During the dry winter months, many people start to notice their skin looks dry, flaky, and irritated. These are all signs that you may be dealing with damage to the skin’s protective barrier. If these symptoms sound familiar, you may need to boost your skincare routine to repair your skin barrier. Keep reading below to learn more about skincare products and ingredients that deliver a healthy, nourished skin barrier.

What Is the Skin Barrier?

Before you can work to repair the skin’s barrier, you’ll need to understand what the skin barrier is. In the simplest terms, the skin’s barrier is your body’s natural protective layer that keeps out irritants, bacteria, pollutants, and other environmental aggressors that can cause damage to the skin. Healthy skin barriers are smooth and solid, creating a complete protective shield. When skin barriers are damaged, there are gaps in the barrier where environmental aggressors can access and damage skin cells. Damaged skin barriers also mean skin is less hydrated because moisture escapes through the same gaps in the skin’s barrier that allow irritants and pollutants access.

How Does the Skin Barrier Become Damaged?

There are numerous ways for the skin barrier to become damaged. Some of the most common include:

• Cuts, scrapes, and burns
• Allergic reactions
• Sun damage
• Over-washing
• Chemical exposure
• Skin dryness
• Aging

Symptoms of Damaged Skin Barrier

Damaged skin barriers cause numerous concerns, including:

• Skin sensitivity and irritation
• Inflammation and swelling
• Redness or skin discoloration
• Dryness, itchiness, and thickened or scaly patches of skin
• Flareups in chronic skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and acne
• Frequent or prolonged skin infections

How to Repair Damaged Skin Barrier

Soothing hydration is the key to repairing damaged skin barrier. You should apply fatty acids, ceramides, and cholesterol to the skin to fill the gaps right away as the skin heals. Then, use products with hyaluronic acid to continue attracting moisture to the skin and improve moisture retention. Depending on the extent of damage, it can take weeks or months for the natural barrier to heal, so developing a treatment plan with the right high-quality products that you will follow consistently is essential.

Products to Repair a Damaged Skin Barrier

Every person’s skincare needs are different, and it’s always best to consult with a dermatologist to create a comprehensive skincare routine that is customized to address your individual skin health needs and goals. Adding one product to a skincare routine is not likely to fix barrier damage on its own. Instead, you should develop a full morning and evening skincare routine that keeps skin healthy and restores damage that does occur. For those who are struggling with skin barrier damage, we have included descriptions of a few of the products dermatologists often recommend to repair a damaged skin barrier and renew the skin’s health and vitality. Introducing one of these products may be a good first step to improving skin health, but a dermatologist can provide additional guidance to ensure optimal skin health.

ALASTIN Skincare Restorative Skin Complex with TriHex Technology

ALASTIN Skincare Restorative Skin Complex with TriHex Technology is the gold standard in restoring damaged skin. TriHex technology is a patented skincare technology that removes damaged collagen and elastin, rebuilds and repairs damaged skin and replenishes lost collagen and elastin. This contributes significantly to a skin barrier that is smooth, healthy, and complete, ensuring skin is protected from environmental aggressors.

EltaMD Skin Recovery Serum

Recovery is right in the name of our next dermatologist-recommended product to repair skin barrier damage. EltaMD Skin Recovery Serum is uniquely formulated to heal damaged skin. Most people see improvement in the way their skin looks and feels within 24 hours of using this product. With consistent use, EltaMD Skin Recovery Serum restores damaged skin, and the powerful antioxidant blend prevents future damage.

Revision Skincare DEJ Night Face Cream

As we sleep, our skin heals and recovers from the stresses of the day. For this reason, soothing and rejuvenating products are key to a successful nighttime skincare routine – enter Revision Skincare DEJ Night Face Cream. This product provides numerous benefits for skin health and vitality. It improves the appearance of aging skin with a low dose of retinol that gently exfoliates dead skin cells, revealing healthier cells below. This also promotes skin healing and the production of collagen and elastin. Prebiotics and postbiotics support the skin’s natural microbiome. The soothing cream moisturizer is easy to absorb, so skin reaps the full benefit of this innovative product.

SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2

One of the best ways to allow your skin’s barrier to heal is to prevent additional damage by protecting and soothing the skin. SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 is designed as an anti-aging cream because it smooths and plumps skin. However, the patented triple lipid formula is also ideal for repairing a damaged skin barrier. SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 contains 2% pure ceramides, 4% natural cholesterol, and 2% fatty acids. When applied to the skin, this product fills any gaps in the skin’s barrier as it soothes and heals the skin.

SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex

SkinMedica products were developed to fight skin aging. Their product line was founded by dermatologists and scientists who were pioneers in skin rejuvenation. They used groundbreaking scientific research to develop a line of products that keep skin healthy and youthful. For this reason, many of their products support the health and vitality of the skin’s barrier. One of their best skin barrier restoration products is SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex. This is a natural growth factor serum that helps to repair and strengthen skin. In addition to repairing the skin’s barrier, it also reduces signs of aging and increases collagen and elastin production for healthier, more youthful skin.

Keep Exploring Our Skincare Favorites

If you’re interested in learning more about skincare products that restore your skin’s barrier, address specific skin health concerns, or just ensure you look and feel your best, take some time to explore the dermatologist-recommended products available on the Derm Skincare site. Read our blog regularly for more tips and product recommendations from our trusted dermatologists.