Like many skincare brands, First Aid Beauty was created because its founder — Lilli Gordon — struggled to find products that wouldn’t upset her skin.
OUR TOP SKINCARE PICKS
Rank | Brand | Link | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Carrot & Stick | Review | |||||
2 | Formulyst | Review | |||||
3 | Skinceuticals | Review | |||||
- | First Aid Beauty |
Gordon noticed that drugstore products sometimes offered relief but felt more like medicine than beauty, while pricey prestige products focused on anti-aging rather than helping restore skin to its healthy state. Gordon’s quest to find safe but effective products that would work on her sensitive skin — while also feeling luxurious — led her to create First Aid Beauty.
Today, First Aid Beauty offers an extensive line of problem-solving products that are safe for all skin types, including those with sensitive skin. But are First Aid Beauty products efficacious? To answer this question, we have evaluated the product formulations and key ingredients, which we’ll discuss in detail below. We’ve also included some First Aid Beauty reviews so that you can get a better idea of what customers really think of these products.
What Are The Top 10 Best First Aid Beauty Products?
First Aid Beauty products include everything you need to create a skincare regimen, such as cleansers, exfoliators, face masks, serums, treatments, moisturizers, sun protection, eye care, lip care, and more. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 First Aid Beauty products.
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
- A fast-absorbing, rich moisturizer that provides instant and long-term hydration for dry, distressed skin and eczema
- After applying First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, skin is said to be left feeling smooth, hydrated, and comfortable after just a single use
- Active ingredient is 0.5% colloidal oatmeal
- Supporting key ingredients include glycerin, shea butter, squalane, and several other emollients
- Fragrance free
First Aid Beauty Niacinamide Serum
- A brightening serum that is formulated for those who would like to fade dark spots, sun spots, hyperpigmentation, discoloration, and post-acne marks
- Ideal for all skin types (normal, dry, oily, combination, acne-prone, and sensitive)
- Key ingredients include niacinamide, licorice root extract, golden kiwifruit extract, and undecylenoyl phenylalanine
- Fragrance free
First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads
- Daily treatment pads that are said to safely and effectively exfoliate, tone, and brighten all skin types, including sensitive
- Two different alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) in this formula: lactic acid and glycolic acid
- AHAs exfoliate the skin by enhancing the breakdown of dead skin cells and increasing the rate of cell turnover, leading to smoother, brighter skin
- Hydrating ingredients include aloe vera leaf juice and cucumber fruit extract
- Fragrance free
First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream
- A multi-action anti-aging eye cream with a rich, soothing formula that is said to smooth, brighten, hydrate, correct, and protect the delicate eye area
- Contains two peptides: palmitoyl hexapeptide-12 and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7. These peptides work together to increase the amount of collagen and hyaluronic acid in the skin
- Additional key ingredients include alpha-arbutin, niacinamide, bisabolol, white tea leaf extract, and licorice root extract
- Fragrance free
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer
- A tinted moisturizer available in 10 different shades that all impart a natural, luminous finish and reduce the look of visible imperfections
- This First Aid Beauty moisturizer also provides broad spectrum SPF 30 protection thanks to four sunscreen ingredients: avobenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, and octocrylene
- Supporting ingredients include silicones, glycerin, vitamin E, and colloidal oatmeal
- Fragrance free
First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub
- A body scrub specifically formulated for Keratosis Pilaris (KP), a common skin condition that causes dry, rough patches and tiny bumps
- This scrub is said to deliver the benefits of a chemical peel and microdermabrasion treatment in one thanks to chemical and physical exfoliators
- The chemical exfoliators in this scrub include two different alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), lactic acid and glycolic acid, at a combined concentration of 10%
- These chemical exfoliators are combined with pumice buffing beads, which mechanically remove dead cells on the skin’s surface to reveal brighter looking skin
- Fragrance free
First Aid Beauty Coconut Water Cream
- A lightweight, water-based facial moisturizer that is said to improve skin hydration while promoting softer, smoother, healthier-looking skin
- Key ingredients include coconut water, silicones, alteromonas ferment filtrate, and sodium hyaluronate
- Fragrance free
First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser
- A non-stripping pH-balanced cleanser with a whipped texture that transforms into a cream when blended with water in order to remove makeup, dirt, and other impurities
- Key ingredients include surfactants, glycerin, allantoin, feverfew extract, white tea extract, and licorice root extract
- Fragrance free
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer
- A lightweight nourishing daily facial moisturizer that is said to provide immediate hydration, leaving skin silky soft and smooth
- Key ingredients include glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride, colloidal oatmeal, dimethicone, squalane, urea, allantoin, and shea butter
- Fragrance free
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Night Cream
- A rich, buttery night cream that helps moisturize for smoother hydrated skin
- One key ingredient is called Glutaline-in-tense, a patented blend powered by the Spilantes Acmella Flower. This ingredient helps skin appear firmer and smooths the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Additional key ingredients include glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride, shea butter, dimethicone, lactobacillus ferment, niacinamide, and peptides
- Fragrance free
What is The Best First Aid Beauty Moisturizer?
