There’s something about back-to-school time that calls for a refresh. That’s why this week, we’re throwing it back to the basics: putting “easy” makeup hacks to the test and a spotlight on the simple products that’ll make a big difference. Class is now in session.

Whenever someone asks about my skin type, my response is usually akin to the shrug emoji. While I’m sure there are people who know if they’re dry, combo, or oily off the bat, I’ve experienced the gamut of skin issues over my 34 years. I’ve had eczema since I was eight; a tendency to get hormonally induced cystic zits; and extremely sensitive skin. Yet despite the obvious disparity between extremely dry and extremely acne-prone skin, I’ve found one product that helps cure it all: Avene Cicalfate Repair Cream.

While I’ve known about Avene’s Thermal Spring Water for some time—it’s one of the OG face mists—its other skin care products always seemed rather unassuming. The packaging for the repair cream, like the mist, comes in a nondescript white tube that isn’t quite as catchy as the other more Insta-friendly stuff on shelves. But I recently was on the hunt for a product that strengthens your skin barrier, a term I’d been hearing quite a bit about from dermatologists, which led me to pick up a bottle. The barrier refers to your skin’s functionality, resilience, and protection between it and the environment. In less scientific terms: It helps keep moisture in and skin-damaging irritants (like pollution and free radicals) out. So when your skin barrier is fragile or busted—either because of too-harsh products or environmental stress—it can lead to dry, flaky, irritated, or sensitive skin.

What Avene’s Cicalfate Repair Cream does, then, is build back up your skin barrier thanks to a unique water-in-oil texture. The thermal spring water and glycerin, a humectant that attracts water, in the formula work to instantly flood your skin with hydration, while the oil creates an impermeable barrier to lock it in.

When I first tried the cream, I used it on a zit I spent too much time picking. (Yeah, I know, I know; picking is bad.) An unsuccessful squeeze with slightly too-long nails left a small scab on my chin that felt enormous to me. I used no more than a pea-size drop and dabbed it gently over the spot after I finished my nightly skin care routine. Then after letting it soak in for about 30 minutes, I hit the sack. When I woke up the next morning, the redness, inflammation, and dryness were nonexistent.

Same goes for the scaly, burning patches of eczema I get on the delicate skin around my eyes, especially during seasonal changes. Because the cream is incredibly thick and emollient—while also entirely fragrance-free and hypoallergenic—it feels incredibly soothing on angry spots. I did a little more research into the product’s ingredients and found that the micronized zinc also helps to temper aggravated skin conditions in an extremely gentle but effective way. “Applied topically, zinc oxide can repair damaged, sensitive skin, which is why it’s used in diaper rash creams, for example,” says cosmetic chemist Ginger King. Copper and magnesium too have been shown to speed up wound-healing and reduce inflammation, respectively.

Since then, I’ve gone on to use the cream as basically a cure-all spot treatment. It’s great in case you ever overexfoliate, for ruddy noses during cold season, or to calm your skin after a harsh mask or acid. Likewise, I’m pretty clumsy, and I’ve found the stuff to help clear up cuts and scrapes I procure seemingly out of nowhere.

Arguably the best thing about it, though, is the affordability and availability. It’s not some miracle cream you can find in only three Parisian pharmacies. A tube costs only $28 and will last you months at a time, since each treatment requires such a tiny dot of product. And while I’ll probably always have some sensitive spot to treat, at least I’ve now got a quick fix for it.

Avene Cicalfate Repair Cream, $28; dermstore.com

Related Stories:
–6 Strange But Effective Skin Care Ingredients That Actually Work
–Why pH-Balancing Cleansers Will Give You Better Skin
–Best Face Oil for Every Single Skin Type

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