Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen SPF50

Updated September 2026: this exact product is no longer listed for supply in Australia — Neutrogena's current equivalent is sold as Hydro Boost Face Lotion Sunscreen SPF50.

If you avoid using facial sunscreens because they feel oily and clog pores, and they don’t blend with makeup, this new gel lotion from Neutrogena is something to get excited about. Here’s why. 

• What Is It: A sunscreen containing SPF50 protection.
• Why buy: It protects the skin from the sun while also hydrating it. 
• The Details: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen SPF50 costs rrp $16.99, available nationwide at grocery and pharmacy stores.

Road Test

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with facial sunscreens. I know I need to wear one every day when outside, especially living in southeastern Queensland, and whatever sunscreen I use needs to pack a hefty punch when it comes to the SPF in order to offer the maximum protection. Finding a product which works, and which doesn’t make my face sweat excessively, or dehydrate my skin or clog pores can prove to be a challenge, however. When I was sent a tube of Neutrogena’s new Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen SPF50, I was admittedly excited. The gel lotion has a weightless formula which offers the maximum protection with a perk; it hydrates while it protects, thanks to a boost of hyaluronic acid, combined with vitamin E and glycerin. As a result, it promises to leave your skin hydrated for up to eight hours (if you don’t swim), with a clean, non-greasy finish. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, as the saying goes, so I tested it on a long beach hike in 30C temperatures. I applied the gel lotion liberally to my face, neck and ears, donned a cap and took off. Four hours later, I returned home without any evidence that I’d been in the sun; in fact, my skin was soft, supple and the sunscreen was clearly still in situ. If you’ve been looking for a clean sunscreen that looks and feels great on the skin, and hydrates as it protects, Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen SPF50 is one to put on your must-have list this summer.  

Beauty In Travel Loves

• The formula leaves skin feeling healthy and hydrated.
• It has broad spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays.
• It melts into the skin and isn’t heavy or sticky.  

Insider Tips

• Reapply at least every two hours for sun protection, and immediately after swimming or exercise or towelling off.
• You can use this gel lotion under makeup for a clean and non-greasy finish.

Editor's note. Fact-checked and updated on 29 September 2026. The sunscreen reviewed here is no longer available in Australia under this name: its listing on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods was cancelled at the sponsor's request, and sunscreens cannot be supplied here without a current listing. Neutrogena's nearest current product is Hydro Boost Face Lotion Sunscreen SPF50, sold in 85ml and separately listed with the TGA, so the price and stockists quoted here no longer apply. For clarity, this product was not part of the sunscreen recalls that followed CHOICE's SPF testing from September 2025 — a different Neutrogena sunscreen was involved in that round. The reviewer's impressions of how the original formula wore under a hat and over a long day stand, but anyone buying now is buying a different product, and the general advice holds: reapply at least every two hours, and don't rely on sunscreen alone.