Vanicream moisturizer is the pharmacist-made cream dermatologists have recommended for decades, free of dyes and fragrance. Here it is with simple barrier creams, repair formulas and richer options for sensitive skin.
Vanicream Moisturizer and Other Gentle Creams for Reactive Skin
Vanicream's maker, Pharmaceutical Specialties Inc., was formed in 1975 by the hospital pharmacists Conrad Thompson and Ed Mansfield at the urging of dermatologists, in Rochester, Minnesota. Vanicream lotion arrived in 1980 as the flagship, and the founders still avoid dyes, fragrance, masking fragrance, lanolin, parabens and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. They even avoid words like hypoallergenic and natural, which they consider misleading, and make most products to drug-quality FDA manufacturing standards even though they are cosmetics. The Vanicream moisturizer in the big pump jar is the plain, thick cream you find in dermatology offices. Colette Laxton and Mark Curry, who met at Boots UK, built The Inkey List around labels that explain each ingredient, and its ceramide moisturizer strengthens the skin barrier. The Ordinary launched in 2016 with products named for their ingredients, and its NMF formula uses amino acids and hyaluronic acid. Skinfix, which grew from a balm a Yorkshire pharmacist compounded in 1870, makes a weightless water cream. Always patch test a new product on your jaw for a few days.
Four simple barrier moisturizers
Four for barrier repair
Paula Begoun, the author known as the Cosmetics Cop, self-published Blue Eyeshadow Should Be Illegal in 1985 and started Paula's Choice with 10 products in 1995; Resist is its barrier repair cream. Dr. Jart+ launched first in dermatology clinics, and Cicapair uses tiger grass for redness-prone skin. Clinique grew from a 1967 Vogue article and launched as the first allergy-tested, fragrance-free, dermatologist-developed line; Dramatically Different is the moisturize step of its original three-step idea. David Chung founded Farmacy in New York in 2015 around farm-to-face skin care, and Honey Halo is its hydrating ceramide cream.
Richer creams, and the skip
Rhode's Barrier Butter is a balm for very dry patches, from the brand Hailey Bieber named after her middle name. Dr. Barbara Sturm started in orthopedics, working on inflammation, and launched her line in 2014 after patients asked for a full routine; the Face Cream is her gentle daily option. Jamie Kern Lima, a former news anchor with rosacea, started IT Cosmetics in 2008 because nothing worked for her, and Confidence in a Cream Barrier Boost is its restorative version. Biossance makes squalane from Brazilian sugarcane instead of shark liver, and Omega Repair adds it to a deep hydration cream. What I would skip is stacking actives while your skin is irritated. Pause the acids and retinoids and let a plain cream do the work.
Four richer creams
Barrier Butter Intensive Moisturizing Balm
Rhode
$36
Face Cream — Gentle Daily Cream for Sensitive Skin, Hydration & Anti-Aging Benefits
Dr. Barbara Sturm
$240
Confidence in a Cream Barrier Boost Skin Repair Daily Moisturizer
IT Cosmetics
$49
Omega Repair Deep Hydration Moisturizer with Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid + Squalane
Biossance
$60
Calming reactive skin
Moisturize within a few minutes of washing, while skin is still damp. Use lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser. Keep routines short, three products at most, and give any new moisturizer two weeks before judging it. For eczema, persistent redness or a rash, see a dermatologist rather than switching creams again. A plain routine is often the fastest fix. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer, Made by Two Pharmacists for Touchy Skin and Moisturizer For Oily Skin.
