Here are two of my winter essentials for skin: Dermalogica’s Skin Hydrating Booster and Barrier Repair.
Skin Hydrating Booster
Skin Hydrating Booster is turbo-charged Hyaluronic Acid. Very concentrated. One drop is all I need for my face. I add a drop to a moisturizer (which is already on a finger), blend with a finger from my other hand, then apply. You can also blend in your palm, but I like to use my finger because it’s less wasteful.
I love this booster because it’s very hydrating but also easy to use. The booster is slightly syrupy, not watery like some by other brands. So it’s easy to control the amount when you squeeze the bottle. The liquid won’t ‘run away’ when I’m blending.
The booster is designed to blend well with any moisturizer, even non-Dermalogica ones.
My favorite combination is this booster with Skin Smoothing Cream – a medium-weight moisturizer that’s great for normal or combination skin. In the summer, this cream gives me enough moisture. In the winter, I simply add the booster to make it more hydrating.
Dermalogica Barrier Repair
Barrier Repair is a good cream for skin that is dry, irritated, sore, red, or in the process of healing. It is my favorite repair cream.
If you’ve ever had a bad reaction, and your skin gets red, itchy, dry, flaky or rough, this is a good cream to use in the interim. It works on any skin type and doesn’t clog pores.
See the drop on the spatula in the picture? It looks like an ointment but is not sticky. It’s a dry gel (similar to the texture of Smashbox primer).
There is no water in this product. It is in a silicone base. What this does is create a protective, occlusive layer over skin.
Occlusive means that it blocks. So, things like irritants can’t come in, and things like water don’t escape. But the ingredients still allow skin to “breathe.”
As a result, your skin holds water longer. And it can heal uninterrupted.
When your skin is weak or damaged, shielding it is the best thing you can do while it’s healing.
The cream also has anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredients.
I like to use this in 2 places on my face:
1). the inner corners of my eyes when they get irritated (because the skin there is thin & delicate)
2). on my nose around the nostrils (because I blow my nose a lot).
The crease around the nostril is thin and gets red easily. It also clogs easily, which is why I use this instead of a balm or moisturizer. I don’t want to get blackheads there.
My only wish is that Barrier Repair came in a larger size so that it could be used for a larger area of the face economically. It is $42 for 1 oz. So I recommend this more for smaller areas and skin emergencies.
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Related Reading:
- Boosters
- Barrier Function (what it means & why it’s super important)
- Barrier Repair Ingredients
- Potential Irritants In Skincare
Hello,
I have acne prone skin. Do you recommend these products? thanks 🙂
Are you oily or combo oily? Or do you have normal or dry skin with acne? If oily or combo oily, I recommend a different moisturizer – Active Moist. If normal or dry, the Skin Smoothing Cream is more moisturizing.
The Skin Hydrating Booster is suitable for any skin type, so if you feel dry, I recommend that as something you can add to a moisturizer to give you more hydration. If you’re very oily, you’ll find that Active Moist is probably sufficient.
You can use Barrier Repair on areas where you feel sensitive, irritated, or extra dry. Active Moist is a better overall daily moisturizer for oily skin.