The cold weather creams that really work
We used beauty’s favourite gadget for measuring moisture in skin to find...
WINTER plays havoc with our skin, as cold air holds less moisture. Add in biting wind and central heating and it ’s a recipe for dry , chapped, rough soreness.
There are plenty of products on the market claiming to treat these problems, which are predominantly caused by barrier damage and the skin becoming dehydrated.
You’ll see shelves full of creams. They all promise a lot, but when your skin needs urgent care, which of these will actually do the job?
To find out, I borrowed a piece of equipment called a Corneometer from Deciem, the company behind cult skincare brand The Ordinary.
‘The Corneometer is probably the most-used instrument in the cosmetic industry because it ’s an accurate way of measuring hydration,’ explains Carla O’Connor, the company’s head of clinical research.
The machine’s probe is pressed against the skin for one second, giving a score between 0 (as dry as skin can be) and 120 (as hydrated as skin can be).
I tested the creams by measuring how hydrated my skin was before applying them, then using them for a week and testing again. So, which cream offered moisturising magic, and which left my skin drought-level dry? Read on to find out. . .
BARGAIN OPTION
Avene Cicalfate+Restorative Protective Cream, £9.50 for 40ml, escentual.com
Initial reading: 45 Final reading: 54.57 Percentage change:
21 per cent WHEN I’ve had itchy or irritated skin in the past, I’ve relied on this ointment combining thermal spring water with beeswax, oils, glycerin — which works like hyaluronic acid to attract water to the skin — and minerals including copper, zinc and magnesium. It did increase the moisture by at least a fifth, but not enough to get it out of the bottom spot.
GLIDES ON
Q+A Ceramide Barrier Defence Cream, £9, facethefuture.co.uk Initial reading: 39.80
Final reading: 49 Percentage change:
23 per cent THIS is a rich cream that feels lovely to apply . On paper it ’s packed with hero ingredients — seed oils, glycerin and ceramides. However, it didn’t quite pack the same punch as some of the others I tested.
VELVETY SOFT
Dermalogica Barrier Repair, £49, dermalogica.co.uk
Initial reading: 41.43 Final reading: 51.03 Percentage change:
23 per cent I HAD high hopes for this one as many beauty editors swear by it in ski season. It contains silicones which means it feels velvety soft on the skin with absolutely no stickiness at all. While my skin was nearly 25 per cent more hydrated, some of the more affordable creams performed better.
PRICEY FORMULA
Oskia Rest Day Barrier Repair Balm, £68, oskiaskincare.com
Initial reading: 40.80 Final reading: 57.83 Percentage change:
42 per cent THIS buttery cream had the longest ingredients list of any of the products I tried, packed as it is with seed oils, shea butter, vitamins, minerals and ceramides. And, as the most expensive product I tested, I had high hopes.
But although the balm melted into my skin, leaving it soft and non-greasy, from a performance point of view it was average, easily beaten by products that cost a fraction of the price.
BARRIER BALM
Scientia Ceramide
Skin Rescue, £28, scientiabeauty.com
Initial reading: 46
Final reading: 65.33 Percentage change: 42 per cent ALTHOuGH this called itself a moisture barrier ‘ balm’, the combination of aloe vera, seed oils, hyaluronic acid and ceramides (some of the fats naturally found in the skin barrier) made it feel more like a lightweight gel cream. Slightly sticky at first but gave good mid-table results.
NATURAL NOUS
Weleda Skin Food, £11.21, boots.com
Initial reading: 39.87 Final reading: 58.50 Percentage change:
47 per cent THIS combination of plant oils, beeswax, rosemary, camomile and calendula has been a go -to for rough and dry skin since 1926. It was one of the heavier , greasier creams I tried. It increased the moisture content of my skin by almost half, mak - ing it top of our mid-table.
RUNNER-UP
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream Moisturiser, £13.50, asos.com
Initial reading: 39.07 Final reading: 68.17 Percentage change:
74 per cent NEuTROGENA’S Norwegian Formula products for hand and body are ones I turn to in cold weather. I tried this lightweight gel-cream with hyaluronic acid and glycerin instead. Its barelythere texture melts away in seconds. It surprised me by performing brilliantly and easily nabbing the runner-up position.
STAR PERFORMER
Eucerin Urea Repair Replenishing Face Cream, £8.24, superdrug.com
Initial reading: 43.47
Final reading: 82.40 Percentage change: 90 per cent THIS rich cream says it can be used during the day, but I’d keep it for use at night as it feels quite heavy and greasy.
There’s no doubting the combination of five per cent urea and ceramides worked wonders. This was the best performing of all the creams we tried, increasing moisture levels by a staggering 90 per cent.