@sparklesandskin: My top tips to repair your skin barrier👇 1. Completely stop using actives eg retinoids, exfoliants, vitamin c until your barrier is healed - even if you are using a retinoid for acne you should stop until your barrier is healed because a damaged barrier can cause breakouts and you need a healthy barrier first to effectively treat acne 2. Stick to a simple routine including a gentle cleanser - don’t use any harsh cleansers, scrubs or peels these can further damage your barrier 3. Use a barrier repair cream until your skin is no longer tight, flaky, dry, peeling or stinging (see my post from 22nd Nov for best barrier creams and 25th Nov for best for acne) 4. If barrier creams break you out use lighter barrier repair products like toners and serums instead 5. Wait till your barrier is healed (this can take 2-6 weeks) before introducing exfoliants and retinoids again and when you do be super cautious (start with only x1 product 2x per week and increase as tolerated - it’s also best to start with a gentle active like PHA or a low % retinal). A big cause of barrier damage is using actives that are too strong for your skin, using them daily or even using multiple actives at once when you don’t have the tolerance (and maybe never will) so you need to start low and slow to avoid damage and see what you tolerate Let me know if you have any questions in the comments ❤️ #damagedskinbarrier #skinbarrierrepair #skintok #barrierrepair #acne

iona francis

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Sunday 04 January 2026 17:51:56 GMT