Does your skin feel or look dry, flaky, red, itchy or rough? You may have a compromised skin barrier, according to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Terrence Keaney. Instead of grabbing your usual body lotion or face moisturizer, try a cream made to support and repair your skin barrier.
“Repairing the skin barrier means giving it what it needs, which is replenishing the essential lipids and increasing water hydration,” says Dr. Stacy Chimento, a board-certified dermatologist. Unlike your typical cream or lotion, barrier creams do more than just hydrate the skin; they also heal the barrier and protect against the loss of water and an influx of allergens and irritants, says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Stephen Suah.
We spoke to dermatologists about what exactly your skin barrier is and how to shop for a barrier cream. We also rounded up expert-recommended and Select staff-favorite creams to consider.
SKIP AHEAD The best barrier creams | How to shop for barrier creams
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How we picked the best barrier creams
When shopping for the best barrier creams for your skin, our experts recommend keeping in mind the following factors:
- Ingredients: When choosing a quality moisturizer for your skin, you may find a combination of humectants, occlusives and emollients. However, it’s important to locate ingredients that target the skin barrier, whether it’s supporting or repairing. Ceramides, a type of emollient that is also the foundation of your skin barrier, is found in a majority of barrier creams.
- Consistency: Barrier creams vary in thickness, with some being rich and thick while others are lightweight. Depending on your skin type or environment, you may be prone to choosing one consistency over another. For example, those with dry skin or living in colder areas should consider a thicker cream. If you are living in a hotter environment or have oily or acne-prone skin, you may want to choose a lighter consistency, according to experts.
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The best barrier creams of 2024
Below is a compiled list of our experts’ favorite barrier creams, some top-rated creams, as well as NBC Select staff favorites.
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
This cream is great for both the face and body since it’s fast-absorbing, non-greasy and has three essential ceramides and hyaluronic acid, says Chimento. The 2023 NBC Select Wellness Award winner is suitable for all skin types, including oily and acne-prone skin, because it’s noncomedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores. It’s also great for those with sensitive skin because it’s hypoallergenic and fragrance-free, according to the brand. You can find this formula (which has the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance) in two sizes, including 12 ounces and 19 ounces.
Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream
This cream is recommended by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Stephen Suah. It has ingredients like ceramides to support the skin, panthenol to reinforce the barrier and prevent water loss, and glycerin to add moisture to the skin, according to the brand. You can also purchase this moisturizer in a mini travel size.
SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2
This facial moisturizer helps mimic the natural levels of lipids in your skin, according to Keaney. It has ceramides to support and add moisture to the skin, cholesterol to help speed up the recovery of the skin barrier and fatty acids to improve elasticity, according to the brand. For the most effective application, the brand recommends taking a small amount and warming it up between your fingertips. Then, you can apply it in patting motions to your face, neck and chest.
Tower 28 SOS Daily Barrier Recovery Cream
A recent favorite of mine is this moisturizer from Tower 28 because it’s gentle enough for my dry, sensitive and eczema-prone skin. It has hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin, ceramides to support the barrier and allantoin to reduce any irritation and lock in moisture, according to the brand. Although you can apply this morning and night, I love using it in the morning because the lightweight cream feels hydrating all day and layers nicely under my sunscreen and makeup. Select editorial projects manager Rebecca Rodriguez also loves this cream and applies it every morning to add an extra layer of moisture and protection. “It has literally saved my skin, especially in the winter when I am prone to eczema breakouts,” she says. “I haven’t had one so far this season.”
La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer
This moisturizer is a favorite of Chimento’s because it has ceramides to support the skin barrier and niacinamide to calm any redness and irritation. You can apply this lightweight moisturizer in the morning and at night to both your face and neck, according to the brand. The fragrance-free and noncomedogenic cream is available in two sizes, including a travel-size. It is also available as a sunscreen.
Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm
Infused with Avène’s signature Thermal Spring Water, this rich cream helps calm inflammation and reduce redness and irritation, according to the brand. “This is one of my top two favorite face moisturizers,” says Select managing editor Leah Ginsberg, who has rosacea and appreciates how moisturizing and gentle the cream is on her skin. “Last winter my skin got noticeably more dehydrated and very dull. Using this saved my skin complexion.” It also helps restore and hydrate skin within 48 hours, according to the brand. Ginsberg recommends using it at night or on makeup-free days, since the balm feels a bit thicker than her other daily moisturizers.
