Skin Barrier

Your skin barrier is the outer layer that holds water in and keeps irritants out. Too many actives, over exfoliating, harsh cleansers, hot water, cold wind and central heating can all wear it down.

A damaged barrier shows as tightness, stinging when you apply products, redness, flaking or sudden breakouts.

• Morning: rinse with water or a gentle cleanser, apply a barrier cream such as Dr. Althea 147 Barrier Cream 50ml, then SPF
• Night: cleanse gently with Medik8 Lipid-Balance Cleansing Oil 140ml or a mild cream cleanser, then your barrier cream

Strip it back. Pause retinoids, acids and scrubs until your skin feels comfortable again.

• Help: ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids, panthenol, centella, glycerin and squalane
• Make it worse: strong acids, retinoids, foaming cleansers that leave skin tight, fragrance, alcohol heavy toners and hot water

Stinging and tightness usually ease within a week. Skin takes around two to four weeks to fully recover. Then bring your actives back one at a time.

Not while your barrier is damaged. Pause retinoids and acids until skin feels normal, then add one back two or three nights a week.

SPF stays every day. A mineral SPF is often gentler on reactive skin.

• Under €30: Dr.Reju-All All Advanced LC-Ceramide Barrier Cream 50ml or Biodance Hydro Cera-nol Real Deep Mask 4 Pack for a quick boost
• €50 to €70: Reform Skincare Skin Barrier Repair Cream 150ml or Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream 50ml
• Over €100: Obagi Rebalance Skin Barrier Recovery Cream 48g, made to calm skin after treatments and strong actives

Get in touch and tell us what you have been using lately. Often the fix is taking something out, not adding something in.