The Product That Saved My Elbows (When Nothing Else Could)

Purchased by Me 

I've reviewed lots of excellent moisturizers, lotions, ointments and creams here over the years, and I love so many of them for a variety of different purposes. But one problem area that has always eluded me is my elbows. No matter what type of lotion, cream or ointment I use, the roughness always seems to pop back up within a few days. What's funny is that my boyfriend has this issue even worse than I do on his elbows, but he's not nearly as dedicated as I am to finding solutions. His move is basically, "G. left this lotion on the coffee table...guess I'll try it" and that's about it.

ANYWAY, I rarely (if ever) use the term "miracle product" on this blog, so let me gently tip-toe away from that term and just tell you that I finally found something that truly works for us, and it feels very "miracle-like" to me:

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

(retail: $6.50 at Sephora, 1.0 oz.)

I first received a sample of this product free with a Sephora order (it's regularly one of the options for your three free samples at checkout...I think it's an option as I write this, actually). I had always been wanting to try some products by First Aid Beauty since I know that so many of you love them (and I've seen lots of raves online from fellow bloggers).

So when I got my free sample packet, I immediately tried this cream on my elbows and, just like many other lotions and creams out there, it made my skin so soft. But as I mentioned above, this feeling never lasts for me, and my elbows are something I always have to keep on top of or else the roughness comes right back.

And THAT'S when I noticed something different about this First Aid Beauty product. The roughness didn't come back the next day. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. It took about two weeks after finishing the sample packet for me to notice any dryness at all on my elbows and even then, it wasn't like before.

So off to the Sephora website I went, to order more...

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

(retail: $6.50 at Sephora, 1.0 oz.)

Sephora sells this product in a 6.0 oz. tub for $30, a 2.0 oz. tube for $12, and the foil packet you see above, which is one ounce, for $6.50. Now you may be saying, "One ounce for $6.50? That's kind of pricey." To that I would say: lots of full-size drugstore BB creams, CC creams and foundations contain one ounce of product, and many of us wouldn't think twice about spending $9.99 or more for one of those. And I promise you, if you're using this First Aid Beauty cream for targeted areas, you will use less than you would a standard foundation per application. So for me, this 1-oz. packet lasts a loooong time (but more on that in a bit).

Made in USA

For each of my elbows, I only need 1/2 of a pea-sized drop. Here's what a pea-sized drop looks like (again, I need half of this amount per elbow):

This product looks like it's going to be thick and dense when you squeeze it from the tube, but it's actually quite thin and easy to apply when you start working it into your skin.

Now, if you take a look at the reviews on the Sephora site (it has an average rating of almost five stars with 3,900 reviews), you'll see that many people love this stuff, but there are also some mixed and not-so-favorable reviews. After reading through those comments, it seems that some of the people who purchased this cream with the intent of using it as a facial moisturizer (which you certainly can do), experienced breakouts and found the product too heavy for the face. I have tried this cream on my face (it did so well on my elbows that I had to try it elsewhere!) and I do understand that it might feel too heavy, greasy or waxy for facial use. I didn't love it on my face because I have oily skin to begin with, and this just felt too heavy in general. I also don't care for it as a hand cream, because I'm really particular about the way a lotion feels on my hands. This product is a little bit too heavy and waxy-feeling for my hands, but that's purely personal preference.

After trying this cream in a variety of different ways, I've concluded that, for me personally, this product is best for very targeted areas where you may have persistent, rough, dry patches. Elbows, knees...that sort of thing. I'm telling you, this literally saved my elbows when nothing else could. And as for the boyfriend? It took a series of nightly applications (we did it every night for about a week) before he noticed significant, long-lasting improvement, but he got there and now he's a believer as well. 

One other thing I want to mention is that this product is fragrance-free, and to me it just has that standard "fragrance-free lotion base" scent to it. I find it mild, but I know that some people have said they find it strong. So your mileage may vary there.

FINAL VERDICT: Do I think this is a miracle product guaranteed to change your life forever? Of course not. All I can do is tell you that, for me and my chronically rough elbows, this product performed a small miracle when nothing else could. If you have any persistent dry patches that don't seem to get better with your current stash of lotions and potions, I think this one might be worth considering. Get the smallest size and see for yourself. Even if doesn't perform any small miracles for you, it's still a great cream for cuticles, etc. You never know until you try, right? At the very least, consider keeping an eye on the Sephora free samples at checkout, and try a little packet when you see that it's available.

Do you already use First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream? If so, I would love to know how use it and how it's been working for YOU!

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.