Our Best Skin Barrier Repair Products: A Complete Guide to Restoring and Protecting Your Skin​

When it comes to great skin that exudes a healthy appearance, it all starts with the skin barrier. This vital natural function is important as it keeps viruses and bacteria out while locking moisture in. By maintaining its delicate balance, the skin stays well hydrated and concerns such as sensitivity and dryness are prevented. 

 

Issues arise when environmental aggressors such as harsh weather, central heating, irritants like perfume and pets, or pollution compromise this barrier. Put simply, they disrupt the fine balance of the barrier, and problems such as Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) start to occur. This then leads to drier, sensitive skin that is also more prone to infection and ageing signs.

 

One way you can help to prevent this from happening is by using skincare rich in ingredients that will help replenish your skin barrier. Ceramides are a type of lipid that is considered the building blocks of the skin, often referred to as the ‘glue that binds skin cells together’. In fact, ceramides make up to 50% of the skin barrier’s total lipids.

 

While a compromised skin barrier may lose some of these lipids, adding them in topically via skincare can help to strengthen and repair it. Ceramides are so intrinsic to healthy looking skin that you’ll find them within all of our formulas at CeraVe.

 

Signs of a Damaged Skin Barrier

So, how do you know if your skin barrier is compromised and that it needs additional lipids such as ceramides? Many everyday skincare concerns including dryness, sensitivity, prominent ageing signs, inflammatory problems such as acne, and skin infections all point to a compromised skin barrier. 

 

As such, they can be improved by taking steps to improve it with a hydrating skincare routine. Yes, even if you have blemish and acne-prone skin. Hydration is essential for all skin types due to the way it protects the skin barrier and aids its function. It’s all about using a moisturiser that’s suitable for your skin type - for example, richer moisturisers are better suited to drier skin types while oil-free, lightweight formulas are ideal for hydrating oily and combination skin types.

 

Best Skin Barrier Repair Products from CeraVe

Find the right formula to protect your skin barrier at CeraVe. 

 

• Our Advanced Repair Ointment seals in moisture and offers intense barrier protection for very dry and chapped skin. It does this with a super-rich formula containing Petrolatum, Hyaluronic acid, and 3 Essential Ceramides. 

 

 

 

 

• Our daily hydrator, Moisturising Cream uses ceramides and other ingredients in a formula that helps to restore and protect the skin with Hyaluronic Acid and 3 essential ceramides. Our delivery system, MVE Technology also continually releases moisturising ingredients to provide the skin with up to 24-hour hydration.

• To help the skin barrier repair itself overnight, we recommend our PM Facial Moisturising Lotion. This helps to repair and replenish your skin barrier while you sleep with niacinamide - a derivative of vitamin B3 that has multiple benefits to the skin including boosting hydration levels and minimising moisture loss - hyaluronic acid, and 3 essential ceramides. 

 

• If the skin on your hands is compromised, CeraVe Reparative Hand Cream leaves dry, cracked areas of the skin feeling soothed and repaired. Its non greasy formula contains hyaluronic acid, 3 essential ceramides MVE® delivery technology.

 

• For oily and combination skin types, our Oil-Control Moisturising Gel Cream absorbs excess oil while protecting the skin barrier with niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid and 3 essential ceramides. 

 

How to Incorporate Skin Barrier Repair Products Into Your Routine

1. Start your routine by gently cleansing your face with a gentle product such as a CeraVe cleanser. You should do this with a cleanser that’s suitable for your skin type and free from harsh ingredients that could strip the skin barrier. Take care to do this with lukewarm water as very hot water can also compromise the skin barrier. Experts also recommend using a gentle massage technique to remove skincare and makeup from the skin.

 

2. Once you have cleansed the skin and patted it dry, apply a ceramide-rich moisturiser like CeraVe Moisturising Cream to lock in hydration and protect the skin barrier. In the evening, you could also opt for the CeraVe PM Facial Moisturising Lotion that provides a continuous release of hydration for up to 24 hours and locks in moisture all night long.

 

3. If you have very dry or cracked areas of skin, apply a richer ointment such as CeraVe Advanced Repair to areas needing extra care.This will help to repair the skin barrier in the areas that need it most.

 

4. In the daytime your final skincare step should always be a broad-spectrum sunscreen. This will protect your skin from UV radiation that is present all year round and can contribute to skin barrier damage. 

 

Tips for Strengthening and Protecting Your Skin Barrier

1. Avoid chemical exfoliants and harsher ingredients like retinol until your skin barrier is stronger. These types of ingredients remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin so can irritate an already compromised skin barrier. While your skin is repairing, stick to gentle cleansers and a simple moisturiser. 

 

2. Harsh sponges and cleansing tools can irritate a compromised skin barrier, so try to only use your fingers and lukewarm water. Very hot water can strip the skin of essential oils and lipids, further weakening the skin barrier.

 

3. Avoid saunas and steam rooms when your skin barrier is feeling irritated. These types of very hot, steamy environments will cause more moisture to leave the skin, making dryness and irritation worse. 

 

Protecting and repairing the skin barrier is essential for healthy-looking, resilient skin - no matter your skin type. It’s all about choosing the right formula for your skin’s needs and being aware of the triggers that damage your skin barrier such as cold weather, low humidity, and pollution.

 

Visit the CeraVe website to discover the full range of skin barrier repair products rich in ceramides.