The One Cream That Brought My Dry, Cracked Skin Back to Life

There’s something about winter’s dry, cold, unforgiving air that sends my skin down a dark spiral — particularly my hands. I don’t embarrass easy, but they become these itchy, patchy, irritated appendages that make stuffing them in deep pockets a necessity. The situation came to a head when it was time to get my nails done and I felt like I was going to have to explain to the technician what exactly was going on and that no, it was not contagious. I decided then that it was time to take action. My go-to is always Aveeno’s Hydrocortisone ($5, Walmart), which clears up my eczema almost instantly, but this situation needed another level of attention. A quick browse down the aisles of Target led me to my next plan of action, Aveeno’s Cracked Skin Relief Moisturizing CICA Balm with Oat ($13, Walmart). Cracked skin relief? Exactly what I need. Oat? Oat is always a good move, no? I was convinced. What I wasn’t expecting was for it to actually work. I mean, you always hope that a product will deliver on its promise but the truth is, the results are always up in the air. I guess the universe knew that I actually needed relief because the balm went on smoothly and in no time, my hands were revived to their full splendor. After 3 days of excessive use, I was back in action. Shaking hands, showing off my nails, telling detailed stories complete with expressive hand motions — the works. If you’re struggling with dry skin and looking for a way out of the void, give this balm a try!

Dominique Hobdy is a fashion & beauty writer living between Washington, D.C. and Brooklyn, NY. She spends her time hunched over a computer feverishly typing while simultaneously swiping strange objects out of her 1 ½ year old’s mouth before he can ingest them. You can follow her shenanigans on Instagram @d_hobdy.