If active ingredients like vitamin C, retinol, and exfoliating acids were the skincare focal point of the previous year, this year is definitely marked by a rise in discussion around skin barrier function. Known as the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of your skin (i.e. the skin barrier) plays a crucial role in your overall skin health, essentially working as a barrier to protect your skin from the external environment by keeping irritants out, as well as locking hydration in and preventing transepidermal water loss.
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Factors like over-exfoliation with AHAs and BHA, harsh cleansers, overwashing your face, and acne treatments can contribute to a damaged skin barrier. Though the accompanying irritation generally makes it easy to tell when you have an impaired skin barrier, telltale signs include redness, peeling skin, scaly texture, sensitivity, and stinging or burning even when applying non-active ingredients. A damaged skin barrier can also lead to issues like eczema, acne breakouts, and fine lines.
To repair a damaged skin barrier, look for a good skin barrier cream; a step above a traditional moisturiser, a barrier cream not only aids in moisturising and hydrating your skin, but the thicker formula also helps support skin barrier function and prevent transepidermal water loss.
Overview of the best skin barrier creams
- Best barrier cream overall: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5
- Best barrier cream for dry skin: Dermal Therapy Very Dry Face Cream
- Best lightweight barrier cream: Mecca Cosmetica 20% Panthenol Skin Barrier Repair Lotion
- Best barrier cream for eczema-prone skin: Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream
What is a barrier cream?
A barrier cream is a skincare product designed to protect the skin from external aggressors while preventing it from drying out by forming a topical barrier (or ‘seal’) on the skin. They typically come in the form of a rich moisturiser, ointment, or balm formula and work to prevent transepidermal water loss while providing the ideal environment for your skin’s own barrier to restore itself.
- Skin barrier cream vs. moisturiser: while a skin barrier cream may seem like a rich moisturiser, the two are different. A moisturiser works to hydrate and protect the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin), while a barrier cream repairs damaged skin and aids the skin in healing itself. While moisturisers are designed to be absorbed into the skin, barrier creams tend to sit atop the skin itself, adding a protective layer to the skin.
The skin barrier refers to the outermost layer of our skin, which works to protect our skin from external aggressors such as pathogens and environmental damage. While the skin barrier typically self-regulates and -repairs, factors such as sun damage, harsh environmental conditions (think aeroplane air or severely cold weather), and excessive use of active skincare ingredients can compromise it. In such cases, the addition of a barrier cream performs the same protective functions your skin barrier normally would, while facilitating its repair.
What ingredients should you look for in a skin barrier cream?
Good skin barrier cream ingredients can be broken up into two categories: occlusive ingredients and soothing and repairing ingredients.
Occlusive ingredients are those that seal in moisture, such as:
- Zinc
- Squalane
- Jojoba esters
- Shea butter
- Silicones (including dimethicone)
- Capric triglyceride
- Plant oils and waxes
- Petroleum
- Mineral oil
- Fatty acids
Soothing and nourishing ingredients work to reduce irritation and repair damaged skin. These include:
- Glycerin
- Ceramides
- Urea
- Centella asiatica (cica/gotu kola)
- Niacinamide
- Peptides
- Oatmeal
- Pre and probiotics
- Hyaluronic acid
The best skin barrier creams to buy in 2024
1. Avene Cicalfate+ Repairing Protective Cream
Designed to repair dry, cracked skin, Avene Cicalfate+ Repairing Protective Cream uses a combination of zinc sulfate and copper sulfate to reduce bacterial proliferation, while thermal spring water soothes irritation and the rich formula nourishes and heals skin. This French pharmacy staple is ideal for use after adverse reactions to skincare products, or on dry or sensitive skin.
Price: $37.99AUD
2. Philosophy Cica Complex Recovery Moisturiser
A restorative moisturiser for sensitive, dry, or damaged skin. Cica helps repair and restore skin barrier function while fatty-acid rich shea butter hydrates and comforts the skin. A surprisingly lightweight formula, it soothes and hydrates skin while working well under makeup during the day.
Price: $80AUD
3. Bioderma Sensibio Rich
Another French beauty favourite, the Bioderma Sensibio Rich cream uses two patented complexes to increase the tolerance of sensitive skin and strengthen the skin’s resistance to irritants and external aggressors. Designed for dry to very dry skin, its rich formula soothes feelings of stinging and tightness while improving skin barrier function over time.
