The FDA Recalled My Ex-Favorite Sephora Moisturizer

My go-to, on-vacation-and-ran-out-of-moisturizer-so-I-grabbed-this moisturizer was recently recalled by the FDA. First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream in the scent Coconut Vanilla was recently pulled from the shelves due to its Class II risk classification, meaning “the use of or exposure to, [the cream] may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.” Basically, this specific batch of moisturizer was potentially exposed to microbial contaminants. That's a fancy word for microorganisms like viruses, bacteria, mold, etc. Having one of these gross little contaminants in your moisturizer can cause infections, especially in the eye area, and other issues like dermatitis (medical term for irritated skin, pretty much.) All of the side effects are fixable and temporary; but still- no thanks.

I’m sharing this news because I routinely get asked the question, “What non-medical grade products do you like?” The truth is, there are some products at Sephora and Ulta that I like or have liked in the past. When I used to live in a very dry climate, I used to basically bathe in the Ultra Repair Cream. It’s not like that products are absolutely terrible solely because they are sold at nationwide retailers. However, this news is the perfect example of why I don’t talk about those products or recommend them to any of my clients. In order to treat my clients skin to the best of my ability, I need to know the company that creates and produces these products. I need to be able to trust their standards and see clear examples of them not compromising quality and safety for profit.

I also need to understand their formulations. In many cases, the formulation of the product is more important than the ingredients. A cheap, poorly formulated ingredient is not going to get good skin results, and can even have side effects (i.e. cheap vitamin c serums). If I don’t have in-depth knowledge of how their ingredients plan to get into the skin, then I can’t really assess how effective they are. There are tons of products with very simple formulations, like CeraVe, that I can confidently say won’t harm the skin in any way; It just might not help the skin…which is an important distinction considering my entire business rests upon the idea of people trusting me with their skin.

I’m confident that First Aid Beauty didn’t set out to hurt anyone. I’m sure they appreciate their customers and are generally proud of their products. However, the checks and balances they have in place failed them this time, at the expense of their customers' health. This is why shopping small, buying from a trusted esthetician will always benefit the client in the long run. Having someone that knows your skin and genuinely cares about your well-being is so valuable when it comes to treating the largest organ on your body.