I’ve spent the better part of 25 years trying to discover a dry skin routine that works. These are the results I’ve been praying for.
I was a Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream enthusiast for 10 years. I also used Tatcha Milky Sunscreen and Indigo night cream.
Two weeks ago I was radically changed by a Korean product line, AESTURA’s ATOBARRIER365, that is more affordable and light-years ahead of what Tatcha could do, and Tatcha is a great product.
I’ve tried every body lotion under the sun, including beef tallow, lanolin, oils and brands like Nécessaire and La Roche-Posay. Again, the Korean brand (five of the products I use carry the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance™) has surpassed them all.
I’ve never had all-day hydration and glow before. I’m never going back!
A Lifelong Mission
Shifting from Florida to New England (including out West vacations), my skin suffers. Fine lines, cracks, flaky pieces and texture begging for hydration.
Granted, my skin was worse with low ferritin, SIBO and mold illness. The gut-skin axis is real.
But I didn’t have a chronic illness my entire life. I’ve always had dry skin. I’ve always been on a mission for the perfect routine.
My Routine
Here is my daily routine. Jump here for my simpler routine.
AM
- Gentle cleanse with face wash
- La Roche-Posay eye cream
- Azelaic acid on dry skin
- AESTURA toner (in palms → onto skin)
- AESTURA serum
- AESTURA Cream Mist (spray)
- AESTURA moisturizer
- Birch Juice sunscreen (doesn’t pill, great under makeup, no cast)
PM
- Cleanse with face wash
- La Roche-Posay eye cream
- Tretinoin 0.1% on dry skin
- AESTURA toner (in palms → onto skin)
- AESTURA serum
- AESTURA Cream Mist (spray)
- AESTURA moisturizer
- AESTURA body lotion
- (Cicaplast B5 on neck if skin is sensitive from tretinoin)
- Petroleum jelly to lock in all the moisture gains!
Petroleum jelly gets a lot of hate, but it’s a highly recommended product for locking in moisture by dermatologists. I find it works. I’m all in!
Plus These Essentials
- 24/7 humidifier in sleeping area (placing one on each side of the bed in drier months): LEVOIT Dual 200S Smart Humidifier, 3L, in white / blue
- Travel humidifier: Pure Enrichment MistAire Studio. Great size for travel.
- Sleeping in a satin bonnet to keep hair from breaking: YANIBEST Satin Bonnet
If you’re on an even tighter budget or just want a simpler routine, the products I started with and wouldn’t skip are:
My Simpler Routine
- Face wash: AESTURA ATOBARRIER365 Gentle pH-Balanced Foaming Cleanser
- Face spray: AESTURA ATOBARRIER365 Cream Mist
- Face moisturizer: AESTURA ATOBARRIER365 Cream
- Body moisturizer: AESTURA ATOBARRIER365 Body Lotion
- Birch Juice sunscreen: ROUND LAB Birch Juice Moisturizing UV LOCK SPF 45
- Petroleum jelly tube: Vaseline Pure Ultra White Petroleum Jelly, 1 oz tube
- Humidifier: LEVOIT Dual 200S Smart Humidifier, 3L, in white / blue
Why It Works for Me
What sets AESTURA’s ATOBARRIER365 line apart for me is the ceramides. The cream is packed with high-density ceramide capsules, along with cholesterol and fatty acids, the same kinds of lipids your skin makes on its own, plus niacinamide and squalane.
The serum pairs ceramides with hyaluronic acid, and the cleanser has a mildly acidic pH, so washing my face doesn’t leave it feeling stripped. Together, they help support the skin barrier and keep moisture in, which is exactly what my dry skin needed.
I wish the brand would make an eye cream! For now, the La Roche-Posay works great against severe dryness on my eyelids and underneath.
One Last Tip
Don’t forget your neck, décolletage (chest) and the back of your hands.