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Multipurpose Cream
This multipurpose cream can be used to soothe dry, irritated skin on your face, body and lips, according to the brand. The cream, which has a 4.6-star average rating from over 15,000 reviews on Amazon, is infused with vitamin B5 and shea butter to soothe, glycerin to hydrate and centella asiatica (also known as cica) to moisturize, according to the brand. It’s suitable for all skin types and gentle enough to use on babies one week of age and older, according to La Roche-Posay.
Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream
The Skinfix face cream, which has a 4.2-star average rating from over 2,900 ratings at Sephora, has a combination of humectants that include hyaluronic acid and glycerin, emollients like squalane and occlusives like shea butter. For the most effective results, apply one to two pumps in the morning and at night on clean and dry skin, according to the brand.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Advanced Repair Barrier Cream
This rich barrier cream not only adds hydration and supports the skin barrier, but it also helps reduce the appearance of any redness with the help of ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, glycerin and niacinamide, according to the brand. You can apply this cream, which is a 2023 Select Wellness Award winner, on your face morning and night. You can also use this as a spot treatment for areas that are dry, itchy or rough, according to Kiehl’s.
Roc Barrier Renew AM SPF 30 Moisturizer
This Roc day cream, which has a 4.4-star average rating from over 200 reviews at Ulta, combines a moisturizer and an SPF all in one. The fragrance-free formula also has ceramides and prebiotics to help protect sensitive skin, according to Roc. Its formula also hydrates and balances your skin barrier while reducing the appearance of fine lines, dark circles and wrinkles, according to the brand. Apply 15 minutes before sun exposure to help protect your skin from UV rays.
La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream
If you’re looking to repair your body’s skin barrier, consider this moisturizer that comes recommended by Keaney. The cream has ceramides to retain moisture and support the skin barrier, shea butter to hydrate and replenish the lipids in the skin barrier, glycerin for moisture and hydration and niacinamide to help calm the skin, according to the brand. You can use this in the morning and at night by massaging the product onto your skin until it fully absorbs, according to La Roche Posay.
Ilia The Base Face Milk
This vegan, fragrance-free moisturizer is infused with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, fatty acids and microalgae extract to boost hydration, according to the brand. Its formula is also lightweight, so you can use it on its own as a moisturizer or applied underneath another cream when your skin feels especially dry, according to the brand. “This melts into my skin — even more so after using an exfoliator and before toning,” says NBC Select production coordinator Kelsey Fredricks. Select SEO editor Nikki Brown uses this product in the morning and says it’s great for giving her skin some extra TLC in the wintertime“I love the serum-like consistency and how nicely it layers with face oil. Most importantly, my skin just feels a lot better,” she says.
Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair
If you have mildly irritated skin and are experiencing some acne outbreaks, Suah recommends this overnight repair cream because it’s noncomedogenic. The fragrance-free moisturizer has hyaluronic acid and ceramides to hydrate and support the barrier, Japanese indigo to reduce irritation and mondo grass to support the skin’s microbiome, according to the brand. For the final step in your nighttime skin care routine, apply a pearl-sized amount of this cream nightly to your face, neck and chest, according to Tatcha.
SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator
This SkinMedica moisturizer is a lightweight hyaluronic acid serum that should be applied before your daily face cream, according to Keaney. With five different types of hyaluronic acids, this product adds hydration back to the skin, according to the brand. Apply this moisturizer with wet fingertips all over your face, neck and chest, according to SkinMedica.
Drunk Elephant Bora Barrier Repair Cream
This barrier cream helps repair skin and target concerns like chronic dryness, redness and loss of firmness and elasticity that can cause skin to sag overtime, according to the brand.It includes lipids to moisturize, vitamin C to brighten and glucosyl ceramides to boost and protect skin, which is especially helpful for skin with sun damage or irritation, according to the brand. You can use this cream, which has a 4.6-star average rating of over 500 reviews at Sephora, day or night, according to Drunk Elephant.
Etude House Soonjung Hydro Barrier Cream
This fragrance-free cream comes recommended by Suah as a great option for those with irritated skin that isn’t overly dry. The moisturizer has panthenol to support the barrier and maintain moisture; at the same time, the madecassoside helps reduce irritation and protects the skin from external aggressors and green tea extract acts as an anti-inflammatory, according to the brand. You can apply the noncomedogenic product in the morning before your sunscreen and at night as the last step in your routine, according to Etude.
