7 Best barrier repair skincare products to try

Dull, dry, itchy, flaky, and reddened skin are all telltale signs that one needs barrier-repair skincare products. Whether the damaged skin barrier is from excessive scrubbing, overenthusiastic peeling, or unhealthy cleansing habits, these uniquely crafted products help the skin stay properly moisturized and healthy through it all.

A few commonalities may be found in barrier-repairing skincare products: anti-inflammatory substances such as CICA, ceramides, niacinamide (vitamin B3), and colloidal oatmeal are often found. Water-binding ingredients and humectants, like hyaluronic acid, Panthenol (vitamin B5), and glycerin, are also favored ingredients in skin barrier repair skincare products.

This article purely reflects the writer’s opinion. We may have missed out on a few of your favorite brands and products. Please let us know more in the comments.

7 Best barrier repair skincare products for a healthy complexion

The list is a good mix of serums, moisturizers, and creams that guard the skin and heal an impaired skin barrier.

Dr. Jart + Ceramidin Cream
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume
Kiehl’s Advanced Repair Cream
Tower 28 SOS Recovery Cream
The Inkey List Ceramide Night Treatment
Allies of Skin Recovery Cream Balm
Skinfix Barrier+ Serum

1) Dr. Jart + Ceramidin Skin Barrier Cream

This facial moisturizer has a soft, cushion-like texture that is quick-absorbing and aims to leave the complexion feeling nourished, soft, and supple. With a unique 5-Cera complex, it has five ceramides that claim to be more potent in skin barrier care than its counterparts.

Additional Panthenol and glycerin deliver immediate and long-lasting relief from dry tightness, promising 100 hours of moisture.

Price: $48 (Sephora)

2) La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+

This multi-tasking balm formula promises to repair and soothe the skin, helping restore the moisture barrier to aid in the recovery of dry, cracked, and chafed skin. The non-greasy texture features Tribioma, a unique prebiotic complex, and the intensely hydrating Madecassoside to maintain skin health.

Dry and sensitive patches on the skin will also get nourishing care from vitamin B5, or Panthenol.

Price: $15.99 (La Roche-Posay)

3) Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Advanced Repair Barrier Cream

Very dry and sensitive skin may benefit from the intensive barrier formula of this cream, which features colloidal oatmeal and beta-glucan to support skin barrier recovery. Using Advanced Barrier Technology, it mimics the skin’s natural lipid structure, transforming the damaged skin barrier into a soft, smooth, and healthy complexion.

Price: $36 (Kiehl’s)

4) Tower 28 SOS Daily Skin Barrier Recovery Cream

Intentionally made to bring daily barrier recovery and care, this face moisturizer packs ceramides and hyaluronic acid in a lightweight formula to reduce redness and sensitivity while reinforcing the skin barrier.

It has a cushiony-soft texture that is quick-absorbing, so the needy complexion benefits from the skin barrier repair skincare product quickly, providing immediate relief from dryness and irritation. All without stinging or leaving a greasy film on the skin.

Price: $24 (Sephora)

5) The Inkey List Ceramide Night Treatment

This pick, featuring The Inkey List’s special ceramide blend, works on different levels of the skin to revive dull and damaged complexions overnight. Alongside multi-molecular hyaluronic acid, the ceramide serum promises to help the natural barrier feel hydrated, supple, and protected.

Best used in the PM skincare routine, this night treatment is meant to replace the night cream while the skin barrier heals.

Price: $14 (The Inkey List)

6) Allies of Skin Molecular Barrier Recovery Cream Balm

Designed as a first-aid kit for compromised skin, it acts as a bandage balm to support rapid skin barrier repair. It soothes and repairs damaged and post-procedure complexions with a rich texture designed to melt like a cream packed with MossCellTec, ceramide, Panthenol, and oat protein.

The skin barrier repair skincare product promises an instant feeling of moisture and comfort while leaving the skin with plumpness to accelerate recovery.

Price: $97 (Allies of Skin)

7) Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Hyaluronate Serum

With a creamy, potent serum formula, this product delivers a surge of moisture to nourish and replenish even the most parched complexion. It features an active cocktail of seaweed hyaluronate, skin vital lipids, and peony root complex, ingredients that volumize the skin’s moisture levels and strengthen the barrier system.

Price: $50 (Sephora)