BRANDS I LOVE: FIRST AID BEAUTY AND THE BEST FACIAL SKINCARE FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
We’re about a month into our lockdown now and the Governor of New York just announced that we are all required to wear masks or face coverings in pubic.
As if I weren’t already doing that. Duh! I venture outdoors once a day to get air, exercise — and to be socially distant with friends.
It occurred to me yesterday that I haven’t touched another human being in a month. Not a hug, not a peck on the cheek, not even a hand shake or a fist bump. It’s weird. And weirdly disconcerting.
I guess I’ve been filling the void by baking. This past week, I’ve made a lemon loaf, Italian ricotta pie and dozens of ricotta cookies glazed in lemon icing. (If it sounds like I’m obsessed with ricotta, I’m not. It’s just that I can only eat fresh cheese as all aged cheeses trigger migraines in me!)
Of course, the friends with whom I meet up for daily “sanity strolls” reap the benefits of my baking. In case you were concerned that I’m shut in the apartment eating all of this while Orpheus rolls his eyes. I’m itching to make a pineapple cake as I write this.
Take the Skincarma Challenge and make my ricotta pie!
My magnificent ricotta pie!
Carmine’s Recipe for Ricotta Pie:
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup milk. Combine cornstarch and milk with ricotta, remaining 1 cup milk, eggs, vanilla, and sugar.
Mix until well blended and creamy. Pour filling into unbaked pie shell. Bake for one hour or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg, and cool.
Speaking of ricotta, I think I’m going to start taking Italian lessons online. Whether you’re finding solace in baking, exercising, painting, or online learning — find a creative outlet that lets you look back on all of this in a year, in ten years, or at the end of your life, and see some good that came out of it.
Now, while my pineapple cake is in the oven, I’ll pause to muse on about skin care…
Over the course of my two-decade long copywriting career, I’ve had the honor to work on some really cool skincare brands — some of them industry icons. Since the early 2000s, I’ve written for Kiehl’s, SkinCeuticals, Dr. Dennis Gross, Dr. Brandt and Dr. Jart, to name a few. You may have noticed that science-based, dermatologist and clinical brands are my favorites.
The world of skin care is vast and varied, dynamic and diverse. There are numerous brands I admire that I have not (yet!) had the chance to work on — among them, The Inkey List, Deciem’s NIOD, and Drunk Elephant.
And, First Aid Beauty!
I’ve always kinda admired the clean, clinical character of the science-based “FAB” brand. Now, more than ever, clean skin care matters — and makes sense.
The First Aid Beauty Mission
At First Aid Beauty, we are on a rescue mission to help your skin look and feel its absolute best. We want to make every day a good skin day for you.
First Aid Beauty was founded in 2009 by Lilli Gordon, a mother, grandmother, and entrepreneur with a background in beauty who, like so many, struggled with sensitive skin.
Says Ms. Gordon,
“I was determined to create a collection of products that I would be happy to use on myself and share with my family.
“At First Aid Beauty, we provide everyday essentials and targeted skincare solutions that deliver immediate relief, lasting results and feel-good textures. Why? Because quite simply you deserve to feel good (no, great) in your skin. So, please join us on our journey to help make every day a good skin day. Healthy-looking skin is beautiful skin – how FAB is that?!”
Early on, I recognized that the First Aid Beauty products were formulated to calm skin, prevent irritation — deliver nothing that could antagonize the skin, particularly sensitive skin. The brand uses tried-and-true, soothing ingredients like Colloidal Oatmeal, Oat Kernel Extract, Shea Butter, Feverfew Extract, even honey, at active levels.
But just as important as what’s in the FAB formulas is what’s not. Nary a drop of denatured alcohol, fragrance or fragrant plant oils.
I despise all of them in skin care. Fragrance, in particular, has no business on your face. As my muse, Paula Begoun, has long said, fragrance isn’t skin care.
The FAB products smell like nothing. I love when skin care smells like nothing.
