CURE Natural Aqua Gel

Today I am reviewing an skincare item called Cure natural aqua gel. This is a very popular exfoliator sold in Japan. I think the official record is that a bottle is sold every 20 seconds, which is pretty good (not  as impressive as those classic American products like a certain maybelline mascara, but you have to consider to size of Japan and the fact that this is only officially sold in a few parts of Asia). This is supposed to be a very special product because exfoliators are usually a little harsh (either containing acid meant to burn off the top layer of skin or small particles meant to scrub down the top layer of skin), and this one is very gentle, containing 90% water content. I have to say this is very similar to Laneige's Strawberry Peel, which I will review soon.

Overall, I really like this product, but do not understand why it is so hyped. It is very very similar to Laneige's Strawberry Peel and even work the same way. For $30, you get a bottle of 250 g, which is similar in price to Laneige's. The benefit of this is that it is completely preservative free (which is also why you have to use it up within 1 year).
You are supposed to apply this to a clean and dry face (right after cleansing your face is recommended). Pump some onto the tips of your fingers and gently massage your cheeks, then your forehead, chin, and then lastly your nose area. I generally use up two pumps for my face and neck. You will see that as you massage, the top layer of skin balls up (which is what happens with Laneige's strawberry peel). I often suspect what the tiny balls are (are they skin cells that came off or are they products balled up), and I actually conducted a test on freshly exfoliated skin (with 50% glycolic peel). The Cure just rubs into my skin like a lotion, and no balled skins came up, which proved to me that the balls I usually see on the tips of my fingers is my skin. I still got some balls with the Laneige Strawberry peel...
Now onto the pros and cons list :)

Pros:
1. Very gentle. No burning sensation or irritation.
2. Pretty satisfying to see balls of skin that actually came off
3. No preservatives and 90% water content

4. Good for sensitive skin

5. You can never over-exfoliate with this. 

Cons:
1. doesn't help with acne as well as my AHA type exfoliators (dilated lemon juice, glycolic peel, etc.)

2. I think that the exfoliation power is as good as most other exfoliators. If you try to force exfoliate already well exfoliated skin, nothing will come off, as opposed to the burning and redness you would get with regular exfoliators. While this is usually a pro, there are certain times when one may try to over-exfoliate (before procedures or very expensive/penetrating masks), and this won't help you do that

Overall: Really great and gentle exfoliator you can use every day