How many moisturizers are you using? I have one for my face, a richer one for my body, and a different one for my hands… My skincare cabinet is pretty crowded!
I tell myself I need them all, but what if you could use the same moisturiser all over and call it a day? Meet Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion. It’s a lotion you can apply from head to toe to keep your skin soft, moisturised, and safe from environmental damage.
(Oh, there’s a version with SPF too, if you want the extra sun protection in the bargain). Here’s what makes it so multitasking:
What’s In Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion?
ALOE VERA
The base of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion is made up of Aloe Vera. I’m sure you can guess why. Aloe Vera soothes irritations and reduces redness. You can use it to relieve sunburns, psoriasis, allergic reactions. You name it…
Plus, it’s hydrating. A 2006 study shows that “formulations supplemented with 0.25% and 0.50% (w/w) of Aloe vera extract increased the water content of the stratum corneum […] possibly through a humectant mechanism” (ie by drawing water from the environment into the skin.”
Translation: it draws water from the air into the skin, helping to keep it hydrated for longer.
Related: 9 Soothing Ingredients That Calm Down Sensitive, Irritated Skin
DIMETHICONE
Wait, what?! A silicone? Yes. Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion uses a proprietary blend of several different silicones that offer a very high degree of protection to the skin. It works like this: dimethicone creates a barrier on the skin that keeps moisture in so it stays hydrated for longer.
FYI, this barrier is breathable. Silicones have a particular molecular structure made up of big molecules, with gaps in between. Your skin still perspires through these gaps.
Bonus points: dimethicone gives slip to the texture and makes it a pleasure to apply.
Related: Are Silicones Bad For Skin?
ARNICA & CHAMOMILE
Aloe Vera isn’t the only soothing ingredient in Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion. This baby also has:
Related: Benefits Of Chamomile In Skincare: Is It Really As Soothing As They Say?
The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients
NOTE: The colours indicate the effectiveness of an ingredient. It is ILLEGAL to put toxic and harmful ingredients in skincare products.
- Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product do the best possible job for your skin.
- Yellow: There’s not much proof it works (at least, yet).
- Red: What is this doing here?!
- Purified Water (Aqua): It’s main solvent in the lotion. It’s also very hydrating.
- Cyclopentasiloxane: A volitive silicone. It makes the texture of the lotion silky soft, but disappears into thin air immediately after application.
- Methyl Gluceth-20: An emollient that makes skin softer and smoother.
- Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E): A powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals. It helps you age slowly.
- Achillea Millefolium (Yarrow): A natural extract with powerful soothing properties.
- Sorbitan Oleate: It’s an emulsifier that helps watery and oily based ingredients blend together, making the texture a pleasure to use.
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Cross Polymer: It makes the texture thicker.
- 1,2 Hexanediol: A humectant that attracts water from the air into your skin, helping to keep it hydrated for longer.
- Caprylyl Glycol: Another humectant that keeps skin hydrated.
- Butylene Glycol: A humectant that hydrates skin.
- Aminomethyl Propanol: It adjusts the pH.
- Phenoxyethanol: A preservative that kills bacteria that may infiltrate your lotion.
Texture
Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion has a light, gel-like consistency that spreads effortlessly onto the skin, sinking in immediately without leaving any greasy residue behind.
Fragrance
It’s fragrance-free. The lotion still has a light and subtle scent but that’s because each ingredient used in a product has its own odor, so that’s what you are smelling. But no synthetic fragrance was added to the lotion to make it smell in a certain way.
Related: Why You Should Avoid Fragrance In Cosmetics
How To Use It
You can use it on your face, body, and hands. I use it on my face morning and night, on my body after a shower, and on my hands whenever they need the extra moisture.
Packaging
The lotion comes in a sleek white and green bottle that reinforces the natural skincare theme. It’s not the pretties, but it’s practical.
Performance & Personal Opinion
I’ve used Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion for a whole month on hands, face and body. Upon application, it gives skin a pleasant soothing and refreshing feeling. The lotion leaves my skin silky soft and smooth, like that of a baby, and hydrated for hours. It didn’t irritate or cause breakouts and it worked particularly well on my hands.
I wash them about 50 times a day, so the skin there is often red, cracked and sometimes, bleeding, esp in these cold winter months. But after only a couple of days the lotion soothed and healed my skin, leaving it hydrated and moisturized.
What I Liked About Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion
- Creamy, silky texture
- Fragrance-free
- Moisturising, makes skin softer and smoother
- Soothing, helps heal dry and irritated skin
- Practical packaging
- Doesn’t irritate skin
What I DIDN’T Like About Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion
- It’s a basic lotion. I like it because it does what it says on the tin, there’s just nothing “advanced” about it.
Who Should Use This?
- Sensitive skin
- Anyone who’s looking for a head-to-toe moisturizer
Does Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| Duplicates and enhances your skin’s natural and protective barrier. | Silicones can create a protective barrier on the skin to strengthen it, but they’re not a natural component of your skin. |
| Just a small application of Skin MD Natural daily protects your skin from damage and delivers hours of soothing moisture. | Yes, but then everything that moisturises skin will do this. |
| For those of you who have excessive dry skin can help in relieving itching. | It has soothing ingredients to relieve itching, but I don’t think it’s moisturising enough for very dry skin. |
| The ingredients in Skin MD Natural are 6 times more effective than those typically used. | What are these “typically used” ingredients? They don’t tell you, so there’s no way to verify if this claim is true. FYI, shea butter and squalene oil would be more moisturizing than anything used here. |
| You can replace all your old moisturizers with Skin MD. | If you have the same skin type from head to toe, and this is moisturizing enough for you, you certainly can. |
| Non-greasy. Will not clog pores. | True. |
| Can be used under make-up and is a safe and gentle dry skin remedy for children with eczema or rashes. | That’s true, too. |
Price & Availability
$29.95 (8oz) at Skin MD Botanical
Do You Need It?
If you have the same skin type on your face, hands, and body and want a moisturiser that can do it all, this is worth a try. You’ll also like it if you have sensitive skin that needs a little soothing.
Dupes & Alternatives
- Aveeno Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream ($12.78): Loaded with colloidal oatmeals, it deeply moisturises and soothes irritated skin. Available at Walmart.
- Gold Bond Ultimate Eczema Relief Skin Protectant Cream ($11.97): It has 2% colloidal oatmeal to soothe eczema and other irritating conditions. It’s very moisturising too. Available at Walmart.
Purified Water (Aqua), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract (Aloe Vera), Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Methyl Gluceth-20, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Extracts of Arnica Montana Flower (Arnica), Symphytum Officinale Leaf (Comfrey), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria Chamomile), Achillea Millefolium (Yarrow), Sorbitan Oleate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Cross Polymer, 1,2 Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol Phenoxyethanol (Preservative).
About Gio
Hi, I’m Gio. I’m a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever – every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what’s worth the splurge and what’s best left on the shelf – using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.
