First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Review

I've been using the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream (and Concentrate, which I'll review tomorrow) for most of the winter, and you may have noticed I've made references to the products, but haven't done a full review until now. These are the products that I've been reaching for first this winter (which has been pretty harsh here in Michigan) as my hands have been dry, irritated and they just... hurt. I've eczema, and sometimes it seems as if no amount of extra care can prevent my hands from becoming dry and irritated.

What makes this cream different is that it contains so many soothing ingredients to help with irritated and unhappy skin, and it doesn't depend upon a heavy occlusives to really hydrate your skin. (If you're not sure what that means you can check out my post on how skin moisturizers work for more info.) That feeling most of us have after we use a moisturizer and it "feels" silky and thick and, with some moisturizers, almost greasy? That is from the occlusives. You won't feel that with Ultra Repair Cream, but your skin instead will feel soft, you'll have less redness and irritation and my skin feels more normal when I've been using this regularly.

Ingredients:
Colloidal Oatmeal, Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Squalane, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Dimethicone, Xanthum Gum, Disodium EDTA, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus, Ceramide 3

Here are some of the ingredient highlights:
• Colloidal Oatmeal: I think it's rather telling that the #1 ingredient is Oats, which shows antioxidant activity, inhibits prostaglandins (anti-inflammatory activity) and works to clean the skin when used in cleansers.
• Stearic Acid: A thickening and emulsifying agent, this is a naturally found fatty acid, it can feel soft and sometimes slightly waxy on the skin when applied (it's that "slip" that you can sometimes feel).
• Glycerin: Humectant
• C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate: Emollient (again, look at that moisturizer post. This is good stuff!) It will also make things feel less greasy.
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride: Quite a ways down the list, you'll see the first occlusive moisturizer
• Glyceryl Stearate: A combo of Stearic Acid and Glycerin
• Cetearyl Alcohol: Emulsifier made from wax (not really an alcohol the way we think of it...)
• Caprylyl Glycol: Emollient
• Shea Butter: Emollient
• Squalene: Emollient
• Allantoin: Moisturizing, helps to slough dead skin cells and anti-inflammatory all at once!
• Feverfew: Anti-inflammatory that also helps to decrease redness
• Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (Green Tea): Contains polyphenols, which are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, though they even suppress cancer. While most of the research into these effects used intake of the polyphenols rather than topical use, "most researchers agree that tea (black, green, or white) has potent anti-inflammatory properties and that it is a potent antioxidant whether consumed orally or applied topically"
• Licorice Root: Helps to decrease melanin production, so can help with hyperpigmentation
• Ceramide 3: Emollient

Ultra Repair Cream comes in a very big tub, and really, it's a huge supply. A little of this stuff will go a long way. It is a strange lotion/creamy/slightly goopy consistency for me, I haven't fully figured it out. It feels immediately soothing when I put it on, and it sinks into my skin very quickly. Which I love. I have no residue left behind.

I've been using this pretty much only on my body (especially my hands), though you could use it on your face as well. It's definitely too much hydration for my combination skin to use every day on my face, but it did work really well one day when I was feeling dry. I've noticed that it works best when used consistently, which really allows those anti-inflammatory ingredients to work.

First Aid Beauty