Tight, broken, dry, irritated and allergic skin? Winter can cause havoc on our skin…
Do you suffer from dehydrated skin? Read on to see my Top 5 moisturisers for extremely dry, irritated and allergy prone skin.
As the hours of sunlight diminish during the winter months, as the weather turns colder and as we crank up the central heating our skin can become tired, dull and lifeless, more so if you suffer from allergies and eczema so it is extremely important to moisturise to replenish the lost oils.
Moisturise! Moisturise! Moisturise!
If like me you suffer from overly sensitive skin, choosing the right moisturiser can be a tricky one. The market is saturated with creams that claim to be for sensitive and allergy-prone skin yet still contain nasties that can cause irritation! Whilst some claim to be ‘natural’, ‘free of this’ and ‘free of that’, it’s rare to find a product that ticks all the boxes.
With the need to avoid Parabens (those nasty preservatives that inhibit the product from going off), Perfumes (They may smell nice but man does that stuff irritate!), and any artificial colours, over the past 3 decades, I have, as you can imagine using a lot of emollients and creams. Whether they have been prescribed by the doctors, skin specialists or have been bought over the counter on the high street, I’ve been able to whittle it down to my top 5!
#1 Balmonds Daily moistursing cream*
This super-soft moisturiser is 99% natural and one I love. Made up of shea butter (instead of beeswax) it is light and yet really moisturising. It’s suitable for vegans and much to my liking is unperfumed and free from petrochemicals such as paraffin or mineral oil therefore limiting any additional irritation that so often comes with dry sensitive skin . It is suitable for all ages and can be used anywhere on the body. I use it along with their skin salvation balm which is great for the particularly dry areas like wrists and elbows. I highly recommend this one.
£13.99 (100ml)
Not available on prescription (shop bought)
Shea butter, Organic hemp seed oil, Biodynamic chickweed, Perfume free, cruelty free, vegan, 99% natural, Paraffin free
Get 20% off using code ‘JEM20’ at checkout here …
#2 Avène Skin Recovery Cream (for the face)
This skin recovery cream is a facial moisturiser made with minimal ingredients to avoid irritating your skin. It’s extremely moisturising and literally calms my skin whilst reducing the redness, something I’ve never found with other facial moisturisers. As soon as I feel a flare upcoming, I literally slap it on and it instantly soothes – this is down to the Parcerine which also helps restore the damaged hydrolipidic barrier. It contains Glycerine which provides moisturising qualities as well as the famous Avène Thermal Spring Water. (Click here to find out how they discovered this amazing healing spring water which they now add to their skincare range and treatment centres.) (Available in a ‘Rich’ formulation too.)
Hypoallergenic, Non-Comedogenic, Preservative-Free, Fragrance-Free, Soap-Free, Paraben-Free, Soy-Free, Gluten-Free
Not available on prescription (shop bought)
£16.50 (50ml)
#3 Avène Xeracalm Balm (for face and body)
Avène also offer a balm which can be used on face and body. It’s part of their XeraCalm Range. It is ultra-rich, lipid-replenishing and is my ‘go to’ moisturiser. I use it all over my body, every day and on days when my skin is flared or is particularly dry, I use it multiple times. (They also do it in a cream however I find the balm goes on a lot better and really soaks into the skin yet leaves a lovely soft barrier without feeling oily.) This Balm is fragrance, preservative and paraben-free and is aimed at use by those with dry to very dry and eczema prone skin. It’s so gentle it can be used by babies and children as well as adults. Like the Skin recovery cream, it comes in an exclusive DEFI system, (a sterile bottle) which protects the formula from contamination after the packaging is opened – Perfect for minimising infection when applying to sore and often cracked skin.
Having seen me through some tough times, this Balm has quite honestly been my saviour. Scratching during the night became a distant memory as this balm left my skin moisturised right through until the morning – something I never quite found with other emollients.
I’ve just seen that they also do an oil in this range here! I’ve not seen this before and must try so I’ll keep you posted once I get my hands on it.
Hypoallergenic / Non-Comedogenic/ Preservative-Free/ Fragrance-Free/ Soap-Free/ Paraben-Free/ Soy-Free/ Gluten-Free
Not available on prescription (shop bought)
£18.50 (200ml)
#4 Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion
Before I discovered The XeraCalm Balm this was my body moisturiser of choice. It is very hydrating and glides on the skin. Used soon after you get of the shower or bath it immediately soaks in leaving your skin soft and hydrated. Given that I tend to use the XeraCalm Balm on my body, I tend to use the Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion on my legs as the skin on my legs is somewhat different to my body and can tolerate a little more. It’s formulated with naturally active colloidal oatmeal which is known to have calming properties so it’s no surprise that this soothes. (I guess it works similarly to when you soak oats in the bath when your child has chicken pox!) They claim it keeps your skin moisturised for 24 hours, however, when I applied it in the morning I definitely felt I needed another application before bed. Aveeno also claims that this cream will …
…Significantly improves the condition of dry skin in just 2 weeks…
I do agree with that!! It certainly does hydrate, soften and soothe itchy, dry and eczema prone skin.
They offer other similar lotions to the Daily Moisturing lotion, however, a number do contain perfumes so make sure you check the labels – this one is my preferred choice being perfume-free.
It’s available in a pump bottle as well as a smaller bottle and is suitable for use on children too.
Fragrance and Paraben free
Available on prescription in some counties also shop bought
£7.69 (300ml)
Formulated with naturally active colloidal oatmeal
Available in two sizes: 200ml and 300ml
#5 Rosaliac Anti-Redness Intense Serum
La Roche-Posay has been developing skincare alongside dermatologists for decades and have developed products for even the most sensitive skin. Their Rosaliac Localized Anti-redness Serum is a relatively new product for me as I’ve only been using it as part of my skin care regime for the past year! (Okay! So not that new but in the grand scheme of things…!) It is, however, a very welcomed addition to my skincare regime.
Designed to be used in addition to your other moisturisers, it’s applied to your skin first, before any other products. I use it daily every morning and night. With an ultra-fresh and non-oily gel, it glides on and soaks in giving my skin a much-needed hydration boost. It has a high concentration of selected ingredients which is enriched with thermal spring water meaning a little goes a long way. This is also the perfect ‘go to’ product when you feel a flare up starting or your skin is drying out from external factors.
(La Roche-Posay also does a great range of sensitive sun creams which I swear by especially for my son who suffers with eczema and skin sensitivities.)
Preservative-free, Paraben-free, Fragrance-free, Alcohol-free, Non-comedogenic. Hypoallergenic.
Shop bought
£18.50 (40ml)
Are they right for me?
Due to the fact we all have different skin types as well as sensitivities, what works for one may not work for another, however, the above products come highly recommended from someone with allergies to perfumes, parabens, most artificial additives as well as having extremely dry, sensitive and eczema prone skin!
Have you tried any of these products? How have they worked for you? I’d love to hear!
Please remember I am not medically trained and do not claim to be. This is based purely on my personal experiences with allergies as well as information provided on the NHS website. If you suspect that you need medical help or assistance, please contact the relevant medical/ healthcare providers. In any case of emergency, please call the emergency number (999 in the UK).
* Affiliate link
No Comments