My skin has been irritated all summer, but this “basic” moisturiser has restored its hydration and bounce

Of all the skincare products out there, I’ve probably spent more time and energy on finding the best moisturiser for my skin than anything else. As someone with acne-prone skin, I’ve always struggled to find a face cream that delivers on hydration without exacerbating breakouts or weighing my skin down. Thankfully, though, after years of trial and error I now have a reliable shortlist of brilliant moisturisers for oily skin, along with an array of efficacious cleansers and expert-approved serums. However, with summer drawing to a close, I’ve noticed a few unwanted changes to my skin. Although I often deal with spots, redness and irritation aren’t things that are typically on my list of skincare concerns—yet that’s exactly what I’ve been facing over the last few weeks. And there was only one moisturiser that I knew I could rely on to restore some balance to my skin. Enter: Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream.

While I wear SPF every day, and make sure to apply it extra carefully during the warmer months, there’s no doubt that my skin has been experiencing some kind of post-summer meltdown. I’ve spent way more time outside than usual which has meant not only more sun exposure, but more exposure to things like pollution and other environmental aggressors (summer in London is no joke). Combined with a more rigorous exfoliation routine to ensure that I was getting rid of all of that sunscreen at the end of each day and my skin was looking more red, inflamed and dehydrated than usual. So it’s good news, then, that the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream aims to tackle all of these concerns and more besides.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Chances are, if you spend any time at all on social media, then you will have seen this product before. It comes in a tube rather than a pot which I love from a hygiene perspective and the distinctive yellow and white packaging means it’s easy to spot on your shelf. But what about the product itself? While it has been formulated with dry skin in mind (a far cry from my own skin type ) the thing that makes the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream so universally appealing is the way that it strengthens your skin barrier for overall skin health. Trust me—this is a moisturiser that will work for everyone.

The texture of the moisturiser is quite unusual. It’s a lot thicker than my usual go-to cream and has almost a balmy-paste consistency. However, despite my initial concerns about it being too heavy for my oily skin, I’m always impressed at how effortlessly it melts into my skin without leaving any greasy residue behind. The only thing I’m really not sure about? The scent. It has an almost medicinal whiff to it which I believe to just be the natural result of the formulation, but I did find it to be slightly overpowering when first applied.

THE FORMULA

So, let’s get into how the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream actually works and what makes it such a brilliant option for post-summer skin repair. There are three star ingredients in this moisturiser—ceramides, panthenol and glycerin. Ceramides are fatty acids that occur naturally in the skin and help to maintain a strong skin barrier and retain moisture levels. However, as we age—or if we use stripping skincare products—they can become depleted which leads to skin sensitivity and inflammation. The Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream uses a blend of five different ceramides at a concentration of 2.3% to really help to reinforce that skin barrier and strengthen it against irritation.

Similarly, panthenol (also known as vitamin B5) and glycerin are both focused on locking in much-needed hydration so that dry and irritable skin is left more supple, smooth and soft. I’ve heard many beauty editors fondly refer to this moisturiser as being a “basic” moisturiser—meaning that it’s a universally-appealing formula—but its focus on skin health means it’s quietly impressive.

THE RESULTS

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been using the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream most nights and I have been truly impressed at how fast it has taken my skin from sensitive and irritated to soft, plump and juicy-looking.

Before

Here you can see that before using the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream regularly my skin was looking dehydrated, patchy and inflammed. While I was concerned that using it daily might cause me to break out, I haven’t had any unusual spots or reactions (besides the usual chin breakout that I get when I’m on my period—thank you hormones) and, in fact, my skin now looks so much smoother and even in tone.

After

The most obvious change for me though has been the unusual inflammation—particularly redness around my nose and on my forehead—which has disappeared entirely. And a welcome surprise is that I feel like my skin feels fuller and stronger. I’m 35 now and can definitely feel that my skin is less bouncy than it used to be, so it’s nice to know that focusing on skin barrier repair can have such impressive results on the texture of my skin too.

Now that we’re moving into autumn and can expect harsher weather outside, I’ll undoubtedly keep this in my rotation of skincare products to help give my skin the most effective protection for the months ahead. Forget the summer glow that we’ve all been seeking, my skin’s autumn radiance can be fully attributed to this barrier-boosting moisturiser.