in Serum*
Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Emulsion*
Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Essential Oil*
Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Foaming Wash*
Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Moisture Balm*
(*affiliate links)
Besides the Ceramides mist, I haven’t anything yet, but they’re all moving to my cart now😋
As always, you do you, be kind to your skin and yourself!
Remember that every person’s skin and skin type is different, so what might work for me might not work for you, and vice versa.
So before trying a new product, it pays to do a little research first. Pay special attention to ingredients that you might react to.
Doing a patch test is always a good idea. Unsure? Best to consult your dermatologist.
Happy skin experimenting!
Show me proof
- Q Li, H Fang, E Dang, G Wang, The role of ceramides in skin homeostasis and inflammatory skin diseases, Journal of Dermatological Science, Volume 97, Issue 1, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdermsci.2019.12.002.
- Coderch, L., López, O., de la Maza, A. et al. Ceramides and Skin Function. Am J Clin Dermatol 4, 107–129 (2003). https://doi.org/10.2165/00128071-200304020-00004
- Uchida Y. Ceramide signaling in mammalian epidermis. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2014 Mar;1841(3):453-62. doi: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2013.09.003. Epub 2013 Sep 19. PMID: 24055887; PMCID: PMC3943494.
- Cha, H. J., He, C., Zhao, H., Dong, Y., An, I., An, S.”Intercellular and intracellular functions of ceramides and their metabolites in skin (Review)“. International Journal of Molecular Medicine 38, no. 1 (2016): 16-22. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2016.2600