Ingredients with Integrity
“At First Aid Beauty, we provide everyday essentials and targeted skincare solutions that deliver immediate relief, lasting results and feel-good textures. Our products are formulated with only clean, skin-loving ingredients. We carefully select our ingredients so you don’t have to worry about what’s in (and not in) your skincare products. There are over 1,300 ingredients on FAB’s no-no list, including Artificial Colorants and Artificial Fragrances, Parabens, Ethanol, Ethyl Alcohol, Denatured Alcohol, Methanol, N-Butyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, SD Alcohol, Lanolin, Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Formaldehydes, Oxybenzone, Coal Tar, Hydroquinone, Triclosan, Triclocarban, Talc and Sulfates.”
Let’s have a look at a few of the First Aid Beauty formulas that I’m most impressed by!
Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner
You could probably guess by now that I wouldn’t be caught dead without a hydrating toner in my skincare routine. That was certainly a mistake that King Tut made. I mean look at him now, shriveled up like a rotten prune. No thank you.
It makes me crazy when people say they don’t use a toner. Sadly, they’re victims of big beauty marketers who’ve sold them a falsehood for decades about what a toner is intended for.
The true purpose of a toner is not to clear away anything that your cleanser left behind. How completely absurd is that? (I hate to admit that I’m guilt of writing exactly that in the packaging copy on numerous toners. I was cut from big beauty cloth myself.)
A toner is intended to hydrate, dampen, and prep the skin for the application of everything else in your routine.
Optimally hydrated skin is better able to absorb skincare treatments. A great analogy is to think of two sponges — one wet, one dry. Now imagine soaking up water on the kitchen counter with each. The wet sponge will more quickly absorb the water than the dry sponge.
Why? It’s because water molecules attract one another like a magnet. The same goes for the application of skin care. Damp skin will draw in water-based products more quickly — and more deeply — than dry skin.
So, unlike King Tut, I live for a good toner! And the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner is a superb treatment for all skins, but particularly dry skin — or skin that’s experiencing seasonal dryness, as mine has been.
FAB’s Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner is a thick, milky treat for skin — with the consistency of heavy cream. It’s infused with the kind of skin-replenishing actives that I love to see in any type of skincare product — but are somewhat unusual for a toner.
Beyond ingredient number one, water, there’s lots of goodness — including high levels of replenishing Squalane, anti-bacterial honey, and Honey Ferment Filtrate.
All of which give the formula a velvety texture that’s simply a pleasure to use on the skin. It’s not often that you find a toner infused with honey, let alone fermented honey. The formula even contains Propolis Extract — the resinous substance collected by bees and used to construct the hive.
A combination of tree sap and beeswax, Propolis Extract has a multitude of benefits for the skin. I found an excellent piece on it titled, The Little-Known Ingredient Korean Women Use to Fight Acne.
1. Antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral: Propolis is known for its ability to fight against a lot of powerful bacteria. Some studies conclude that the reason propolis is so effective against various microbes is because it’s so rich in flavonoids (you know, the same antioxidant found in coffee).
2. Smoothing and softening: Since propolis has such powerful healing properties, it works quickly to regenerate skin to help make skin texture smoother and suppler.
3. Moisturizing: Yes, it even hydrates skin without a creamy, heavy residue.
With its velvety texture and skin-soothing properties, the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner is a fantastic formula. You can grab a bottle on the Sephora website for just $22. That’s money well spent — and not much more than it would have cost back in King Tut’s day, circa 1324 B.C.!
**WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF FIRST AID BEAUTY AND THE BEST FACIAL SKINCARE FOR SENSITIVE SKIN…ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.**
Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum
I gotta admit, the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum may be the most surprising to me of the five FAB products I’m reviewing. When you first dispense it, the formula comes out looking a lot like hair gel.
Back in college (when I had hair!), I loved those pots of hair gel that were like $1.99 for a jar bigger than my head. It was so gooey and sticky and my hair stayed in place well into my afternoon classes on French grammar and Italian literature.
FAB’s Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum may look a bit like translucent hair gel, but looks are certainly deceiving. It’s not the least bit sticky, tacky, or gooey. Instead, it’s surprisingly silky and wet. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that its unusual texture comes from the high level of soluble collagen, at ingredient number three.
Characteristic of First Aid Beauty’s formulas, this lightweight serum also contains superbly soothing Colloidal Oatmeal. Considered one of the best skincare actives, Colloidal Oatmeal is described this way by the team at Paula’s Choice — my go-to for ingredient analysis:
A form of oatmeal used in cosmetics and skincare products [colloidal oatmeal] is produced by finely grinding oats, then boiling them. Research shows avenathramides, potent types of antioxidants found in oats (and colloidal oatmeal), can help soothe skin.
