We rotate our winter wardrobes out in preparation for spring, so it would make sense that we might adjust our skin-care routines for the warmer months, too. As someone who deals with seasonal allergies and eczema, skin-care swaps have become a very important part of my annual spring cleaning to-do list (because, fun fact: spring allergies can lead to dry, itchy, sensitized skin). Added fragrances and irritants can make my eczema flare-ups worse, so some of my favorite face products have to take a backseat until the end of pollen season.
For years, my go-to springtime moisturizer has been CeraVe’s Daily Moisturizing Lotion ($18). It’s fairly hydrating without irritating my eczema, and at under $20, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. This year, though, I’ve been hunting for a moisturizer that doesn’t just agree with my eczema, but actually helps support it during peak allergy months. This search led me to the heavily-reviewed Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream, a product that promises to add bounce back to dry, compromised skin.
Read on to see what makes this product so dang effective, plus my honest review.
What are ceramides, again?
Ceramides are lipids, or fatty molecules, that make up roughly 50 percent of our skin and help protect it from the elements. “They help preserve the barriers of the skin and lock in moisture as well as shielding the skin from pollutants,” dermatologist Sheel Desai Solomon, MD, previously told Well+Good.
What to know about the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream
Per its description, the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin cream contains five of the nine different ceramides that naturally occur in our skin: ceramide NP, NS, NG, AS, and AP. Without getting into the nitty-gritty, each of these ceramides is recommended by dermatologists for supporting skin barrier function.
Though not specifically marketed as such, the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin cream contains each of the top three ingredients that dermatologists say can help revive dry, eczema-prone skin: ceramides, humectants, and emollients. This moisturizer combines its ceramide complex with the moisturizing properties of vitamin-derived Panthenol, soothing plant oils, and the humectant power of glycerin to create a product that the brand claims can provide “100 hours of moisture after one use”.
Be warned that this product contains shea butter and olive oil, two comedogenic ingredients that might disagree with oily or acne-prone skin types.
Verdict: A bouncy moisturizer that agrees with sensitive skin
To be clear, this is not a heavy cream, nor does it promise to be. Those seeking deep, penetrative moisture ala the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Cream ($60), might want to look elsewhere. While incredibly hydrating, this product is much lighter than a hydrating mask and feels far more appropriate for spring.
Out of the tube, it’s pretty thick and looks clay-like, but upon application, it feels like a light mousse—and Dr. Jart wasn’t lying about it being ‘fast-absorbing’. My dry, flaky skin drank this product up immediately and left no lingering sheen or excess product on my skin. It’s super lightweight on the skin, and as promised, my skin got its bounce back.
Post-application, my skin was noticeably more hydrated and my patchy texture instantly felt more supple and soft. This cream definitely agreed with my sensitive skin. Just one stray irritant is enough to send my eczema into overdrive, so I was relieved when my skin had no negative reaction to the formula.
A little goes a long way with this cream, which makes the $48 price tag seem a little more reasonable. One dime-sized dollop was enough to completely cover my face, and since it lasted all day, I didn’t feel the need to re-apply until bedtime. While I can’t speak to the strangely-specific ‘100 hours of moisture’ claim, I can say that one application of this cream kept me supple and soft beyond a full day of travel—and is making my springtime eczema much more tolerable.
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