Hi! It’s Ayu here.
It’s been a while since I talk about my products for my body. I have dry skin and also eczema. My eczema usually flares up around the back of my legs and it’s really frustrating. I’ve been trying several different products and even made my own remedies. But so far this is the most effective treatment that I’ve tried. It’s not cheap, I must warn, but it works for me. Every skin is different and these products may work well for you or no.
For moisturizer, I used to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The con about it is that the oil takes time to be absorbed into my skin. The pro is, it is quite cheap and accessible. For now, I use body lotion, cream, and oil. I use lotion almost all over my body and cream to parts where my skin is very very dry. For oil, I only use it where I have eczema.
The lotion that I use is Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Lotion. I’m already on my second bottle right now. It can be applied on your face too, but prefer to use it on my body. What makes this lotion different? It has a lotion texture consistency but it hydrates and moisturizes my skin like a cream. It sinks into the skin very fast, the texture is light and there’s no scent. Perfect!
Their star ingredient is lactobacillus/soybean ferment extract which is native to South Korea and effective in reducing skin irritation and enhances skin barrier. It also contains Ceramide Skin ComplexTM, a type of ceramide capsule exclusively developed by AmorePacific Corporation, which delivers active ingredients and helps the skin absorb them.
The price of 350 ml is around 20 USD.
Ingredients: Purified Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Shea Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Hydrogenated Poly (C6-14 Olefin), Clohexasiloxane, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Perilla Frutescens Sprout Extract, Magnolia Kobus Flower Extract, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide MEA (Ceramide PC-104 32.75ppm), Mannitol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, C14-22 Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dimethicone, Diisostearyl Malate, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Stearic Acid, Silica, Arachidyl Glucoside, Arachidyl Alcohol, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cholesterol, Palmitic Acid, Propanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Disodium EDTA
Next is Cerave Moisturizing Cream. This is also a body moisturizer and I use mainly on the driest part of my skin. It is really thick but absorbed easily into the skin. It also has no fragrance which is very nice for sensitive skin. I bought the Dry to Very Dry skin variant in Taiwan and I think this is only available there. Because when I checked at the US website, they only have the Normal to Dry skin one.
Their highlighted component are the three essential Ceramides. Ceramide1 repairs and enhance skin barrier function, Ceramide3 maintain skin moisture and quickly repair dry skin, Ceramide6-II helps promotes smooth skin.
I only need to use a little bit of this and my skin keeps moisturized for almost a half day. I use twice a day, right after a shower just like the lotion.
It cost around 399 NTD or 14USD for 177 ml.
Another cream that I use is Avene Xeracalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cream. I use this as a calming cream. When my skin is heavily irritated and super itchy, I applied this cream. And it did help to calm my skin a lot! This cream is really thick and quite heavy, so you’ll only need a little of this to soothe your skin. It also has no fragrance and preservatives. I even use this for my face when it gets sensitized or inflamed.
This cream is formulated for dry sensitive skin prone to Atopic Eczema and itching. This cream restores the skin’s barrier function and soothes itching sensations caused by skin dryness and preserves the skin flora. A unique, high-performance formula:
- I-modulia® complex, the 1st biotechnological active ingredient from Avène Thermal Spring Water: Reduces itching sensations, stimulates skin defenses, anti-irritant
- Cer-omega, lipids similar to those in the skin: nourishes and restores skin barrier function
- Avène Thermal Spring Water: soothing, anti-irritating, softening.
Ingredients: I-Modulia®.Cer-Omega.Avène Thermal Spring Water Avene Thermal Spring Water (Avene Aqua), Glycerin, Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Cetearyl Alcohol.Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil (Oenothera Biennis Oil), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Glucoside, Aquaphilus Dolomiae Extract.Arginine, Carbomer, Evening Primrose Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Glycine, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol.
This cream is by far the most effective yet most expensive one. A tube of 200 ml costs around 34 USD. I’ll keep my eyes on the discounted rack for this one all the time 👀
The last one is oil. My favorite oil for inflamed skin is Hemp Seed Oil. I usually use the one from Nutiva. It’s actually edible but I use it topically on my skin and this works wonderfully. I use this only on itchy and flared up part of my skin. So, on my inflamed skin, I usually applied 2-3 layers of products. First is Hemp seed oil, this oil heals my sore skin, makes wound dry up faster and fastened up skin regeneration. After the oil has sunk into the skin, I apply the cream. If it’s itchy I’ll use Avene Xeracalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cream first. After that, I use Cerave Moisturizing Cream to lock the moisture.
By the way, not many people know about Hemp seed oil.
Organic Hemp Oil is cold-pressed and unrefined. Just like hemp seed, the oil contains the ideal 3:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Unlike flax, hemp has valuable Super Omega-3 (SDA) and Super Omega-6 (GLA), which can help the body metabolize fat. For Storage: Keep refrigerated or in the freezer and use within 8-12 weeks of opening (Nutiva).
Ingredients: Raw, organic, unrefined hemp seed oil
For more about it, you can read it on Nutiva website.
Everyone has different skin. And these products may or may not work for your skin. Keep on your journey to find your perfect products! Don’t give up! My tips are to start by reading the product ingredients and analyze which one works and does not work for you. What you eat sometimes affects how your skin reacts too. I might suggest reducing sugar and fried food. It’s been hard for me, also cost a lot of money, but the good feeling after you find it is really priceless 💖
Stay healthy and safe everyone! XOXO