This $14 All-in-One Moisturizer Beats Out Products 3X Its Price

19.11.2024 05:58

Men’s Journal aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

When I first developed eczema, at 34, I didn’t realize it. A little extra scratching on my arms, some added discomfort and redness around my thighs: These didn’t seem like much. I was stressed about work and the new city where I had moved. Normal life stuff.

But I knew my skin issues were more serious when I met a good friend, who's suffered from severe eczema flare-ups for years, for coffee. She noticed the way I incessantly, even unthinkingly, picked at my skin as we chatted, and the telltale dry, almost scaly red skin.

“I think you might be dealing with eczema,” she said. “Do you want help?”

I did. Whether it was brought on by stress or other factors, the (relatively mild, thankfully) eczema was getting worse—yet it was also very treatable. I'd been applying body lotion every day, but the kind of common drugstore body lotion that can work for healthy skin. Not necessarily the stuff meant for very irritated or compromised skin.

My friend gave me a list of recommendations based on her interviews with dermatologists: For washing your face, something gentle like CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser (its ceramides form a protective barrier to external elements). Washing your whole body? Eucerin Advanced Cleansing Body and Face Cleanser. Stay away from fragrances and ingredients you can’t pronounce. After showering, softly pat your skin with a towel; do not rub. While medical professionals still don’t know a lot about what causes eczema flare-ups, we do know that people with eczema lose moisture more easily.

Experts agree that not just any product will do here: You need heavy-duty moisturizing cream. The thicker the consistency, the better. Many “lotions” you find at CVS are full of alcohol and other ingredients that dry out skin. Gold standards include Cetaphil, CeraVe, and Eucerin Original Healing Cream (the tub with the red cap).

But one other trusted product jumped out at me: Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream with Pump Dispenser, which is a tub with a practical pump dispenser for those of us in a rush. It's meticulously formulated without the irritants that can trigger flare-ups for people with sensitive skin: no dyes, no fragrances, no parabens. And the cream itself is luxuriously rich without being greasy.

Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream with Pump Dispenser (16 Ounces)

The only moisturizer you'll ever need: Vanicream Moisturizing Skin Cream with Pump Dispenser for Those with Sensitive Skin.

Courtesy Image

Vanicream is made by a small company, and while it’s harder to find in big drugstores, you’ll likely notice it on the shelves of a medical office’s in-house pharmacy. (That's not a coincidence, since many medical professionals swear by the stuff.) Thankfully, Vanicream’s signature tub is also often on sale online, including right now on Amazon for under $14.

The best part of Vanicream? It truly does it all: It’s designed so you can apply it all over your body, on your face, into the irritated cracks on your hands and feet. And people with acne can rest assured that this is safe for them, too, thanks to that same pared-down, effective ingredient list that does not clog pores.

Now my twice-daily routine, once within minutes after showering to lock in moisture, is applying a sparing amount of Vanicream all over my body and face (trust me, a little goes a long way). After I started doing this for a few months, I found that my eczema flare-ups almost entirely vanished. I’m relieved that I’m not picking at my arms, and I know my arms are relieved, too.