The skin barrier is prone to disruption. As the outermost layer of the larger skin ecosystem, it acts as a protective shield for the microbiome, keeping harmful environmental threats out and moisture in. It’s a delicate balance.
From changing temperatures, humidity and pollution to harsh active skincare ingredients and stripping products, our skin barrier can feel stressed. If it’s tight, irritated, dehydrated or even itchy, it may be time to call in skincare reinforcements – and that should be in the form of a barrier cream.
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Rich lotions that nourish the complexion, these specialised formulas are boosted with skin-loving ingredients. Look for humectants that hydrate by attracting moisture (glycerin, hyaluronic acid, urea and aloe vera), emollients to restore, soften and smooth the skin (ceramides, argan oil and shea butter) and occlusives (petroleum jelly, beeswax) to lock in moisture.
A barrier cream is about the become the most important product in your all year-round skincare routine.
- Jump to the product reviews
- What is a barrier cream?
- How does a barrier cream differ from a regular moisturiser?
- What ingredients should be in a good barrier cream?
- Who needs a barrier cream?
- Can I layer other skincare products with barrier cream?
- Are barrier creams good for eczema, dermatitis, dry or compromised skin?
- Meet the expert
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Baume B5+ has become a travel essential for me. The holiday-friendly 100ml tube can be slathered over the face and body where skin is feeling sensitive and inflammed. The multitasking formula is brimming with kind-to-skin ingredients like vitamin B5, glycerin and cicaplast and the brand’s own signature and soothing thermal spring water. It’s a thick cream texture that calms redness and encourages healing.
- Key ingredients: vitamin B5, glycerin, cicaplast and thermal spring water
- Benefits: Soothing inflammed skin
- Best for: multitasking
- Size: 100ml
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Science powers the Allies of Skin Molecular Barrier Recovery Cream Balm, which contains a trademarked biotechnologically produced moss that has been created specifically to support and restore the skin barrier. Added to this, ceramides and penthenol lock in the moisture, while also calming and soothing. The cream is very emollient and extremely well tolerated by sensitive skin types. Use at night as it doesn’t layer well under make-up.
- Key ingredients: ceramides, panthenol and MossCellTec
- Benefits: boosts skin’s natural defences
- Best for: sensitive skin
- Size: 48ml
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Each application of La Mer’s The Night Recovery Concentrate will feel like a luxury experience, especially when layered onto the complexion with the including green-tinted spatchula. But that’s just the start. Where this cream shines is through its lasting impact on stressed skin, where it fortifies and protects. While using this concentrate, the barrier becomes less reactive when faced with aggressors. La Mer’s signature miracle broth ingredient is at the heart, known and loved for its soothing softening impact.
- Key ingredients: Miracle Broth Complex and Recovery Ferment
- Benefits: revitalises the skin with lasting benefits
- Best for: calming and soothing the skin of luxury lovers
- Size: 50ml
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Illiyoon is the bestselling moisturising care brand in South Korea and in the small amount of time that it has been available in the UK, it has made a huge impact. Sensitivities are increasingly common and the ceramide-enriched formula was created to have skin covered, strengthening the barrier and calming irritation when it occurs, without leaving a greasy finish behind. It’s a clean label that suits those prone to allergy and irritation. Illiyoon is also vegan.
- Key ingredients: soy-derived ceramides
- Benefits: restores skin barrier
- Best for: long-lasting hydration at an affordable price point
- Size: 68ml
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Formulated for sensitive skin, this fragrance-free night cream promises deep skin hydration and will visibly calm irritation caused by everyday environmental stressors. Rich in key skincare ingredients like lipids and ceramides, it works hard to repair and strengthen the moisture barrier to keep hydration in – and irritants out.
- Size: 50ml
- Key ingredients: Japanese indigo extract, biomimetic ceramide blend, mondo grass root
- Benefits: hydrates and visibly calms irritation, while strengthening the moisture barrier
- Why we love it: Lighter in texture than Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream, this formula still delivers a bountiful experience, blanketing the skin with a protective barrier of non-irritating actives and hydrators from peptides to vitamin A and rice protein. These rebalance and retexturise, soothing and repairing even the most sensitive and fragile skin barriers. “This is a great one-and-done product for someone looking for a simplified routine that works both morning and night. The best results come from long-term use,” says Susca.
- Key ingredients: TFC8, camellia extract, amino acids, hydrolyzed rice protein, peptides, triple hydration complex and vitamins A, B, C and E
- Texture: Cream
- Best For: All skin types
- Size: 30ml
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: So nourishing it’s almost balm-like, Aesop’s Perfect Facial Hydrating Cream nevertheless has a lovely matte finish that leaves the skin neither greasy nor slippery. It’s a medium-weight cream that’ll replenish tired, winter-damaged skin without clogging your pores – plus it has a lovely, naturally woody scent that delivers a touch of aromatherapy to your skincare routine.
- Key ingredients: vitamin C, frankincense, vitamin E
- Benefits: Smoothing with a matte finish
- Best for: Healing post-winter skin
- Size: 60ml
FAQs
What is a barrier cream?
“A barrier cream helps strengthen the skin’s natural protective layer,” explains skin expert Andrea Pfeffer. “It locks in moisture while shielding against irritants, pollution and micro-inflammation. It supports the skin’s recovery and resilience at a structural level.”
How does a barrier cream differ from a regular moisturiser?
“A moisturiser hydrates the surface,” she says. While on the other hand, “A barrier cream rebuilds the skin’s defences. It is about reinforcing the foundation of the skin, not just softening it.”
What ingredients should be in a good barrier cream?
According to Pfeffer, “The best barrier creams balance clinical efficacy with sensory comfort.” Look out for ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol, which she says are cruicial “as they mimic what the skin naturally produces.” She also highlights “Niacinamide, panthenol and squalane for repair and soothing.”
Who needs a barrier cream? Can they be applied to acne-prone skin? What about sensitive skin?
Barrier creams are universally tolerated by all skin types, even and especially acne-prone and sensitive skin. The skin expert agrees, “Everyone can benefit, especially when the skin is stressed or depleted. Barrier repair helps calm sensitivity and even reduce breakouts. For acne-prone skin, choose light, breathable textures. Sensitive skin responds well to calming, restorative formulas. For everyone who skis or enjoys sport in harsh elements it is amazing.”
Can I layer other skincare products (serums, actives) with barrier cream?
“Yes,” she stresses. “A barrier cream should always be the final step. It seals in serums and actives, helping them work more effectively while keeping the skin balanced.”
Are barrier creams good for eczema, dermatitis, dry or compromised skin?
Always pay attention to ingredient lists but generally speaking barrier creams contain nourishing ingredients that support eczema, dermatitis, dry or compromised skin. Pfeffer confirms, “They provide both comfort and repair by replenishing lost lipids and supporting the skin’s natural healing process.”
Meet the expert
- Andrea Pfeffer is the founder of Salon C. Stellar and a skin expert with over 20 years of experience in wellness.