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Murad ExaSoothe skincare review: "I tried a new routine for eczema-prone skin, and here's what I thought"
Sensitive skin? This new launch is one you should have on your radar
As someone that suffers with rosacea, dermatitis, eczema and has skin as reactive as uranium, the past skincare era of super harsh exfoliants and tingling acids has left me squirming. If I get within 50 yards of glycolic acid, I swear I flare up. Dramatic much? One hundred percent.
As someone on the sensitive side, it often seems like there are no skincare launches for our skin type. Either products foam into a dehydrating lather, or feature abrasive grains, or have just skipped the whole dermatologically-tested step altogether. So, when Murad’s new oat-rich range, designed specifically for eczema-prone skin launched, I thought, bring it on.
Many products have slapped ‘suitable for sensitive skin’ on the packaging, with no further details mentioned, so it was refreshing to see a brand take something as complex as eczema head on. I mean, it *screams* confident.
As expected, it’s not cheap, but I tried the entire range (all three products to be exact) and put it to the test for six weeks to see how it coped with my fussy skin, so you can shop wisely. Spoiler: it really lived up to the hype.
Keep scrollin’ to see my honest thoughts below. Only thing that’s missing now? Give this collection a serum, Murad! (Please, my skin begs).
As cleansers are on our faces for such a short period of time, you might assume they can’t possibly cause that much damage. However, as someone with a trifecta of skin sensitivity, I can say that, weirdly enough, cleansers have caused me more allergic reactions than any other type of skincare product.
As soon as I applied this to my skin, I was in love with its texture. The jelly-like consistency is super soothing and cooling from the get-go and cleansed away any end of the day grease like a champ.
Unlike (too) many other cleansers out there, it left me feeling clean, but refreshingly plump and hydrated, with no horrendous tightness to be felt at all. The hydration is thanks to the corn-derived sugar complex, while the oat extract soothes.
Don’t be put off by how dinky this tube is, this non-greasy lightweight cream is super powerful against irritation. It features oat lipids – packed with fatty acids and ceramides – to help rescue distressed skin barriers.
Not going to lie, because it’s so miniature (30mls to be exact) and pricey, I couldn’t bring myself to coat my face in it. What I did use it on, was my angry dermatitis on my hands and eyelids (sexy, I know) and it helped calm my rashes like a pro. By morning my flare-ups looked more chilled, with skin looking less scaly after just a few days.
It’s safe to say, it’s become a handbag essential, but could I get a prescription product similar to do the same job for a lot less? Probably.
If you’ve ever been prescribed a steroid medication for your eczema or rosacea, the thick oatmeal-ly texture of this cream will be the norm, but if not, it might take some getting used to. Despite its weighty texture, it's not greasy and coats distressed skin in a cloud of calmness. A similar feeling to (what I imagine) yoga does for the people that actually turn up to their session.
The blend of softening shea butter, brightening niacinamide and colloidal oatmeal (aka tiny particles of grounded oat grain) designed to ease itchiness, work as a powerful trio to curb irritation.
It did a great job of calming my redness, but as someone with combination skin, my dry patches needed just a tad more hydration than this provided, but for its redness soothing powers alone, I’ve found myself constantly reaching for it whenever skin feels on the sore side.
Charlotte Bitmead (she/her) is the Senior Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. She has over six years experience writing about beauty and has previously written for ELLE and The Sunday Times Style, covering everything from politics to sustainability to inclusivity within the beauty industry. When she’s not writing in-depth features, testing out the newest skincare fad or trying to decide what nail art to get, you can find her overspending in bookshops or shouting at Arsenal matches. Find her on LinkedIn
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