I Tried A Cream With "Nature's Neosporin" & You Won't Believe The Difference In Redness

Since becoming a beauty editor, I have effectively sensitized my skin. As it turns out, testing zillions of different products at once isn't so good for your complexion! Don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy to play guinea pig for the sake of providing well-informed recommendations—but sometimes my skin just needs a break. 

Over the years, I've uncovered the (sometimes sneaky) signs of a disrupted skin barrier. For me, red, blotchy, itchy skin is a surefire sign to pare back my routine and stick to the basics.

Now I have a lineup of hero products I'll use when my skin freaks out (that's a story for another day), and very rarely do I make any substitutions. Recently, though, I got my hands on Alpyn Beauty's new Super Peptide & Ghostberry Barrier Repair Cream, and it has become the safety blanket my skin craves when it's angry and irritated.    

My first thought when I uncapped the Alpyn Beauty repair cream: It's fragrance-free!

No shade to the brand's other moisturizers (that Triple Vitamin C Brightening Bounce Cream works like a charm for dewy skin), but when my skin is especially angry, I try to stick to zero fragrance whatsoever. Even naturally derived essential oils send my sensitized skin into a tizzy. 

This new cream boasts the National Eczema Association's Seal of Acceptance, so it makes sense that it's fragrance-free. While specific triggers differ for every eczema patient, anything scented tends to send alarm bells ringing.

The formula contains ceramides and peptides—eight peptides, to be exact—which are well-known for strengthening the skin barrier. These are top-notch ingredients for filling in fine lines since skin barrier support is crucial for firm, plump complexions.

If you're familiar with the Alpyn Beauty ethos, you're probably thinking: Where are the wild-crafted ingredients?

See, the brand harvests foraged plants rather than farmed or cultivated botanicals. Meaning these plants are left in their natural ecosystem, which makes them extra-resilient against environmental stressors. (You can read my full report on wild-crafted ingredients here.) 

This cream uses wild-crafted ghostberry (also called snowberry), a plant native to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Alpyn Beauty founder Kendra Kolb Butler currently resides; she actually hand-harvests the berries that are featured in each bottle.

The ghostberry plant has a long history of topical use in herbal medicine, specifically to treat rashes, burns, itching, and sores. It's so soothing, in fact, that some herbalists have deemed it "nature's Neosporin." 

The formula also features Tasmanian pepper, which may raise suspicion for those with hypersensitive skin. Anything with pepper in its name has to be irritating, no?

Well, this specific pepper plant contains an active ingredient called polygodial1, which is actually super anti-inflammatory2. Especially when paired with the ghostberry, it creates an almost immediate soothing sensation on the skin. 

I was sent a sample of the Super Peptide & Ghostberry Barrier Repair Cream at the perfect time. I had recently received a Clear + Brilliant laser treatment, and my skin was still on the mend from the in-office procedure. 

Anything with a drop of AHAs turned my skin beet red, and my usual barrier-restoring creams just weren't cutting it. They tend to be thicker in consistency, and amid this East Coast heat wave I can practically feel my pores clogging at the mere thought of slathering on a slugging balm. 

When I opened up the Alpyn Beauty cream and smeared a dollop onto my skin, I actually sighed in relief. It was the perfect texture—rich, yet not too balmy—and instantly soothed my post-cleanse redness.

The cream has certainly sped up my healing, too: My complexion feels bouncier and softer than ever—so much so, that I can finally start testing more intense actives again. 

I've used it every night for the past week and a half (again, that end-of-summer heat wave is no joke). When the weather turns crisper, I can totally see myself sporting it during the day, too.

Given the redness-relieving properties, this formula makes for a perfect face cream on no-makeup days—you can ease discoloration without an ounce of primer. 

I'd consider myself an overall Alpyn Beauty stan, but the brand's new Super Peptide & Ghostberry Barrier Repair Cream might be my favorite formula yet. Packed with ceramides, peptides, and wild-crafted, anti-inflammatory ghostberry, it's the perfect product to relieve my stressed, sensitive skin.

I highly recommend snagging a jar on Alpyn Beauty's website before it inevitably sells out—or you can wait until it drops on Sephora on September 12. Either way, I'll wager you, too, will permanently add this cream to your skin first aid kit.