Bubble Skincare is an affordable skincare brand that’s marketed with bright and playful colors. The brand’s moisturizer, called Slam Dunk, retails for only $16 and the brand claims it can “deeply hydrate and restore essential nutrients for dry to normal skin.”
But does Bubble moisturizer contain research-backed ingredients for hydrating the skin? Does it contain any unhealthy additives? Which retailer sells Bubble’s moisturizer for the best price? And how do real users rate and describe its effects?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Bubble Skincare's most popular moisturizer (Slam Dunk) to give our take on whether or not it's likely to be effective for hydrating skin, and whether or not it's healthy.
We’ll provide a cost breakdown to show which retailer sells this product for the best price, and feature real customer reviews.
Key takeaways:
- Contains research-backed active ingredients for skin moisturization
- Contains one preservative we consider potentially unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Bubble Moisturizer
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Bubble Slam Dunk Hydrating Moisturizer are shown below:
This formulation contains several research-backed ingredients for moisturizing the skin.
Glycerin was shown in a clinical trial published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science to improve skin hydration.
Aloe barbadensis, better known as aloe vera, was shown in a 2009 medical review to be healing to the skin.
Avocado oil was described as “an excellent source of enrichment for dry, damaged or chapped skin” in a 2008 clinical trial.
Hydrogenated lecithin is a non-toxic penetration enhancer that can increase absorption of other active ingredients in cosmetics, as documented in our Estee Lauder Night Repair review article.
Evening primrose oil, or at least its active constituents, were described as highly promising anti-aging compounds in a clinical trial published in The International Journal of Cosmetic Science.
There is only one ingredient in this cream that we identify as potentially questionable from a health perspective.
Phenoxyethanol is a synthetic preservative that was shown in a 2020 clinical trial to be toxic to human cells. This was an in vitro (test tube) study, which is a weaker standard of evidence than in vivo (living) studies.
Overall, we consider Bubble Slam Dunk Moisturizer likely to moisturize and hydrate the skin, and likely to improve skin quality generally. This is one of the more potent formulations we’ve reviewed at such a low price point, and it definitely delivers on value.
We don’t currently recommend this product due to the inclusion of phenoxyethanol.
Real People Try Bubble Moisturizer
A YouTube creator named “AliceintheRabbitHole” ranked all Bubble Skincare products that she tried, and explained which ones she liked and which ones she didn’t like:
A YouTube creator named Lavinia Rusanda reviewed whether Bubble is a good option for acne and dry skin:
Where to Get the Best Price
Bubble’s moisturizer is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a price breakdown for a one-time purchase at the time of publishing this article:
Brand website: $16 (plus shipping, link)
Ulta: $16 (plus shipping, link)
Walmart: $14.98 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $14.98 (free shipping depending on plan – link)
Bubble’s moisturizer is 6% cheaper on Amazon than on the brand’s website for non-Prime users, and up to 25% cheaper for those who can access free shipping on Amazon.
Is Bubble the Best Cheap Brand?
A YouTube creator named James Welsh gives a live product demo of some Bubble products and discusses whether the brand is the best budget-friendly skincare option on the market:
Our Clean Skincare Pick
Ritual HyaCera is our top anti-aging skin supplement.
It contains wheat oil extract which is clinically shown to "improve skin damages induced by aging."
This product is free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Customers Rate Bubble Moisturizer
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
Bubble Slam Dunk has been reviewed over 350 times on Amazon, with an average review rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Abby salazar” who gave the product a 5/5 star rating and liked its effects:
“it felt really smooth on my face I felt also refreshed after using it really recommend. but came in a really small portion”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “THolt” who gave the product a 1/5 star rating and dislikes the consistency and claims it caused acne:
“The product came and is much smaller than expected. I had read the reviews on how to use the container. You simply press down and the lotion comes out as a small flower shape. The lotion comes out in a small amount and has an awful smell. The texture is waxy and did not absorb well on the skin. I used it on my face and the next day broke out and I never have acne. Do not recommend this at all.”
Bubble has an average review rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Facebook.
Bubble Moisturizer Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Bubble’s moisturizer in our opinion:
Pros:
- Should improve skin hydration
- Should improve skin quality
- May reduce wrinkles
- Highly affordable
- Impressive formulation for the price
- Positive customer reviews
- Playful, fun branding
Cons:
- Contains phenoxyethanol
- Brand website charges for shipping
- Doesn’t appear clinically tested
