We Tried Weleda's Skin Food Moisturizer and Can Confirm It Lives Up to the Hype

We put Weleda’s Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review. 

Weleda Skin Food, which was initially launched back in 1926, has remained a favorite amongst dermatologists, makeup artists, and celebrities alike, and for good reason. The formula (which leans on calendula and chamomile) truly is multifunctional, and in addition to acting as a nourishing all-over moisturizer, it doubles as a cuticle cream, a flyaway tamer, and a natural highlighter, just to name a few other uses. To find out if it actually delivered on its promises, we put it to the test and tapped a board-certified dermatologist for her honest opinion.

About the Ingredients: Clean, minimal, and soothing

By Byrdie’s standards, Weleda is a fully transparent company that prides itself on the creation of clean and sustainable products that are free of synthetic dyes and fragrances, preservatives, and silicones. The formula, which has remained unchanged since its initial launch in 1926, boasts a combination of skin-soothing and nourishing calendula, chamomile, glycerin, lanolin, and beeswax alongside a cocktail of oils. With water, sunflower seed oil, and wool wax being the first ingredients listed on Skin Food, they hold the highest concentration levels in this product. Skin Food, along with all of Weleda’s products, holds a NATRUE natural certification label which ensures the highest international standards for natural cosmetics. 

As for its efficacy, board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick, MD, confirms it can't be beat. "In addition to oils and beeswax, which serve as an occlusive to lock moisture in, this formula contains calendula and chamomile to soothe the skin," she says.

While there are so many benefits to clean, naturally derived ingredients like the ones listed in Skin Food’s DNA, one should always take note of the specifics for any potential allergens (especially our friends out there with sensitive skin). Skin Food uses active ingredients of calendula and chamomile—both of which are floral derivatives. Another potential allergen to note is sweet almond oil, as plenty of people with severe nut allergies wouldn’t be able to handle any trace encounter.

About the Formula: Great for head to toe dryness

Moisturizers are endlessly catering to every area of the skin—hands, feet, face, body, scars, cracks, stretch marks—and Weleda's Skin Food is a catch-all option. "This cream is especially great for those dealing with dry, rough patches on the elbows, hands, and feet," Garshick explains. "It's also ideal for those with dry skin."

In terms of the actual feel, this cream is rich and it has some weight to it. Despite its thickness, this cream doesn’t sit as heavy as others we've used. It’s a great foundational layer on the face that doesn’t interfere with minimal makeup since it absorbs rather quickly. A little does go a long way as stated on the back of the bottle, so if you go overboard, you may end up with a greasy feel.

How to Apply: Straightforward and sustainable

Due to the density of this cream, it isn’t like most lotions you would apply to your entire body. We recommend using Skin Food as more of a spot treatment, targeting areas that need extra moisture and attention. 

Weleda’s packaging for Skin Food highlights the brand's efforts toward sustainability. Weleda has teamed up with TerraCycle, a program whose mission is to “Eliminate the Idea of Waste” by repurposing hard-to-recycle bottles like those coming from the beauty industry. Pack up your finished tube or bottle into a recyclable box, print your free shipping label, and your Skin Food has the chance to take on another life.

The Results: A rush of hydration

We initially tried Skin Food as a hand cream. It's comparable to a standard hand cream; it's similar in weight, slightly more absorbent, and required much less product to feel hydrated. In mere minutes our hands were soft to the touch. After trying it on our feet, we instantly appreciated the lightweight nature of the formula, especially because we felt little to no need to throw socks on for fear of residual footprints on hardwood floors.

We used a pinch of this product to cover the driest, most cracked areas of our skin (which during testing was actually at our ankles) and felt the immediate relief of deeply nourishing hydration that lasts all day long.

Then, we tried it on our faces. Upon application, contributor Ashley Rubell shared that it provided an instantly dewy complexion in one quick swoop, highlighting her cheekbones, brows, and her cupid’s bow. For someone who doesn’t like to do her makeup, that result alone was a dream come true.

The Value: Unbeatable

Skincare products can get pricey, fast. But at under $20, Skin Food offers a one-size-fits-all formula that tackles all the dry skin woes and trumps pretty much every other type of cream in our extensive collections. Plus the cherry on top is knowing it has Garshick's stamp of approval—she says it's a great option for healing and repairing the skin.