Hi! I’m Eboné, and I have chronically ashy skin. No matter how well I moisturize, I can guarantee my legs will look like the Mojave by noon. It’s embarrassing. I wear jeans all summer.
But recently, I noticed a product combo that promised a moisturized glow making the rounds on Instagram. (Yes, Instagram — because I’m a millennial who is treading only lightly into those TikTok waters.)
Beyond the glow promise, the hack also caught my eye because it mixed together two drugstore products we've all seen before:
After some quick research, I traced it back to the #MoistureGang hashtag and Hayet Rida, who first vouched for the pairing last month.
Of course I was interested in this Beyoncé-esque glow — then major FOMO kicked in as I saw post after post of people flocking to stores and scooping up the goods.
According to Hayet's IG highlights, #MoistureGang shoppers were bumping into each other while shopping. Cashiers were catching on and greeting people with “Moisture Gang?” There were even moms who admitted to taking from their child’s supply.
Stores couldn't keep the two products stocked.
I looked down at my tortoiselike legs and decided it indeed was that serious. I had to try it.
The baby oil gel was available at my nearest Target, but I’d have to wait an excruciating 12 hours for Amazon to deliver the balm. It was sold out everywhere nearby.
When the Aveeno balm finally arrived, I mixed up the concoction (30% balm, 70% oil gel), took a quick shower (it’s supposed to work best when your skin is damp), and finally I was ready.
I slathered it on from neck to toe, and ooh-wee! I was in business! Your girl had the high shine of a Twix wrapper. You couldn’t tell me a thing! New skin, who dis??
Look at all this HYDRATION and happiness!
And the end-of-day glow:
As you can see, I was really happy with the results. This combo has absolutely worked wonders for my skin. Even on days I don't moisturize, my skin is super soft. But I wanted to know: Would it work for anyone — and were there any downsides to using it? I reached out to a dermatologist to get their take.
"I think oils are underrated for giving a glow, especially to body skin. And this combo works so well because you are basically slugging in oil," said Dr. Kavita Mariwalla, a dermatologist based in West Islip, New York.
But Mariwalla also explained that your mileage may vary, depending on your skin tone and dryness level. In addition, she advised limiting it to your body, not your face — and using it occasionally or as needed, as opposed to daily.
“If your skin is very dry, I would recommend it, and it should be okay as a rescue [step]. But I would not rely on this as a daily routine," Mariwalla told BuzzFeed. "Keep in mind that different skin tones have more tightly compacted keratinocytes, or skin cells, and that can influence dryness.
"If you have oily skin, this could potentially be comedogenic and give you breakouts," she continued. "I also would stick to this mainly for the body, not the face, as it could potentially lead to oily skin and, again, lead to breakouts."