The 10 Best Barrier Creams for Every Skin Type
Ever experienced a sudden breakout, go on the attack with every chemical exfoliant, scrub, and cleanser in your skincare cabinet, only to realize you made your skin worse? If so, you may have learned the hard way how important it is to take care of your skin’s barrier—a.k.a. the outermost skin layer that protects you from pollutants, UV rays, and infection. When our skin’s moisture barrier becomes compromised, we often experience inflammation in the form of dry patches, acne, dermatitis, and redness. This is when skin barrier creams come to the rescue.
Not only can a barrier cream help address the damaged skin barrier itself, but they can also help strengthen the protective barrier overtime so it becomes less susceptible to stress. They aid in hydration, come packed with soothing ingredients (like ceramides, colloidal oatmeal, or hyaluronic acid), and are gentle enough to help your skin heal. However, there are a lot of options out there, which is why we’ve put together our editor-vetted list of the best barrier creams to help you find the most effective formula for your skin type.
1. Best Overall Barrier Cream:
THE NUE CO Barrier Culture Anti-Pollution Moisturizer
Lightweight enough for everyday use, reparative enough for when skin’s on the fritz—we love how versatile this barrier-boosting moisturizer is from THE NUE CO. “This is one of the best moisturizers I've ever used; and I've used a lot!! It layers well, absorbs well, and it makes my skin so soft and smooth,” notes one IPSY member. By supporting your skin barrier’s microbiome through pre-, pro-, and postbiotics (with ceramides, peptides, and squalane, too), this gentle moisturizer helps ensure your skin stays balanced and stress-free.
2. Best Barrier Cream for Dry Skin:
DR. JART Ceramidin™ Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream
Dry skin can feel like a never ending thirst that can’t be quenched. A cult-favorite among skincare enthusiasts, this quick-absorbing moisturizer from DR. JART helps put your skin on the fast track to hydration. With five types of ceramides, the dermatologist-tested cream helps reinforce the skin’s water retention and boost elasticity. And a little goes a long way—as an IPSY member tells us: “I’ve used just a small amount after washing my face and I’m not even halfway done with it. So you don’t need a lot and it will last you a while!”
3. Best Barrier Cream for Eczema-Prone Skin:
REN CLEAN SKINCARE Evercalm™ Barrier Support Antioxidant Moisturizer
Formulated with sensitive and eczema-prone skin conditions in mind, this moisturizer is designed to neutralize and soothe inflammatory responses that can cause redness, itching, or flakiness. It also contains a proprietary and antioxidant-rich Global Protection Complex to add an extra layer of defense against pollution and free radicals. We love keeping this emollient-rich cream on deck during the winter months when skin tends to experience bouts of dryness and irritation.
4. Best Barrier Cream for Uneven Skin Tone:
URBAN SKIN RX Even Tone Barrier Repair Ceramide Cream
Anyone who has dealt with dark spots or post-breakout hyperpigmentation knows just how frustrating it can be to address skin tone unevenness without compromising the skin out further. Luckily, this barrier repair cream tackles discolored skin with papaya extract enzymes while cushioning the skin in hydration with ceramides, three percent niacinamide, and squalane—all of which act as skin protectants. We were impressed at how this barrier face cream not only addressed pigmentation over time, but left our skin looking glowy and feeling fully hydrated.
5. Best Barrier Cream for Oily Skin:
SELFLESS BY HYRAM Niacinamide & Maracujá Daily Barrier Support Moisturizer
Developed to help minimize excess oil, the daily barrier moisturizer leaves skin feeling silky and smooth (not oily and greasy) without the use of dimethicones or silicones—a win-win. “As someone with an oily T-zone, I’m obsessed with this moisturizer. It’s a lightweight formula that doesn’t make me extra oily,” one IPSY member raves. The gel-cream hybrid formula sinks into skin like lotions to deliver strengthening niacinamide and antioxidant-packed maracujá which both help support your skin barrier’s overall health.
6. Best Barrier Cream for Acne-Prone Skin:
UNDEFINED R&R Gel-Crème
Ultra lightweight and quick absorbing, we couldn’t get over how soothing this gel cream felt to apply. But it doesn’t just feel good, it does good too. The formula contains a bevy of antioxidants, adaptogenic shiitake and tremella mushrooms, and a slew of barrier-friendly ingredients—like peptides, ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid. It’s fragrance-free and helps repair acne-prone and compromised skin by refining pores and protecting the skin from transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
7. Best Barrier Cream for Under Eyes:
PACIFICA BEAUTY Vegan Ceramide Barrier Eye Cream
The delicate under eye area has its own needs and requires barrier support as well to help steer clear from puffiness, sensitivity, and dry patches. Thanks to vegan ceramides, calendula, and marshmallow root extract, PACIFICA BEAUTY’s eye cream helps calm stressed and sensitive under eyes—a must during allergy season. The lightweight formula applies like a serum, but deeply nourishes like a barrier cream.
8. Best Barrier Cream for Stressed Skin:
SKINFIX barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream
An award-winning barrier cream that keeps sustainability top of mind? That’s a big yes from our end. The refillable, peptide-packed formula is powered by their patented B-L3™ Complex, which helps repair the skin's moisture barrier and leads to firmer, plumper skin over time. It’s also clinically studied and tested by unbiased dermatologists, so you can feel confident that your barrier is getting the best.
9. Best Barrier Cream for Sensitive Skin:
INNISFREE Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Cream
Like a tall drink of water for parched and irritated skin, this deeply hydrating cream goes all out with five types of hyaluronic acid (a major humectant) to penetrate the skin barrier and deliver lasting moisture. We love their Green Tea Complex, which contains green tea seed oil, squalane, and ceramides that work in harmony to soothe redness and inflammation that can disrupt your skin’s barrier. It’s also free from fragrance, allergens, animal-derived products, and mineral oil.
10. Best Barrier Cream for Mature Skin:
KOPARI BEAUTY Moisture Whipped Ceramide Cream
There’s just something about a whipped texture that makes applying moisturizer 10-times more satisfying. While all skin requires adequate moisture, hydration levels become imperative to protect as we age. This barrier cream locks hydration in for up to 72 hours—leaving skin feeling supple, plump, and fully moisturized. “I use it as a semi-occlusive layer at night and my skin feels amazing the next day. If you have dry or even combo skin, you should check this out,” says one IPSY member.
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