Here's How You Should Be Using Barrier Creams

It's no secret that cold and dry weather is tough on the skin. Besides making your skin feel like sandpaper, cold weather can cause your skin to become dehydrated. With dehydration, your skin can become more susceptible to various skin issues like cracking and flaking. When the weather starts drying out your skin, the recommendation is to use a product like a barrier cream to keep your skin protected. 

DermNet describes barrier cream as a product applied to your face to help retain your skin's moisture and help uphold your skin's physical barrier. Barrier creams are essential for your skin to continue to function despite the weather. Barrier cream can also help alleviate various skin issues you might already have.

Although barrier cream can be a handy resource, especially during the winter season, many still don't know how to apply this product. This cream is potent at retaining moisture and needs to be applied correctly to receive all the benefits. Using your barrier cream at the right moment of your skincare routine will not only help repair and protect your skin, but will avoid any added skin issues.

If you want to see the full effects of your barrier cream, you need to apply it as the last step of your skincare routine, as per Odilyque. You must use it until the end as it will retain the moisture of your previous skincare routine steps and lock it into your skin. If you place another skincare product on top of your barrier cream, it will not reach the intended area. Since barrier creams are thick, it's unlikely any product will be able to penetrate the cream layer and reach your skin. Before applying your barrier cream, add any skincare product that will add extra hydration to your skin throughout the day.

Typically when you use a barrier cream, it's to treat dry, dehydrated skin. Barrier creams can help soothe the problem area while repairing the damaged skin barrier. As Dermatologist Dr. Dev Patel tells Woman & Home, "Any skin irritation means the skin is inflamed – this leads to impaired skin barrier protection and cells are not tightly packed together. This means there's increased TEWL (trans-epidermal water loss), the skin finds it harder to repair itself when dehydrated, and so the cycle goes on. A barrier cream can help break this cycle and restore skin integrity." If you have dry skin or have a skin issue like eczema or rosacea, barrier cream is useful year-round. For those with normal skin, a barrier cream comes in handy during the winter.

Besides repairing the dry areas of your skin, there are various reasons you need to have a barrier cream in your drawer. The Skin Center By Charlotte Plastic Surgery suggests using barrier cream when you've been exposed to environmental toxins or aggressors. After exposure, you'll want to work on repairing your skin barrier to get your skin back to where it once was. Adding a protective layer of a barrier cream can help quicken that process by locking moisture in place. This product can come in handy after traveling to a dry, cold area that has damaged your skin barrier.

Because barrier creams come for the face and body, there are multiple uses for the cream. RSVP Med Spa explains that body barrier creams can also be useful to workers in specific industries to help protect their skin against aggressors. Those who constantly work around harsh chemicals or toxins in their workplace will benefit from barrier creams as they will act as a shield between your skin and the chemical. Simply apply the barrier cream to the areas exposed to the chemical or toxin, and you can expect your skin to remain hydrated throughout your work shift.