Skincare is one thing we ladies do not play with. You’ve seen it all over TikTok, Instagram, and other lifestyle sites that taking care of your skin in a preventative manner is significantly important, and oftentimes less difficult than treating skin issues that arise over time or when the damage has already been done. Conversations surrounding protecting and repairing your skin barrier have exploded on social media in recent years, but particularly in 2024. A tried-and-true skincare regimen allows your skin to be more resilient to pollutants and other aggravators, promote effective moisture retention, foster skin elasticity, and help your other products absorb into your skin the way they should be. We’re sure you know one should always have an effective and gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen, but if you feel your skin could use a little (or a lot) of some extra love, consider shopping some of our favorite brands’ remedies specifically for skin barrier maintenance and repair. You can find them all on Sephora’s website linked below.
The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum
Price: $17
Ingredients:
The Ordinary’s skincare products are renowned for being sold at an extremely reasonable price point without sacrificing quality. I’ve shopped their brand for years, specifically because sometimes we simply can’t justify spending upwards of $30 on a moisturizer or serum. Luckily, this product retails for under $20, and aims to correct dryness, redness, and uneven facial skin texture. For the price point, I’d recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a gentle remedy to start their skin barrier repair treatment on a budget. The star ingredient in the serum is Vitamin B12, which aids in the moisturizing factor.
Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin™ Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream
Price: $48
Ingredients:
I absolutely adore Dr. Jart+ because they find unique ways to mesh skincare and makeup. I’ve been an avid user of their Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment for years, and this barrier cream pairs really well with it. If you struggle with uneven skin tone and skin dullness, then this product is for you. The product utilizes glycerin to get some deep moisture into your skin, promoting skin that is more elastic but firm. The five ceramides that are the stars in the cream increase skin barrier strength through ensuring that water loss is slowed down, therefore preventing any lost moisture.
Skinfix barrier+ Strengthening and Moisturizing Triple Lipid-Peptide Refillable Cream with B-L3
Price: $54
Ingredients:
Skinfix’s barrier cream targets wrinkles and fine lines in addition to helping dry skin get that little bit of extra moisture that dryer skin havers deal with. The lipids in the product helps replenish our natural lipids, which are complexes in our skin barrier that help prevent pollutants and impurities from penetrating deeper into the epidermis. This product also contains glycerin, but most of the products on this list do because of its hydrating properties.
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench® Hyaluronic Cloud Rich Barrier Moisturizer
Price: $58
Ingredients:
Paula's Choice RESIST Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer with Ceramides
Price: $39
Ingredients:
Oh look! More ceramides. I smell a trend in these products’ ingredients. This Paula’s Choice moisturizer functions similarly to the Dr. Jart+ one further up on this list, but also contains Tripeptide-5, which protects the levels of collagen in your outer skin barrier. Paula's Choice states that 100% of subjects had an improved barrier & hydration in 30 minutes, which is an astounding metric given the allotted amount of time before and after testing.
Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Advanced Repair Barrier Cream
Price: $48
Ingredients:
Kiehls has been around since 1851 for a reason — they know their skincare. This barrier cream (that can be paired with the barrier balm also on this list), aims to tackle dryness and redness. These are the skin issues that typically make our face feel rough, look uneven, and overall a bit icky. It contains colloidal oatmeal, which is a gentle soothing ingredient for those who would prefer to keep their skin care ingredient list short and sweet (and free of chemicals you don’t know the name of).
Caudalie Premier Cru Skin Barrier Rich Moisturizer with Bio-Ceramides
Price: $129
Ingredients:
Definitely one of the higher price points on this list, Caudalíe's rich moisturizer gets almost five stars on the Sephora website. Hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and ceramides are constantly mentioned in this list because of the benefits they have on preparing the skin for optimal moisture absorption. Caudalíe is no different! The main aim is to tackle dark spots and dryness, so if you’re in the running for a quality investment, definitely take a look at this product (and it’ll look really cute on your nightstand or vanity).
Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin™ Skin Barrier Moisturizing Mask
Price: $10
Ingredients:
This mask treatment is only $10 right now, and boasts similar effects as their moisture cream at the beginning of this list. If you struggle with dull skin, this treatment can help. One of the highlighted ingredients, panthenol, has anti-inflammatory and anti-acne properties. So, if you’re in need of a little skin care pick-me-up on a flight or while you’re having your morning coffee (and don't want to risk breaking out), this would be an ideal addition to your routine.
SEPHORA COLLECTION Nourishing Moisturizer for Skin Barrier
Price: $20
Ingredients:
I don’t know about you, but the Sephora Collection is constantly coming out with bangers. They offer affordable alternatives to the more expensive brands they carry, with very similar ingredients and outcomes. Avocado and marula oil soothe your skin in a very gentle way, also functioning as an antioxidant. Quench your skin’s thirst with this nourishing cream, especially because you don’t have to be stingy with it because of how affordable it is.