After introducing 5 best selling moisturizers above, you may be wondering: which First Aid Beauty moisturizer is best? It’s clear that the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream is the most popular moisturizer by this brand. We think that the Ultra Repair Cream is a great option for those with dry skin and/or eczema because of the inclusion of 0.5% colloidal oatmeal and supporting ingredients like glycerin, shea butter, squalane, and several other emollients.
But a runner-up would be the Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Night Cream. This First Aid Beauty moisturizer contains high concentrations of key beneficial ingredients, such as soothing emollients, brightening ingredients, and anti-aging peptides. The Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Night Cream is an excellent option for those with dry skin and signs of aging.
OUR TOP SKINCARE PICKS
Rank | Brand | Link | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Carrot & Stick | Review | |||||
2 | Formulyst | Review | |||||
3 | Skinceuticals | Review | |||||
- | First Aid Beauty |
What Are The Key Ingredients in First Aid Beauty Products?
After evaluating the best selling First Aid Beauty products, we noticed that a few key ingredients are used throughout the collection, such as colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, and the “FAB Antioxidant Booster”. Let’s dive into the research that supports the use of these key ingredients.
Colloidal oatmeal is a skin protectant that has been used for centuries to soothe and heal the skin, as well as reduce inflammation and redness. According to the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, avenanthramides are the principle polyphenolic antioxidants in oats that provide anti-inflammatory, anti-redness, anti-itch, and antihistamine effects when applied to the skin. Therefore, colloidal oatmeal is an excellent ingredient to help soothe redness and itchiness due to eczema. If you’re struggling with eczema, you may want to consider the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, which contains 0.5% colloidal oatmeal.
The next key ingredient that you’ll find in many First Aid Beauty products is shea butter. The rich supply of triglycerides and fatty acids in shea butter help to replenish the skin’s natural barrier function. Shea butter functions as an emollient that works to soften and soothe the skin. Since shea butter melts at body temperature, it is able to coat the skin and form an occlusive film. This film helps to prevent evaporation of the skin’s natural moisture and increases skin hydration by causing buildup of water in the stratum corneum (the uppermost layer of skin).
Many First Aid Beauty products include the FAB Antioxidant Booster, a blend of three botanical extracts: Licorice Root, Feverfew, and White Tea extracts. All of these extracts are rich in antioxidants that can help to protect the skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.
In addition to providing antioxidant benefits, licorice root extract is an excellent skin-brightening ingredient. The active components in licorice extract are glabridin and glycyrrhiza glabra. Glabridin works by inhibiting the production of melanin. After repeated application, the outer layer of the darker skin is replaced by lighter skin. Glycyrrhiza glabra has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, therefore, it can soothe the skin and provide protection against environmental free radicals.
According to a publication in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery,
“Licorice extract improves hyperpigmentation by dispersing the melanin, inhibition of melanin biosynthesis, and inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity thereby decreasing free radical production.”
