A while ago I wrote about three of the best SOS moisturiser creams I’d been trying (pictured above). These were soothing, repairing moisturisers that I’d tested out in an attempt to get my skin back on an even keel. (You can read the post here – that particular ailment episode seems a million years ago now, what with constant school bugs and colds and viruses!)
Two of the SOS repair creams I recommended in the previous round-up were on the pricier side and I promised to take a look at some more keenly priced versions. Here I have three of the best inexpensive face creams for rescuing skin that’s dry and sensitive – whether it’s down to changes in the weather or overly-enthusiastic application of skin peels and retinoids.
Signs that your skin might need a bit of extra TLC? It feels tighter than usual, dryer than usual and has perhaps started to itch or to flake. You might see some redness or it might just be that it feels rough and irritated. Sometimes mine feels as though there are tiny annoying hairs stuck to it; quite a lot of the time it’s because my cat has walked over and rubbed his tail all over my face, but now and then, when on close inspection I see there’s nothing there, I know that my skin is in an angsty mood.
I have a bit more info on what I do in times of facial hardship in this skin routine post here – mainly involving “keeping things simple” and “avoiding strong exfoliating ingredients” but I do find that a week or so using potent skin barrier creams in place of my usual moisturisers works a treat.
And so, my top three beauty buys: (more) affordable SOS moisture creams. The first two are ceramide heavy (ceramides are the fatty acids that essentially make up the outer layers of skin, helping to form a nice strong barrier against the outside world) and the third takes a slightly different route to skin nirvana but all apply beautifully are deeply moisturising and have a non-greasy finish.
Curel Intensive Moisture Facial Cream, £19.50 here*. This cream with lightweight texture, but a deeply nourishing action is heaven in a pot. I have nothing bad to say about it. Dreamily fresh and cool to apply but with a surprising richness as it’s massaged in, it is an excellent all-rounder for those who want a face cream with added repair benefits. Brilliant for very dry, very sensitive skin, but it’s not at all greasy so those with combination skin will also find it pretty comfortable.
Dr Jart Ceramidin Cream, £30 here*. Slightly pricier but still offering exceptional value for money, Dr Jart’s Ceramidin Cream acts like a shield over your skin to help prevent moisture loss, keeping it hydrated and happy. It feels almost medicinal, like an ointment, but that makes me warm to it even more!
I often layer these creams over my go-to serum for stressed-skin days: the Toleriane Dermallergo, £28 here*.
This is a clear fluid that’s been formulated for the most sensitive of skin and it has an instant calming effect. It contains an ingredient developed by La Roche-Posay called Neurosensine which immediately relieves signs of sensitive skin including the aforementioned itchiness and tightness and gives a powerful hydration boost.
The third cream I’ve been testing out is from the same Dermallergo range:
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Cream, £18.50 here*. There’s a fluid version as well (same price here*) for those who prefer a lighter texture or who have oily or combination skin but the cream is gloriously soothing and gives a long-lasting feeling of comfort. And joy.
(Comfort-and-joy, good ti-i-dings of comfort and joy!)
Just getting into carol-singing mode, don’t mind me.
Let me know if you have any surefire rescue creams of your own, add them to the comments section below and I’ll give them a try. I like the three I’ve picked out in this post because they all work so well as regular, everyday face creams as well as SOS versions – non-greasy, well-behaved beneath makeup and not so pricey that you’re stingy with the amount you apply…
I really want to try Dr Jart! I’ve heard so many amazing things about the ceramide cream. I’d love to give this one try because it’d be a great buffer for when I use retinols
I love the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Cream…when I can get it out of the bottle. The pump is the absolute worst. It works for a while, but then something fails and nothing comes out. Because it isn’t the typical airless pump bottle, you can’t fiddle with it and reestablish the vacuum, and because it isn’t a regular bottle, you can’t store it upside down to access the product. It is truly the worst packaging I’ve ever seen short of a dirty mug. The product is so good though that I keep ordering it.
I love Curel. It has usurped Clarins for me. It really is comfort and joy with knobs on.
This is so timely Ruth I was looking at my poor old sore red face last night and wondering what to do for it! A righteous slathering is what it needs!
: )
Hi Ruth, great recs. I love the Pai light fantastic oil and the Sioris Deep in a Barrier cream (K beauty) for stressed skin days.
Haven’t seen that brand, going to look now – thank you!
Thanks Ruth! Will have a look at them. Always been a fan of Toleriane, so I’ll check that line again.
Currently I love the La Solution 10 from Chanel, but I love it so much I’ll go bankrupt when using it all winter ;-) I also have the Dr. Jart Ceramidin spray, which is great for layering. For emergency skin I always have Lancome Nutrix in my drawer, but I don’t like the smell. Also the Nutritic creme Intense from LRP is great.
Last night I used Paula’s Choice Omega+ Moisturizer for the first time, but I can’t say I’m wiped away by it’s effect. Will probably use this one on my feet, to empty it.
Yes the Chanel Solution 10 is a proper surprise isn’t it? I also like their light Camelia water cream they’ve brought out but it is all rather hard to justify, ha!
Yes, the Camelia cream is also great. But in the end these are ‘just’ basic moisturizers, so LRP will do just fine. Underneath I’ll apply an active cream (retinol or AHA) to ‘erase’ some evidence of my 51 year old skin. I now prefer to spend my money on a proper active cream.
one of my faves when this happens is Avene skin recovery cream in the sterile packaging. The sterile,meaning no preservatives at all, works well for me. I think it is now called Tolerance Control Soothing Cream.
Oh YES! I think I reviewed that about ten years ago, it’s an original and amazing!
I am going to have to check some of these out soon!
Danielle | thereluctantblogger.co.uk