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What Is the Skin Barrier, and What Does a Damaged One Look Like?
The outermost layer of skin, cells and the fats between them, that keeps water in and the outside out. When people say their barrier is damaged they mean skin that looks flaky, feels tight and stings.
On the label
Barrier cream or barrier repair means a moisturiser rich in ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids.
What it does not mean
It does not mean something a serum can rebuild overnight. Skin that looks calmer after a few days of a plain, rich cream is the honest version of the claim.