This Under-$16 Frozen Moisturizer Is Like A Slushie For Your Face

The freezer isn't just for your leftover lasagnas and late-night ice creams: A lotion from UK brand Skin Proud is actually designed to be frozen. Frozen Over is a gel at room temperature that, once chilled, is basically a slushie for your face. In a world of near-constant, ever-innovating skin-care releases, a frozen lotion definitely stands out, so I had to know if this was just a gimmick or worth the hype.

Skin Proud is already one of my favorite beauty brands and is known for its variety of playful, cruelty-free products at affordable prices. Frozen Over is the brand's take on cooling products meant to calm and refresh skin. Whether it's a cooling eye mask for depuffing or ice globes for lymphatic drainage, there are indeed potential benefits for incorporating cold into your skin-care routine, especially to treat irritated or puffy skin. And, while Frozen Over has been out of stock for a while, fans and curious newbies can rest easy because it's officially back in stock at Walmart. With a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars and 227 reviews, shoppers say it left their skin "feeling soft and supple." So is it really worth it, or is Frozen Over just another flash-in-the-pan (er... freezer) beauty product? I'm here to answer all those pressing questions.

Skin Proud's Frozen Over is a "gel-to-ice" moisturizer made with hydrating hyaluronic acid, soothing aloe vera, and brightening lemon extract. Perfect for depuffing in the morning or as an after-sun treatment, putting this on is a chilly, magical experience. The genius behind it is its dual texture — leave it at room temperature for a gel-cream feel, or freeze it for a totally unique, slushy consistency. Even while at room temperature, there's a cooling effect and my skin drinks it in. Because it absorbs so quickly and leaves your face nice and glowy, it also works well as a base for makeup. The feeling of it frozen, though, is unlike anything I've felt before. Skin Proud says to leave it in the freezer for two hours, but I've left it overnight (because I'm forgetful), and it still worked like a charm. After a hot shower, putting this on is pure cool relief. It's exactly like that feeling of slathering aloe vera after a whole day of being out in the sun without any stickiness. While the brand recommends it for cooling sun-exposed skin, the icy blast also is a good pick-me-up to start your day.

I would recommend it for morning and night if you have dry skin, and using it just nights if your skin is more oily. Without freezing it, the jelly consistency is similar to another Skin Proud moisturizer, the Sorbet Skin. I compared the two one night and put each one on different sides of my face. I could see instantly that Frozen Over left my face dewier than Sorbet Skin did. The next morning, the Sorbet Skin side was less hydrated while the Frozen Over side was ultra-smooth. In other words, even without freezing it, Frozen Over works better than another ordinary jelly moisturizer.

Still skeptical (maybe all moisturizers would feel better if you popped them in the freezer?), I froze two of my other Skin Proud moisturizers, just to see what the difference would be. Sorbet Skin, the gel moisturizer, remained unchanged in consistency. Sleep Hero, an overnight, cream-based sleep mask, just froze completely solid. So, while the concept may sound like a gimmick at first, the formula is truly unique in the skin-care game — especially for the price!