Price: $33AUD
4. CeraVe Moisturising Cream
Dermatologically designed, the CeraVe Moisturising Cream contains three types of ceramides – a fatty acid naturally found in skin cells – which work to strengthen the skin barrier and prevent moisture loss, while patented technology provides hydration for 24 hours. This budget-friendly formula is also fragrance-free and suitable for eczema-prone skin.
Price: $22.99AUD
5. La Mer Crème de la Mer
For those who want literally all their products to scream ‘luxury’. The original La Mer formula that started it all, this luxurious formula harnesses the power of the brand’s signature miracle broth to strengthen the skin barrier and alleviate dryness. Combined with a combination of mineral oil and petroleum, it provides intense moisture with its thick formula meaning it’s best used at night.
Price: from $185AUD
6. Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream
The eczema-prone girlies know. Designed to be gentle and nourishing enough to hydrate and protect eczema-prone skin while reducing irritation and itchiness, the Eucerin Eczema Relief Cream is a solid option with a satisfyingly short ingredient list. The fragrance-free formula contains occlusive fatty acids that lock in moisture, while colloidal oatmeal reduces itchiness.
Price: $33AUD
7. La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5
This is one of our go-to formulas to combat dry, stressed out (or over exfoliated!) skin. Combining the anti-inflammatory properties of madecassoside (a constituent found in the cica plant) with hydrating panthenol (vitamin B5), the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 is a rich, intensely nourishing balm formula that soothes redness and heals skin barrier damage.
Price: $24.95AUD
8. Dr Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturising Cream
Designed to combat dry, tight skin, the Dr Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturising Cream pairs five types of ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier and improve skin elasticity, while a blend of panthenol and glycerin inject much-needed hydration into the skin. Fatty acids and silicones lock in moisture and form a protective barrier over the skin. A comforting formula that provides instant relief from irritation and tightness, and improves skin health over time.
Price: $60AUD
9. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Advanced Repair Barrier Cream
Most barrier creams tend to sit on the skin, making them good for protection but often leaving a lingering feeling of heaviness or greasiness — which is why most people tend to use them at night unless the occasion (read: severely damaged skin barrier) calls for daytime use. That said, the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Advanced Repair Barrier Cream features a balm-to-cream formula that’s rapidly absorbed into the skin, making it comfortable to wear. This formula sees colloidal oatmeal and beta glucan do the heavy lifting, working to reduce redness and support skin barrier recovery. We also like using it as an eye cream when using tretinoin or retinol.
Price: $88AUD
10. Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturiser
Harnessing the skin-strengthening benefits of peptides and ceramides, this luxuriously rich cream works to firm the skin while boosting skin elasticity and reinforcing the skin’s moisture barrier. Enriched with plant-based collagen and hyaluronic acid, its balm-like consistency provides instant relief to sensitised skin and promotes better skin elasticity with continued use.
Price: $72AUD
11. Paula’s Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturiser
A lighter lotion formula that can be used during the day, the Paula’s Choice Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturiser harnesses the occlusive properties of squalane, fatty acids, and shea butter to lock in moisture, while watermelon seed oil, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides hydrate and support skin elasticity.
Price: $56AUD
12. Mecca Cosmetica 20% Panthenol Skin Barrier Repair Lotion
Another lighter option that’s ideally suited to daytime use, the Mecca Cosmetica 20% Panthenol Skin Barrier Repair Lotion is a saviour for those who’ve hit the actives too hard. The non-sticky lotion formula features the hero ingredient panthenol, which works alongside glycerin to imbue skin with hydration and moisture. Fatty acids and silicones prevent moisture from escaping, restoring dry, tight, over-exfoliated skin to a comfortable state.
Price: $70AUD
13. Dermal Therapy Very Dry Face Cream
Dermal Therapy is one of our favourite brands for pared-back no-nonsense skincare products that work well for dry, itchy, eczema-prone skin. The Dermal Therapy Very Dry Face Cream is no exception, with the rich formula working almost instantly to soothe tightness and itchiness. The non-greasy formula uses ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and colloidal oatmeal to strengthen, hydrate, and soothe the skin respectively, while urea gently exfoliates (unlike AHAs and BHA, this is in an irritation-free way!) dead skin cells and dimethicone locks everything in.
Price: $18.99AUD
Words by Esmé Duggan
Feature image by Jean-Baptiste Mondino for Numéro Homme