This New Moisturizer from Dr. Dennis Gross Helped Fix My Stressed-Out Skin

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty stressed out. Realistically, I’ve been stressing about various things for months (or years, if we’re being honest), and as much as I hate to admit it, it’s definitely taken a toll on my skin. I can blame age for the dry patches, acne flare-ups and an uptick in fine lines all I want, but they’re most certainly abetted by my body’s biological response to stressors. So when I discovered that Dr. Dennis Gross was coming out with a new trio of products specifically formulated to deal with stressed-out skin, I knew I wanted to be first in line to test it. 

I decided to give the moisturizer a three-week trial period, so every morning and evening for close to half a month, a dabbed it on and waited. But—and this might be what impressed me the most—I didn’t have to wait long. The stuff truly delivered. 

At first, I noticed how it felt silky smooth and not at all sticky on my skin, melted in quickly (but not so quickly that I worried I hadn’t used enough) and kept my skin feeling healthy and happy long after application.

Then, sure enough, in three weeks (maybe even closer to two) I spotted a real difference. The red blotches and marks left behind by angry pimples were greatly reduced. My skin also felt significantly less thirsty, something I hadn’t even really worried about or considered before now. As the cream worked to repair my moisture barrier, I no longer felt the need to reapply moisturizer halfway through the day or pile a ton on at night.

Dr. Dennis Gross’s B3 Adaptive SuperFoods Stress line is the only one I know of that works to combat your body’s chemical response to stress on a cellular level. While there are plenty of redness-reducing creams and calming serums on the market, this one treats damaged skin cells on the surface and goes deep into the skin to tackle hormone imbalances, inflammation and additional biological stressors. (The process is similar to how a bandage can help protect a cut from infection, but an antibiotic ointment can offer protection while also getting all up in there to fight from within the wound.) Even better? The formulas are packed with superfoods and adaptogens rather than complex synthetic chemicals, making it much easier (for me, anyway) to understand exactly what the ingredients are intended to do.

As I’ve continued to use the Stress Repair Face Cream, the results have only become more pronounced. And thanks to a recent increase in tension levels, I’ve begun incorporating the Stress SOS Eye Cream and Stress Repair Super Serum into my routine as well (I’ll take all the help I can get right now). Because let’s be honest, we’ve all got enough to worry about, so crossing “skin” off that list feels like a (major) small win. And right now, the line is included in Violet Grey's Memorial Day sale, which runs from May 19 through May 25. The beauty retailer is offering $15 off $100, $50 off $250, $100 off $250 and $250 off $1000+.