First Aid Beauty Review

First Aid Beauty

Today I have three products from First Aid Beauty to review for you.  I had heard quite a bit about First Aid Beauty, and wanted to check the brand out for myself.  I had a pretty decent discount code a few months back, so I went ahead and placed an order online.  Here is what First Aid Beauty says about itself, taken from the FAB website: “First Aid Beauty aims to provide highly effective yet luxurious products that treat everyday beauty and skincare challenges. FAB products blend serious therapeutic action with luxurious textures, so individuals with tough skin conditions no longer have to sacrifice luxury nor tolerate greasy creams and bland formulas. FAB products are free of harsh chemicals and known allergens, including parabens, phthalates, alcohol, fragrances and artificial dyes. Select products also boast FDA-approved over-the-counter formulations that target specific skin issues such as eczema and acne. The result is true first aid beauty and a collection of products that may be used safely by even the most sensitive skin types.”  Sounds great, right?  So let’s see if the products lived up to their gloss.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads

First up are the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads.  According to FAB: “Facial Radiance Pads contain just the right amount of lactic and glycolic acids to make them safe and effective for daily use. Cucumber and Indian gooseberry tone the skin, while lemon peel and licorice root leave the skin bright and glowing. FAB’s facial radiance pads are free of parabens, harsh chemicals and colorants.”  I am a fan of chemical exfoliants, and these pads are designed as an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) exfoliant.  I’m not sure if there isn’t enough glycolic acid, or if my skin simply prefers salicylic acid instead, but the Facial Radiance Pads weren’t as effective for me as I would have liked.  I ended up having to incorporate salicylic acid into my nighttime routine and just use these in the morning or else I would break out.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads

The Facial Radiance Pads are textured, but not abrasive.  They do tone well, without drying the skin out.  On the contrary, the formula was actually pretty hydrating.  They have a mildly smoky, herbal scent, probably because of the licorice root because there is no added fragrance.  There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with the Facial Radiance Pads, but my skin simply didn’t respond as well to these levels of glycolic acid.  If your skin responds to AHA’s over BHA’s, then you may want to give the Facial Radiance Pads a try.  A tub of 28 pads retail for $14 and 60 pads retail for $30.

First Aid Beauty Anti-Redness Serum

The next product I tried was the First Aid Beauty Anti-Redness Serum.  Redness is a big problem for me, and the main reason I tried this trio of products in the first place was because they were recommended to treat rosacea.  Here is the description from FAB’s website: “FAB Anti-Redness Serum is packed with caffeine, a natural vasoconstrictor that can help with visible skin redness. By shrinking blood vessels, FAB Anti-Redness Serum improves unsightly redness in the dermis. Colloidal sulfur in the formula works to combat the root cause of facial redness. Aloe soothes while ginger works as a natural, powerful anti-inflammatory. Bisabolol is an exceptionally gentle anti-inflammatory that aids penetration of our formula’s actives. FAB Antioxidant Booster completes the picture by defending the skin against free radical damage.”  I had high hopes for the Anti-Redness Serum, but ultimately it was a let down.  I wanted so badly to love this product, but it just did nothing for me.  I used all three FAB products everyday for two months, so I gave them a good chance to work.  The Anti-Redness Serum has a distinctly smoky scent that I found very off-putting.  It felt fine going on, lightweight and non-greasy, but my skin would immediately flame red.  There was no itchiness or irritation other than the color.  The inclusion of sulfur is controversial, and I do not claim to be an expert on skin care ingredients.  All I know, is that my redness has not gone away or lessened from using the Anti-Redness Serum.  I have read many reviews where people rave about this miracle product, but it had no effect on my skin, so it is a fail in my book.  A 1.7 oz bottle of Anti-Redness Serum retails for $36.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

The last First Aid Beauty product that I tried was the Ultra Repair Cream, which I love.  According to the website: “FAB Ultra Repair Cream is a thick, rich, emollient product that hydrates deep down with exceptional penetration. With the help of colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, soothing eucalyptus oil and ceramides, FAB Ultra Repair Cream provides immediate relief and visible improvement for distressed skin. FAB Antioxidant Booster is there to defend skin from free radical damage. Ultra Repair Cream can be used all over the body and on the face.”  I’m not thrilled with the inclusion of eucalyptus oil in the Ultra Repair Cream, and there aren’t any super power ingredients that are supposed to work miracles on my skin, but I absolutely love the formula.  It is possible that the formula would be too emollient for oily or combo skin, but if you have dry skin, the Ultra Repair Cream is amazing.  I can put this on at night and wake up with it still on and moisturizing my face almost as well as when freshly applied.  I am willing to use other serums to fight wrinkles and keep using the Ultra Repair Cream to moisturize because it feels so good.  Personally, I can recommend the Ultra Repair Cream as a winner.  The Ultra Repair Cream retails at $12 for a 2 oz tube, or $28 for a 6 oz jar.

First Aid Beauty Anti-Redness Serum (L) and Ultra Repair Cream (R)

I don’t know if it helps because they just look like lotion, but here is a picture of both the First Aid Beauty Anti-Redness Serum (on the left) and Ultra Repair Cream (on the right).  This is one pump of Anti-Redness Serum.  The Ultra Repair Cream comes in a jar, so this is a swipe of it.  I’m not sure if you can tell from this picture, but the Anti-Redness Serum has a slightly thinner consistency than the Ultra Repair Cream.  It also sits on top of the skin more so than the Ultra Repair Cream, which immediately digs in and starts to sink and absorb.

All in all, I have mixed feelings about First Aid Beauty.  My love for the Ultra Repair Cream almost makes up for the disappointment of the other two products.  Almost.  I may be willing to try another First Aid Beauty product if it’s on sale, but I won’t go out of my way to buy anything new at this point.  The Ultra Repair Cream is the exception to that, and I have already purchased a replacement jar for when this one runs out.  You can find First Aid Beauty online at firstaidbeauty.com, or at Sephora.  I don’t think I’ve seen it anywhere else.  Have you tried any First Aid Beauty products?  What was your experience?  Let me know in the comments below.