A high concentration of beta-glucan and starches in colloidal oatmeal also mean it has water-binding properties and is an effective skin protectant. In fact, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes colloidal oatmeal as a skin protectant, allowing it to be listed as an active ingredient on skincare products.
In addition, the Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum contains additional soothing humectants and antioxidants, including Feverfew Extract, Green Tea Leaf Extract, and Licorice Root Extract.
Because it’s so light, it’s quickly absorbed by the skin, making it extremely easy to layer.
Here’s how much I trust First Aid Beauty to comfort my skin when it’s at its most sensitive. Last weekend, I was testing a particularly potent Glycolic Acid treatment and, as expected, my forehead was inflamed for hours after. The only skin care I trusted was First Aid Beauty. I applied the Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner followed by Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum. After it had absorbed, I sealed it all in with the Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration and went to bed. The next morning, my skin was back in balance.
You can grab a bottle of the Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum on the First Aid Beauty website here for $38. And, be sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the blog for a chance to win it!
FAB Skin Lab Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate
Similarly to Glycolic Acid, I have a love-hate relationship with Retinol. So I tend to gravitate toward either Retinol alternatives like Bakuchiol or lower levels of Retinol. So for me, I like that the First Aid Beauty Skin Lab Retinol Serum contains a conservative 0.25% concentration of the anti-aging active.
In fact, FAB describes its Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate this way: “A serum for sensitive skin and beginner retinol users that helps smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for firmer-, younger-looking skin.”
And like the Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum, the texture surprised me. It’s a velvety, lightweight cream that feels quite comfortable on the skin. At first, it reminded me of the Kiehl’s Avocado Eye Cream on steroids; I wasn’t sure why until I took a deep dive into the INCI. There it was at ingredient number six, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil!
Also in the top ten are Glycerin, Retinol and Colloidal Oatmeal and, interestingly, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate — one of two forms of Vitamin C that is helpful for treating blemish-prone skin. Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate has a multitude of benefits for the skin beyond the unrivaled antioxidant power of Vitamin C. It’s also known to enhance hydration levels in the skin and can help to calm the factors that stimulate oil production and even cause sensitization.
What an interesting formula! If you are wary of Retinol, FAB’s Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate is a terrific option for you and me. It’s available here for $58.
FAB Skin Lab Retinol Eye Cream with Triple Hyaluronic Acid
I’m kind of wishy-washy when it comes to using products formulated specifically for the eye area. I think “eye cream” is just a marketing term like “skincare for men.” In fact, just last week I disclosed that the single eye treatment I use most frequently wasn’t even formulated for the eye area. It’s an Argireline peptide serum intended for use over the entire face. (Psst…the Skin Deva 20% Argireline + Matrixyl 3000™ + Hyaluronic Acid Serum has been my go-to for several months now.)
That’s not to say there aren’t perfectly legitimate eye creams out there if you’re the eye cream type. And the FAB Skin Lab Retinol Eye Cream with Triple Hyaluronic Acid is quite a well-formulated treatment.
As hesitant as I am to use Retinol anywhere on my face, I was naturally cautious using the brand’s Retinol Eye Cream in my eye area. I proceeded with extreme trepidation the first time I attempted it. Guess what! No irritation whatsoever. Not then, not now.
In line with FAB’s philosophy to do no harm by sensitizing the skin, the Retinol Eye Cream is formulated with microencapsulated Retinol that releases the active gradually throughout the night “to help support natural collagen production and cellular turnover to minimize the appearance of crow’s feet, fine lines, and wrinkles”.
The formula also contains what the brand describes as “Triple Weight Hyaluronic Acid” — essentially three distinct molecular weights of the common humectant. I actually really like the formula, with its multitude of pro-skin health actives, including Shea Butter, Retinol, Caffeine, ceramides, peptides, Vitamin E, Allantoin and, of course, a healthy dose of soothing Oat Kernel Extract.
Retinol Eye Cream is available on the FAB website here for $42.
FAB Pharma Arnica Relief & Rescue Mask
Marketing skincare is not an easy thing. I get it. I’ve been doing it for 20+ years. I’ve certainly written my share of packaging copy, having named hundreds of products over two decades. Even so, when I caught sight of a new skin-soothing mask from First Aid Beauty, I ate it up! (If you missed my #selfcaresunday video on my IGTV, you can catch it here.)