It’s also important to discuss the ingredients that you won’t find in First Aid Beauty products. Every sales page for the FAB products includes a list of potentially harmful ingredients that are never used in the First Aid Beauty products, and those include the following: Alcohol, Artificial Colorants, Artificial Fragrance, Lanolin, Mineral Oil, Parabens, Petrolatum, Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, Sulfates, Talc, Formaldehydes, Oxybenzone, Coal Tar, Hydroquinone, Triclocarbon, Ethanol, Ethyl Alcohol, Denatured Alcohol
Where to Buy First Aid Beauty Products?
First Aid Beauty products are sold on the brand’s website, as well as many third party online retailers such as Sephora, Ulta, Amazon, QVC, and Skinstore.com
What is The First Aid Beauty Return Policy?
The First Aid Beauty return policy states, “First Aid Beauty will only accept returns on items purchased through Firstaidbeauty.com within 30 days of order receipt. Items purchased through any of our retail partners must be returned to the place of purchase. All items marked FINAL SALE will not be eligible for a return or exchange.”
Is First Aid Beauty Cruelty Free?
Yes. According to the company, First Aid Beauty is cruelty free and is a PETA certified Beauty Without Bunnies partner.
First Aid Beauty Reviews
First Aid Beauty reviews on the brand’s website are overall very positive. The First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream has received an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars after more than 700 customer reviews. There are many raving 5-star reviews from customers who experienced relief of their eczema symptoms after using this cream.
For example, one First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream review says, “This moisturizer is incredible! If you do any amount of research about skincare, you are bound to find ultra repair cream on lists of wonderful moisturizers, and for good reason. I have extremely dry, slightly sensitive skin and after years of trying different products with no real success, a friend introduced me to FAB ultra repair cream. It is thick without feeling greasy, and light enough to wear all day and night – I always keep a travel size with me wherever I go. More than anything else, it actually gives me long-lasting moisture and relief, and has never ever irritated my skin.”
On Ulta.com, this First Aid Beauty moisturizer has received an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. Fans called it their “Holy Grail” and claimed it “saved their skin,” especially during the winter. One First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream review says, “I came across this and I am SO glad I did. I’m not kidding, this has transformed my skin. I no longer need to reapply my foundation 10 times over again due to my dry skin.”
There aren’t many negative First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream reviews, but those that we did read were from customers who experienced negative reactions after using this product, such as redness, irritation, and even acne breakouts
For example, one review says, “I tried this product because I’ve heard it’s a nice basic moisturizer. My skin was completely clear, no breakouts when I started using it. The FIRST NIGHT I used it my skin went crazy. I had breakouts everywhere, in places I don’t usually get them. I wanted to give it a chance since it had only been one day. I tried it for more days then weeks but my skin just got worse. This is the only thing I changed in my routine. I’m really sad my skin is so messed up now and I can’t even go to my esthetician to help me.”
Other one-star reviews for this First Aid Beauty moisturizer are from customers who didn’t see the results they were looking for after using this product. For example, one First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream review says, “Not a fan. I really hoped I would be, but it just didn’t do it for me… It is way too thin and it just did nothing. It also has a medical type smell.”
Our Verdict
Overall, we think that First Aid Beauty skincare products are formulated well. We appreciate that the brand uses high concentrations of key beneficial ingredients in their formulations, while leaving out potentially harmful ingredients.
Pros
- Products are formulated with evidence-based ingredients
- Products are fragrance free
- Many positive First Aid Beauty reviews
- First Aid Beauty is cruelty free
Cons
- Some First Aid Beauty reviews mention that the Ultra Repair Cream caused breakouts
What Are Some Alternatives?
If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin. We recommend this cream.
Carrot & Stick routines take the guesswork out of building a skincare routine. We recommend the Day & Night Routine.
References:
J Drugs Dermatol. 2014;13(10):1180-1183.
J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2013 Jan-Mar; 6(1): 4–11