The Internet Loves First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream—So How Did It Stack Up Against My Favorite $5 Lotion?

The brand was founded in 2008 by skincare entrepreneur Lilli Gordon, who wanted to create a luxe beauty line for sensitive skin. Procter & Gamble acquired the company in 2018. First Aid Beauty’s product line includes moisturizers, cleansers, exfoliators, serums, eye and lip treatments, body care and sun protection. All formulations are gentle and cruelty free; the brand is a PETA-certified Beauty without Bunnies partner. Products are allergy tested, paraben and artificial fragrance free.

• Who It’s For: all skin types
• Key Ingredients: shea butter, allantoin, colloidal oatmeal
• Potential Allergens: phenoxyethanol
• Cruelty-Free: yes

How I Tested the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

When testing the moisturizer, I evaluated it on the PureWow100 scale, scoring it on five attributes: value (was the price fair for the quality and quantity?), quality (was the packaging well-done and recyclable, was the formula good?), texture (thick or whipped, greasy or tacky?), scent and longevity (did I have to reapply throughout the day, or just once daily?). Then, I tried the cream over a couple of nights, comparing it to the bevy of other moisturizers on my vanity that I’ve been using (and enjoying).

My First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Review

First, a lay of the land—aka, my skin. It runs normal-to-dry, especially in drier climates, like my home state of California. There, especially in winter, I was susceptible to a reptilian, ashy complexion on my legs and stiff, sometimes chapped hands if I didn’t apply enough lotion. That happened quite often, as I’m very forgetful. If it doesn’t hurt, nothing’s wrong in my book. Now living in New York, which feels a billion times more humid (and is, according to my air purifier), I find that I need to moisturize less, just by nature of the climate. But whenever temps drop, or I’ve been washing my hands a lot, I notice that they will feel stiff, the skin unable to accommodate a full range of motion. I grew up on drugstore lotion that comes in at about $4 a bottle if you catch it on sale, and for years—even now—I’ve sworn up and down on it. Not all lotions are created equal in my book—some are greasy, others smell too sweet, some don’t even deliver on the bare premise of moisturizing. But St. Ives Oatmeal and Shea Butter lotion? It’s permanently in my cabinet. So how would a cream that’s nearly four times the price and four times smaller in volume stack up? To my surprise, quite well.

The hero ingredients: colloidal oatmeal (OTC), shea butter and allantoin. Oatmeal has long been a soothing agent, used to relieve skin itching and irritation. OTC is created through the boiling of finely ground oats, allowing the extraction of the ingredient, per this 2007 review. The ingredient is regulated by the FDA, and is often found in shampoos, lotions and shaving gels. As the review states, OTC has antioxidant properties, is anti-inflammatory and holds moisture. It’s proven to treat rashes, burns, itch and eczema. While not new, allantoin has gained popularity over the years, often found in moisturizers. It’s a compound scientifically known as aluminum dihydroxy allantoinate, usually extracted from the comfrey plant, Healthline explains. A 2015 study states that comfrey extract can help treat skin irritation.

When it came to application, everything was easy—I’m actually becoming a fan of the no-pump setup. (Recycling beauty products is tough, and pumps are mixed materials, meaning they aren’t recyclable at all through traditional waste processing.) The jar and cap are made of the same plastic, so after you’ve emptied one, you can rinse, screw the cap on and recycle. (Be sure to remove the sticker.)

As noted above, First Aid Beauty doesn’t use artificial fragrance, but the Ultra Repair Cream does have a barely-noticeable, though pleasant scent thanks to eucalyptus oil. It doesn’t have staying power—but that wasn’t a deal breaker for me. I prefer fragrance-free or natural scents whenever possible, so this checked the boxes. What I’m truly head-over-heels for is the texture. Like I said, I’m picky about my lotions, and have knocked many a luxe brand because the formulation felt greasy, sticky or just plain didn’t keep my hands soft for more than the time it took me to wash my hands again. I’d describe the Ultra Repair Cream as almost fluffy—the first thing that came to mind was marshmallow fluff. Don’t be fooled, though. It’s still creamy and rich, packing in the hydration. First Aid Beauty promises it’ll last 24 hours, and I think this is the case. I applied the lotion at night before bed so that everything can absorb, and I’ve woken up with baby-soft skin—and no tacky or sticky feeling. Because I don’t have a dishwasher, I’d say I’m washing my hands more often than many. Happy to report that in the course of this timeframe, my skin hasn’t felt dry, tight or stiff, despite the fact that I haven’t reapplied the cream. In this way, the Ultra Repair Cream has triumphed over my beloved drugstore pick.