Avène Cicalfate and Restorative Protective Cream
This cream has zinc and copper sulfate, lipids and thermal water to soothe, hydrate and repair the skin and can go on both the face and body, according to Chimento. The rich, occlusive cream helps repair and hydrate the skin and protect it from external aggressors, according to Avène. Ginsberg says this cream is very rich and moisturizing. “I have rosacea, so I use it after my weekly at-home chemical exfoliant peel to help soothe my skin,” she says. “It’s a very thick consistency, so I warm it up with my fingers first to make it easier for my skin to absorb. It can feel a little greasy, so I use it at night, but it’s worth the results.”
Versed Sweet Relief Overnight Face Barrier Balm
To help repair her combination skin, especially after using a drying acne treatment, Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin says this thick and creamy balm is the only product that gets rid of her dryness overnight. “I also have sensitive skin, and I find this product particularly soothing when my skin is raw and stinging,” says Malin. A little goes a long way, so you can melt the balm with your fingertips and apply it to your entire face at night, according to Versed.
Bubble Water Slide Hydration Boosting Serum
This serum has a lightweight gel texture that absorbs into the skin quickly, according to Brown. “I’m super intentional about my skin care, which means I try to keep my routine as short and effective as possible,” she says. “So, the fact that this serum made it into my lineup is a big deal — I can tell that it’s actually boosted the impact of my moisturizer.” It’s formulated with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a peptide blend to help hydrate, repair and maintain the skin barrier, according to Bubble. Simply apply the serum to clean, dry skin after using your toner and before moisturizing, or mix it with your favorite moisturizer for even more hydration, according to the brand.
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How to shop for barrier creams
When shopping for a barrier cream, our experts recommend considering the ingredients and consistency of your product.
Ingredients
Although it’s important to find ingredients that directly target the skin barrier, like emollients, other types of ingredients need to be in your barrier cream to help maintain and support its function, including humectants and occlusives.
- Emollients: This type of ingredient tends to help repair the skin barrier and includes fatty acids, ceramides and more. One of the essentials in this category are ceramides, which are lipids that make up a significant portion of the skin’s outer layer, says Keaney. They help to form a protective barrier, lock in moisture and prevent water loss.
- Humectants: Humectants are another common skin ingredient category that prevent water evaporation from the skin, says Keaney. Common humectants include hyaluronic acid, glycerin and linoleic acid, according to our experts.
- Occlusives: Occlusive creams are insoluble to water and form a protective layer, says Suah. This barrier helps physically lock in the moisture and avoid water loss, according to our experts. It also helps prevent irritants and allergens from entering the skin, says Suah. Some common occlusive ingredients that you should keep an eye out for include petrolatum, zinc oxide, plant oils and dimethicone, according to both Suah and Chimento.
Consistency
The consistency of your barrier cream may depend on your current skin condition and the season that you are living in, according to Keaney.
- Thick/heavy consistency: Generally, the most common moisturizers have a combination of lipids and water. When you have a thicker moisturizer, it means it has more lipids and less water, according to Keaney. These thick moisturizers can be really effective at locking in moisture and can be more occlusive, says Keaney. The most occlusive options may come in the form of a rich salve or ointment and can be great for those with an underlying condition like atopic dermatitis, according to Suah.
- Lightweight consistency: If you have oily or acne-prone skin, consider a lightweight barrier cream that isn’t as heavy, occlusive or thick since those can worsen the condition and can cause unwanted acne from forming, according to experts.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Stacy Chimento is a board-certified dermatologist at Riverchase Dermatology. Her areas of expertise include pediatric and adult dermatology, hair restoration, chronic skin conditions, aesthetic treatments and more.
- Dr. Terrence Keaney is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of SkinDC. He is also an Assistant Clinical Faculty of Dermatology at George Washington (GW) University and Howard University and is the Director of the Laser and Lipoatrophy Clinic at the Washington DC VA Hospital. His areas of expertise include medical and cosmetic dermatology, among others.
- Dr. Stephen Suah is a board-certified dermatologist at Foxhall Dermatology in Washington, DC. His areas of expertise include medical dermatology, surgical dermatology, cosmetic dermatology and skin of color.
Why trust NBC Select?
Bianca Alvarez is an associate reporter and has been covering beauty, including how to build a skin care routine, eye creams and sunscreens. For this piece, she interviewed three dermatologists and researched many barrier creams on the market. Bianca recommended products the dermatologists shared with us, met their shopping guidance and ones we have tried ourselves.
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