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Using a moisturizer on your face is a basic skin care step that can help keep your skin feeling soft and smooth. But if your usual daily moisturizer just isn’t cutting it when it comes to soothing dry, irritated skin? A barrier repair cream might help bring the relief you need to feel more comfortable in your skin. If you’re ready to learn more, follow along as we answer questions such as:
Your skin is made of many different layers. The very outer-most layer is your skin barrier, officially named the stratum corneum. “This is the most important part of your skin, which has a combination of cells that are no longer viable but still ‘stuck on’ to your lower layers of skin. It also contains natural fats as well as a layer that keeps the sweat and sebum oils inside so they don’t evaporate easily,” says LovelySkin Medical Director Dr. Daniel Schlessinger, board-certified dermatologist, Mohs surgeon and cosmetic surgeon.
Dr. Daniel Schlessinger adds that “if you think of your skin as a wall, the skin cells are the bricks and the lipids are the mortar that holds them together, but when harsh weather or detergents damage them, this can lead to very rough or damaged skin.”
When skin is dry, cracked, flaky or scaly, it’s a sign your skin’s natural moisture barrier has been compromised.
“Scrubbing your skin too hard, overusing treatments with exfoliating acids, licking your lips and exposure to harsh detergents, cold temperatures, dry climates or chemicals are some common causes of skin barrier damage,” says LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger, board-certified dermatologist, Mohs surgeon and cosmetic surgeon. “Common skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and rosacea are also associated with skin barrier damage.”
If you live in an area with severe winter weather, you might be prone to seasonal skin barrier damage because research has shown a combination of low humidity and low temperatures can cause skin barrier damage.
You can help restore a healthy skin barrier by incorporating a barrier repair cream into your daily routine. Barrier repair creams are like moisturizers in that they lock in moisture, but they go a step further by repairing the skin’s natural moisture barrier, which facilitates true healing and hydration.
“The fundamental difference between moisturizers and barrier repair creams is the intent,” Dr. Joel Schlessinger says. “Generally, barrier creams are much thicker and meant to repair damaged skin while moisturizers aim to prevent damage, but one person’s moisturizer may be another person’s barrier repair depending on their skin type. Both have their place, but if your skin is on the verge of problems or in trouble already, it is probably best to go with a thicker barrier repair cream. Otherwise, moisturizers will likely do the trick.”
If you’re wondering how to repair your skin barrier with skin barrier cream, here’s our favorite process.
Step 1: To maximize the results of your barrier cream, start by applying the FixMySkin 1% Hydrocortisone Healing Body Balm. Invented and formulated by Dr. Joel Schlessinger and his son, Dr. Daniel Schlessinger, this healing balm not only soothes and moisturizes irritated skin with shea and cocoa butter, but it also heals irritation with 1% hydrocortisone. The balm is conveniently sized and features a glue-stick-style applicator, enabling easy application to any affected area.
Step 2: Apply a barrier repair cream to lock in moisture and support further skin nourishment. If you’re dealing with intense dryness, flakiness or a condition like eczema, this combination is a powerful way to calm and heal skin.
Step 3: For areas like the hands, repeat this process right before bedtime and finish by putting on cotton gloves over the FixMySkin and the barrier cream. Wearing them overnight will help seal in the moisture and prevent it from coming off during sleep.
With so many options to choose from, it can be daunting trying to find the right barrier cream for your skin. To help your search, we’ve pulled together some of the best skin barrier repair products to help bring some relief to damaged skin.
This deeply hydrating facial moisturizer works well for normal to dry skin and contains nourishing argan oil, grapeseed oil and pomegranate oil as well as afaLUXE(™), an antioxidant blend that helps restore your skin barrier and natural moisture balance. It also contains peptides and vitamin C to help diminish signs of aging over time, including fine lines, wrinkles and discoloration.
Thick, rich creams aren’t the only way to help support and repair your skin barrier on your face. This lightweight exfoliating gel helps support a healthy moisture barrier by encouraging the skin’s natural process of cellular turnover. It features 11% afaLUXE(™), a dermatologist-developed blend of amino-based filaggrin antioxidants, vitamin C and Dead Sea minerals, which provides very effective exfoliation, and helps improve your skin’s barrier function.
This Epionce cream for dry skin uses ceramides and fatty acids from safflower seed and meadowfoam seed oils to help rebuild a damaged moisture barrier. Featuring a soothing blend of rosehip and chamomile extracts, it can also help skin recover from in-office procedures such as laser treatments. It can be used as a face cream as well as on the hands and body.
This luxe face cream provides relief for dry, sensitive skin and anti-aging benefits, all in one. Made with a proprietary blend of lipids and ceramides as well as bacillus ferment, it helps strengthen and protect a compromised skin barrier and also helps reset and support the skin’s natural 24-hour repair cycle. Hyaluronic acid helps provide deep hydration while tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, a stable form of vitamin C, works to help minimize fine lines and wrinkles.
In a two-week clinical study, 91% of participants said using this skin barrier repair cream alleviated dry skin and 86% said their skin felt softer, smoother and more nourished.
This soothing face cream from Sente is one of the best skin barrier repair products thanks to its innovative formula containing Heparan Sulfate Analog (HSA), an ingredient that helps improve your skin’s moisture retention by helping damaged skin cells repair themselves. It also contains green tea polyphenols to help improve skin tone and texture and soften the appearance of coarse wrinkles.
This skin barrier cream is part of Colorescience’s BarrierPro collection, created to help your skin recover from reactivity and irritation. The formula contains a finely tuned list of ingredients that help replenish, rebalance and renew your skin.
First up, tri-molecular hyaluronic acid, snow mushroom extract, squalane and prickly pear cactus extract work together to replenish your skin’s lost hydration. Next, goji berry extract and lactobacillus ferment help rebalance your skin’s microbiome by supporting good bacteria. Last but not least, antioxidants and calming botanicals help renew your skin by neutralizing free radical damage.
Lipids form your skin’s protective barrier, and they come in three main forms: ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. Skin needs a balance of all three for true healing, which is the foundation this formula is built on. Featuring 2% ceramides, 4% cholesterol and 2% fatty acids, SkinCeuticals delivers the ideal ratio for the natural repair process, making this lipid barrier cream highly effective in restoring skin’s natural moisture barrier. Over time, this face cream not only repairs the moisture barrier but also helps smooth uneven skin texture and firm lax skin. That makes it one of the best barrier creams and an excellent addition to your anti-aging skin care regimen.
Thanks to its gentle formula, this is one of the best moisturizers for damaged skin. It has a rich texture to help restore a damaged skin barrier while protecting skin, so it can properly recover. The soothing minerals of Avene Thermal Spring Water combine with copper, zinc sulfates and Avene’s patented ingredient, C+Restore, to soothe, soften and calm irritated skin. This barrier cream is also safe to use on diaper rash as well as cuts, burns and scrapes.
Chilly weather and all the hand washing cold and flu season requires can leave you with dry, damaged skin on your hands. This skin barrier cream for hands helps replenish lost moisture with sustainably sourced shea butter, glycerin and niacinamide. The soothing La Roche-Posay formula soaks in quickly without leaving a greasy residue behind. It’s also fragrance-free, making it just the right choice for those who prefer an unscented hand cream.
You can find more dermatologist-approved products that provide skin barrier repair at LovelySkin. Are you looking to help improve signs of aging with targeted treatments? You can also read more about the best treatments for forehead wrinkles, crow’s feet and more on the LovelySkin Blog.
Evan is a content writer at LovelySkin who enjoys providing information to help people feel more confident about their skin care. In his spare time, he likes to read, write creatively and wander through used bookstores.
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