Tower 28 Beauty SOS Daily Skin Barrier Redness Recovery Moisturizer
Price: $24
Ingredients:
The Tower 28 Hypochlorous Acid Spray has been making the rounds on TikTok, but I think this product deserves more hype. Its marketed as a daily repair barrier recovery cream, the star ingredients being hyaluronic acid and ceramides. If you’ve gotten this far, I won’t give you the whole spiel again. Just know, these ingredients are golden components in protecting and maintaining smooth skin, as well as an elastic and moisture-filled barrier.
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The Nue Co. Barrier Culture Moisturizer with Niacinamide & Squalane
Price: $68
Ingredients:
A new ingredient just dropped. Squalane! This remedy aims to hydrate, soothe, and protect the skin. Niacinamide helps improve skin texture and reduce inflammation, while squalane provides lightweight, non-greasy moisture. The price point is a bit steep, but skincare can oftentimes be an investment. With products like these, a little definitely goes a long way!
Tata Harper Superkind Bio-Barrier Serum for Skin Barrier Repair
Price: $146
Ingredients:
Another product that might be worth the price point. Tackling dark spots, fine lines, and dryness, this serum from Tata Harper uses what seems like especially fancy ingredients that I wasn't aware existed before. However, this product help you retain moisture and repair sagging skin.
Dieux Instant Angel Lipid-Rich Barrier Repair Cream with Ceramides
Price: $45
Ingredients:
Oooh. Some more fancy ingredients. Overall, the highlighted ingredients work to do everything the rest of the products are doing, with different concentrations of each involved. This lipid-rich formula features ceramides, which are essential for maintaining a healthy skin barrier. The cream aims to deeply hydrate, soothe irritation, and strengthen the skin's natural defenses without feeling too heavy or oily overtop your skin. Meadowestolide helps the skin become resistant to oxidation and heat stress, acting as an emollient that is suitable for a multitude of skin types.
LANEIGE Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer for Moisture Barrier Repair
Price: $40
Ingredients:
This is a simple hydration-focused product that will be gentle on the skin without sacrificing all the good stuff that comes along with barrier repair. The cream has blue hyaluronic acid, a potent form of the common ingredient in other skincare products, which is well-known for its ability to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water (which is insane). Their lip masks are also really helpful in repairing and moisturizing your lips, but we're sure you knew that already.
Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser
Price: $28
Ingredients:
This cream from the popular brand Glow Recipe utilizes the power of avocado, as it contains rich fatty acids and moisturizing properties. It combines avocado with other skin-loving ingredients to create a deeply hydrating yet non-greasy formula. The product aims to soothe, protect, and strengthen the skin barrier, making it suitable for those with skin that needs a little extra love. Of course, you can't forget the hyaluronic acid!
Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream Moisturizer with Squalane and Cica
Price: $64
Ingredients:
By balancing the skin's microbiome, this product from Dermalogica supports the skin barrier through hydration, lipid nourishment, and other amazing properties. Centella asiatica is commonly mentioned in branding as "cica", which is a star ingredient in many Dr. Jart+ products because of its anti-redness properties. Let's put that vocabulary we learned to work. I'd say this price point is not bad for Dermalogica, though you can always wait for the next Sephora sale or use some of your Rouge points to subsidize the start of your skin barrier repair journey.
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Skin Barrier Repair Balm with Squalane
Price: $31
Ingredients:
Kiehl's strikes again. Like I mentioned earlier, this rescue balm is gentle and can pair well with the nourishing barrier cream listed above. It has an on-the-go element that is perfect for women who want immediate relief, and can be put over makeup as it's invisible. Some may settle for the vaseline stick, but this product contains squalene and ceramides to nourish and repair your skin unlike petroleum jelly, with can have comedogenic effects on sensitive areas of your face (especially if you're acne prone).
Drunk Elephant Bora Barrier Rich Repair Cream with 6-Butterlipid Complex
Price: $69
Ingredients:
We're sure the Sephora kids are already all over this one. Jokes aside, this vegan repair cream by Drunk Elephant aids in correcting dryness, elasticity, and redness. It promotes the regeneration of natural collagen in the skin, while also soothing the skin and ensuring that it gets all the help it needs. Alpha Glucan is said to be "skin smart" because it only protects and stimulates the beneficial microbial skin flora without fostering growth concerning unwanted, impure skin flora.
Glossier After Baume Moisture Barrier Recovery Cream
Price: $32
Ingredients:
Especially ideal in colder weather, this heavy recovery cream has been a skincare staple for me for years. The product supports the integrity of your skin's microbiome while also actively repairing it. It's occlusive, however, so if you struggle with acne prone skin this might not be the product for you. Occlusives are helpful in certain skin types that are not acne prone, because it protects your pores from accepting any impurities that it might come across while you're outside.
Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Sensitive Skin Serum for Redness and Barrier Repair
Price:
Ingredients:
As you can see, I am a huge fan of Dr. Jart+. Their products are just that good. This soothing serum attacks redness and dullness, while also fostering a more moisturizing feel to your skin. The allantoin helps with retaining moisture, exfoliation, and healing the skin barrier. The entire Cica line from the brand pairs well together, so I highly recommend you pick up the Tiger Grass line.
