SKINCARMA-HatMark.jpg

Welcome to Skincarma.

These are the musings of Carmine Montalto, NYC-based writer, skincare junkie and brand guru. The former copywriter at Kiehl’s, Carmine has more than 25 years of experience in beauty. Through the Skincarma Blog, he puts all of his product wisdom to work demystifying the ever-evolving world of skin care. 

You can change your skin’s destiny.™

PRODUCT REVIEW: FIRST AID BEAUTY ULTRA REPAIR WILD OAT HYDRATING TONER – ONE OF THE BEST TONERS FOR DRY SKIN

PRODUCT REVIEW: FIRST AID BEAUTY ULTRA REPAIR WILD OAT HYDRATING TONER – ONE OF THE BEST TONERS FOR DRY SKIN

FIRST AID BEAUTY | ULTRA REPAIR WILD OAT HYDRATING TONER

IMG_7146.jpg

This review was originally part of my blog article titled, Dry Skin Saviors that Keep Skin Perky and Glowy. You can still catch the full piece here.

By now you probably know that I wouldn’t be caught dead without a hydrating toner in my skincare routine. That was certainly a mistake that King Tut made. I mean look at him now, shriveled up like a rotten prune.

It makes me crazy when people say they don’t use a toner. Sadly, they’re victims of big beauty marketers who’ve sold them a falsehood for decades about what a toner is intended for. The true purpose of a toner is not to clear away anything that your cleanser left behind. How completely absurd is that? The purpose of a toner is to hydrate, dampen, and prep the skin for the application of everything else in your routine.

Optimally hydrated skin is better able to absorb skincare treatments. A great analogy is to think of two sponges — one wet, one dry. Now imagine soaking up water on the kitchen counter with each. The wet sponge will more quickly absorb the water than the dry sponge.

Why? It’s because water molecules attract one another like a magnet. The same goes for the application of skin care! Damp skin will draw in water-based products more quickly — and more deeply — than dry skin.

So, unlike King Tut, I live for a good toner! And the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner is a superb treatment for all skins, but particularly dry skin — or skin that’s experiencing seasonal dryness, as mine has been.

IMG_8824.jpg

FAB’s Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner is a thick, milky treat for skin — with the consistency of heavy cream. It’s infused with the kind of skin-replenishing actives that I love to see in any type of skincare product — but are somewhat unusual for a toner.

Beyond ingredient number one, water, there’s lots of goodness — including high levels of replenishing Squalane, anti-bacterial honey, and Honey Ferment Filtrate.

All of which give the formula a velvety texture that’s simply a pleasure to use on the skin. It's not often that you find a toner infused with honey, let alone fermented honey. The formula even contains Propolis Extract — the resinous substance collected by bees and used to construct the hive.

A combination of tree sap and beeswax, Propolis Extract has a multitude of benefits for the skin. I found an excellent piece on it titled, The Little-Known Ingredient Korean Women Use to Fight Acne.

1. Antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral: Propolis is known for its ability to fight against a lot of powerful bacteria. Some studies conclude that the reason propolis is so effective against various microbes is because it’s so rich in flavonoids (you know, the same antioxidant found in coffee).

2. Smoothing and softening: Since propolis has such powerful healing properties, it works quickly to regenerate skin to help make skin texture smoother and suppler.

3. Moisturizing: Yes, it even hydrates skin without a creamy, heavy residue.

With its velvety texture and skin-soothing properties, the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner is a fantastic formula. You can grab a bottle on the Sephora website for just $22. That’s money well spent — and not much more than it would have cost back in King Tut’s day, circa 1324 B.C.!

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner for $22 here.



The Ingredient List of the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner:


PRODUCT REVIEW: GARDEN OF WISDOM VITAMIN C 23% SERUM & FERULIC ACID – BEST VITAMIN C SERUM FOR FACE

PRODUCT REVIEW: GARDEN OF WISDOM VITAMIN C 23% SERUM & FERULIC ACID – BEST VITAMIN C SERUM FOR FACE

PRODUCT REVIEW: THE INKEY LIST PEPTIDE MOISTURIZER – ONE OF THE BEST AFFORDABLE ANTI-AGING CREAMS

PRODUCT REVIEW: THE INKEY LIST PEPTIDE MOISTURIZER – ONE OF THE BEST AFFORDABLE ANTI-AGING CREAMS