The FAB Pharma Arnica Relief & Rescue Mask sounds like a medical treatment for inflamed, irritated skin, right?! And while it’s not exactly a treatment for a serious medical condition, it certainly has what it takes to relieve moderately irritated (though not seriously irritated) skin.
The Arnica Relief formula contains Arnica Montana Flower Extract — along with proven healing herb Centella Asiatica Extract and soothing Calendula Flower Extract. They sound like the perfect blend of ingredients for a serious treatment to calm skin.
A quick peek at the INCI and you find all three far down the list. Which begs the question: what’s the right percent of any active ingredient? When I was working at Kiehl’s, the Regulatory team at L’Oreal required that a formula contain at least two percent of an ingredient if I were going to use it in the product name.
I explored this percentage conundrum a few weeks back when I reviewed my top Vitamin C picks of 2020. The Allies of Skin 35% Vitamin C Collagen Rebuilding Serum literally contains thirty-five percent Vitamin C and is heralded by the brand as “the world’s first waterless 35% Vitamin C serum.”
Does skin need an infusion of 35% Vitamin C? So while the FAB Arnica Relief mask is not even remotely powered by 35% Arnica Montana Flower Extract, it does contain quite a substantial amount of skin-relieving actives.
In fact, it’s loaded with goodness — with high levels of Shea Butter, Glycerin, Cocoa Seed Butter — and a superstar skincare ingredient of late, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil. While I wasn’t blown away by it the first time I tried it, this one is a testament to the importance of sticking with a product and truly testing its efficacy.
I’ve grown to appreciate its quiet potency. If you experience agitated skin on occasion, give the FAB Pharma Arnica Relief & Rescue Mask a try. You can grab a tube of it on the FAB website here for $32. Or, enter for a chance to win it at the bottom of the blog!
That’s it guys! Be sure to enter the First Aid Beauty Giveaway below. And find the time to explore your creativity during the downtime. If you do bake my ricotta pie, please let me know how it turned out in the comments or through my DM’s on my Skincarma IG page.
Stay safe, stay sane.
🖤 SKINCARMA
SKINCARMA….
GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win the entire FAB range of 5 products reviewed on the Skincarma Blog – including hydrating toner and serum, Retinol serum and eye cream and relief mask. ($192 value)
Share why you want to win in the comments below. Then, return to the Skincarma IG page and comment “Done”. Giveaway ends Sunday 04/26/2020.
**WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF FIRST AID BEAUTY AND THE BEST FACIAL SKINCARE FOR SENSITIVE SKIN…ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.**
Orpheus loves his #solaraglow too!
The Ingredient List of the Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner:
Water, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Squalane, Sorbitan Oleate, Avena Strigosa Seed Extract, Mel (Honey, Miel), Saccharomyces/Honey Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Propolis Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorphenesin, Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid.
The Ingredient List of the Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum:
Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Soluble Collagen, Methyl Gluceth-20, Colloidal Oatmeal, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Allantoin, Panthenol, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium PCA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Nitrate, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Phosphate, EDTA, Glyoxal.
The Ingredient List of the FAB Skin Lab Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate:
Water/Aqua/Eau, Polysorbate 80, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Ret-Inol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Tocopherol, Hydro-Lyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide Np, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Linoleic Acid, Al-Lantoin, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Triolein, Caprylyl Glycol,Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Stearic Acid, Maltodextrin, BHT, BHA, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate.
The Ingredient List of the FAB Skin Lab Retinol Eye Cream with Triple Hyaluronic Acid:
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Glycerin, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 20, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinol, Caffeine, Ceramide NG, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Atelocollagen, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Linoleic Acid, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Triolein, Cholesterol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lecithin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polysilicone-11, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Mica, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin), Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyethylene, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Steareth-30, Dipropylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Tin Oxide, Citric Acid, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide).
The Ingredient List of FAB Pharma Arnica Relief & Rescue Mask:
Aqua (Water, Eau), C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Olivate, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Xanthan Gum, Tanacetum Annuum Leaf Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Trideceth-6, Tocopheryl Acetate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Colloidal Oatmeal, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin.
