Barrier Damage: How to Tell, and How to Fix It

A damaged barrier is the most common self-inflicted skin problem, and it is almost always caused by doing too much: an acid toner plus a retinol plus a scrub plus a foaming cleanser, all in the same week.

The signs

• Products that never used to sting now do — especially anything with acids or vitamin C.
• Skin feels tight and looks shiny at the same time.
• Fine flaking around the nose and mouth.
• New redness, or a rough, sandpapery texture.
• Breakouts that appear as small uniform bumps rather than deep spots.

What to do, in order

Stop every active. No acids, no retinol, no scrubs, no vitamin C. This is not a reduction; it is a full stop, for at least two weeks.

Cut back to three products. A gentle cleanser, a ceramide moisturiser, and sunscreen. CeraVe's ceramide lotions exist for exactly this situation — ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids in the ratio skin builds its own barrier from.

Add occlusion at night if you are flaking. A thin layer of an ointment or a plain petrolatum balm over your moisturiser holds water in while the barrier rebuilds.

Wait. Barrier repair takes two to four weeks. Reintroduce one active at a time, twice a week, and stop again at the first sting.

Preventing the next one

One exfoliating product, two or three nights a week, maximum. Retinol on separate nights from acids. And if your skin is behaving, resist the urge to add something — the most common cause of barrier damage is a routine that was already working.