my winter skincare essential is 26% cheaper right now

I’M a massive moisturiser fan; there’s always one in my bag, as well as several on the go at home.

I’ve tried them all, from the cheap to the eye-wateringly expensive, yet my favourite is an icon that’s been around since 1926.

Weleda Skin Food 75ml, £8.95 (was £12.07) at Amazon

It’s what I come back to again and again as I can always depend on it: Weleda Skin Food – and it’s not just me.

It has a long list of celebrity fans, including Victoria Beckham, Claudia Winkleman, Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid (who claims to get through eight tubes per MONTH!)

Dry skin is always a challenge, but during winter when our skin is bombarded by cold, wind and rain, not to mention the drying effects of central heating, it’s an essential – as well as the best body moisturisers for dry skin.

According to Weleda, one tube is sold every 8 seconds, which is testament to just how good it is.

Read on for my thoughts on this cult product and just why it’s totally worth including in your beauty routine.

Pros

• Versatile
• Clean beauty credentials
• Suitable for vegetarians
• Hydrating and nourishing on skin
• Great for dry skin
• Thick consistency and a little goes a long way
• Smells amazing

Cons

• Pricier than some alternatives on the market
• Not great for oily skin types
• Largest size is 75ml

Rating: 8/10

Weleda Skin Food review: The Nitty Gritty

First impressions

Weleda Skin Food 75ml, £8.95 (was £12.07) at Amazon

Skin Food is Weleda’s bestselling range, and for good reason.

It sells a bottle of the stuff every eight seconds and has won a slew of beauty awards.

Its distinctive, vibrant green packaging is hard to miss.

The eye-catching colour stands out on the shelves and is easy to recognise, with a minimal, fuss-free design — a masterclass in #cleanbeauty branding.

One thing I love, and something most people note when trying it for the first time, is the incredible scent.

Weleda Skin Food is made with assorted botanicals, sweet almond, organic rosemary, calendula and chamomile extracts.

As soon as you flip open the lid, you get a pleasant waft of the sweet fragrance, which is a great first impression if you’ve never used it before.

I have even had people compliment me on the scent after I’ve applied it to my hands, so if you’re not a lover of fragranced products, you might want to skip this.

However, Weleda did launch its light version for this reason, which I have tried before and is a great alternative if you don’t want something as heavy.

It’s still very hydrating but has a lighter, more whipped consistency that seems to absorb more quickly into the skin.

Does it deliver?

Weleda Skin Food 75ml, £8.95 (was £12.07) at Amazon

It’s a product that comes with lots of hype, but in my opinion, Skin Food lives up to it.

My aforementioned dry skin means I crave a deeply nourishing moisturiser that works on my face and body.

Skin Food has many ‘clean’ organic ingredients that make it better for drier skin types.

The sunflower and sweet almond oils deeply nourish, while the beeswax and lanolin give it a slightly more greasy consistency.

I think this enhances the level of hydration, as it almost coats the skin rather than immediately soaking in and disappearing.

The thicker, balmy texture of Skin Food works for me as I like to feel the weight of a cream on my skin, especially my hands, which get dry very quickly.

However, I would say if you have oily or acne-prone skin, this might not be the moisturiser for you. It is probably too rich and may clog your pores.

The versatility of Skin Food as a moisturiser is probably one of its biggest USPs (along with its green credentials).

Whether you want a standard cream, primer, hair frizz tamer or cuticle cream, Skin Food can do it all.

You can use it post-shower or bath, or as an all-over moisturiser for your face and body for serious hydration.

I prefer using it to target specific dry patches on elbows, knees, feet and hands.

It’s also great as a barrier; in fact, Weleda states that it’s microbiome-friendly and can help restore the skin’s protective layer, so it’s great for rashes or eczema too.

A little does go a long way, so although it’s pricer than some other brands, you can make it last, and I find I don’t need to top up as frequently when I use it as a hand cream.

How much is Weleda Skin Food?

Considering the price of many of its competitors, I think Skin Food is pretty reasonably priced: 30ml will set you back just £9.50, while a 75ml tube costs £16.

At the moment, the best price we’ve found online is £8.95 for the 75ml version at Amazon.

Where to buy Weleda Skin Food

You can find Skin Food at:

Weleda Skin Food alternatives

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to a nourishing, hydrating moisturiser.

Last year, Aldi’s beauty brand, Lacura, came out with a “Rich Moisturising Cream” that had an eerily similar design to Skin Food, and retailed for just £3.99.

While it’s not currently available, Aldi often brings back its beauty dupes, so look out for it in the future.

A similarly priced product is Avene’s Hydrance cream. It’s slightly more expensive than Skin Food, but it is highly rated and said to have many of the same benefits.

If you’re on the lookout for other alternatives, check out our roundups of the best moisturisers for dry skin and best body moisturisers for dry skin.

Weleda Skin Food FAQs

Do dermatologists recommend Weleda Skin Food?

Weleda Skin Food does get a dermatologist’s seal of approval thanks to the range’s inclusion of ingredients that are microbiome-friendly.

Thanks to this formulation, it helps to restore the skin’s protective barrier and is particularly helpful for skin conditions such as rashes and eczema.

Many dermatologists have taken to social media to recommend it as a highly beneficial and hydrating cream.

Can you use Weleda Skin Food for your face?

Many people swear by using Weleda Skin Food on their face as a daily moisturiser to keep skin supple and soft.

As mentioned, Bella Hadid says she lathers it on and gets through up to eight bottles a month, and Victoria Beckham loves using it to lock in her tan.

Singer Anne-Marie’s make-up artist, Emma Osborne, uses it as a staple in her kit.

She says, ‘Weleda Skin Food is my go-to product for that fresh summer glow.

‘I love to add a touch to the high points of the face, i.e. cheekbones/brow bones for that dewy, glossy finish.

‘For my clients, it’s a must-have beauty essential.’

While Weleda Skin Food can be used on your face, that’s not the way I generally use mine.

Because of the rich formula and beeswax ingredient, it tends to trap moisture in, which is great if you are in desperate need of some serious hydration as a one-off.

But using it daily may be too heavy for some skin types, especially anyone with oily or acne-prone skin.

Is Weleda Skin Food non comedogenic?

The product is not billed as non comedogenic. It contains lanolin and beeswax which takes a time to sink in, almost sitting on the skin.

This is what you need if you’re after protection from the elements, say if you’re out walking on a cold winter’s day, but is likely too much on a daily basis, unless your skin is very dry.

Anybody with acne, or even oily skin, will probably find Skin Food too rich and could find it blocks their pores, causing breakouts.

The lighter version absorbs quicker, but it too could be overly heavy for oily and acne-prone skin.