Ceramide moisturizer that is NOT Cerave

August 12, 2016 9:37 AM

I need the ceramides to counteract dryness from retinoids but can't take the fatty alcohols ...

Or niancinamide (which is present in some of their products). I'd like something that is not petroleum based, if possible. Cost is not a factor.

posted by nubianinthedesert to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

Does Dr Jart Ceramidin line meet your needs?
I use the cream over my Retin A skin in winter.
posted by littlewater at 9:45 AM on August 12, 2016

Best answer: A friend of mine swears by adding a drop or two of this oil to her regular moisturizer or foundation--whatever she's putting on her face that day. She also is combatting dryness due to retinol use. She called it a "game changer."
posted by purple_bird at 9:52 AM on August 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Would you consider buying concentrated ceramides from a cosmetics ingredients wholesaler? Looking, for instance, at MakingCosmetics, I see they're selling a ceramide complex (1 ounce for $23.50, should comprise 1-15% of final product). [They're also selling it on Amazon, where it has reviews.] They're also selling a Lacto-Ceramide (1 ounce for $19.00, should comprise 2-6% of final product). Looks like LotionCrafters is also selling one for seemingly comparable prices, although with that one you have the option to buy less product for cheaper if you prefer. With any of these, you could make a very basic mild cream or serum and add those (recipes probably on those two sites, or on Ingredients To Die For, or on similar cosmetic ingredients wholesaler sites). You could probably also add them to a mild serum or cream that you already know that you like.

If you're wary of going the DIY route, looks like Ingredients To Die For has a premade ceramide base serum (here) that you could use as-is (1/2 oz for around $4, or 4 oz for around $25). That one has also gotten several good reviews too. YMMV but I prefer the premade bases at cosmetic wholesalers like ITDF rather than buying products at Sephora etc. - the amount of actives are often higher and the prices are far more reasonable, since they're intended for companies to buy in bulk, add a few things to, and mark up the price for profit...
posted by ClaireBear at 10:29 AM on August 12, 2016 [5 favorites]

I don't know much about its composition but I thought Cetaphil was supposed to be good for dryness from retinoids. It works well for me and it's cheap.
posted by quiet coyote at 10:56 AM on August 12, 2016

Response by poster: I'm not much of a DIYer but these options look fairly simple. The Dr. Jart would be perfect but it has another ingredient that doesn't agree with my finicky skin.
posted by nubianinthedesert at 11:37 AM on August 12, 2016

Best answer: The skincare subreddit has this list of products without fatty alcohols.
posted by clavicle at 3:29 PM on August 12, 2016

Holy moly, that Paua's Choice oil is 55 dollars an ounce! I'd try pure jojoba oil with about 5% argan oil and 5% sea buckthorn extract if I wanted to do some DIY and save money.

I also use a retinol and another thing that helps me with dryness is hyaluronic acid.
posted by oneirodynia at 5:26 PM on August 12, 2016

Best answer: I've been using Retin-A for almost thirty years, strongest strength, and when my skin gets dry I mix a wee bit of jojoba oil in with it; clears up the dryness easy-peasy.
posted by kmennie at 10:07 PM on August 12, 2016

If you're open to ordering from overseas, there are a couple of reasonably priced Japanese products I could list for you. Please PM me if you want them, as I may forget this thread.
posted by LoonyLovegood at 12:32 PM on August 13, 2016

I like EltaMD's AM Therapy and PM Therapy moisturizers. They have niacinamide and don't break me out. I also can't handle fatty alcohols.
posted by Miss Scarlet with the Candlestick in the Lounge at 9:51 AM on August 14, 2016