Refinery29 put FAB to test

I Tried Every Product From First Aid Beauty & This Is My Honest Review

Written by Erika Stalder, Refinery 29

When tasked to test every product in the extensive First Aid Beauty line, I knew there would be some winners, some losers, and many downright forgettables — it's the natural order of things, right?

I was very wrong. Because with just about every cleanser, moisturizer, mask, eye cream, and serum I tried, I came to just about the same impossible conclusion: It's really good. (Also, why doesn't this cost more?) For the most part, the formulas are gentle, but feel like they're doing something. Retinols and alpha-hydroxy acid resurfacers didn't make my skin feel prickly or look red — and nearly everything in the line rings in at under $50.

ULTRA REPAIR CREAM

Sure, this do-it-all, heavy-duty hydrator is meant to moisturize hands, feet, and elbows. But can it soothe raw, red, peeling post-lasered skin? I put it to the test by applying nothing else to my skin on days three and four post-treatment. Not only did it quench dryness, but it miraculously didn't irritate or further redden my complexion at its most sensitive.

PURE SKIN FACE CLEANSER

My beef with many creamy cleansers geared for sensitive skin is that they don't emulsify or rinse away enough to make my skin feel really clean. I was pleasantly surprised by this light, pearlescent formula, which left my skin feeling deeply cleansed and ultra-smooth, but not dehydrated or tight.

FAB SKIN LAB RETINOL EYE CREAM

The skin around my eyes is the part of my face most in need of retinol's regenerative powers, but so many retinol-spiked eye creams migrate and irritate my sensitive eyes. This one sunk right into the skin without the redness or prickly sensation — and just like that, it became my new p.m. eye cream.

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