How to Rebuild Your Skin Barrier

How to Rebuild Your Skin Barrier: Your Post-Summer Skin Reset

As we move into autumn, many of us notice our skin feels tight, dry, sensitive, or irritated – all signs that often point to skin barrier disruption. Common summer season culprits include sun exposure, heat, humidity and pollution, but a compromised barrier can also result from over-exfoliation, intense in-clinic treatments (such as lasers and resurfacing) or strong reactions to skincare with high concentrations of powerful actives (think retinol). Thankfully, with a considered approach, this is one skincare concern that can be reversed.

When it comes to repairing your skin barrier it isn’t about adding more complexity, it’s about stripping back, supporting what’s essential, and trusting science-backed formulas. Begin with gentle cleansing, strategic hydration, and nutrient-rich barrier-repair ingredients. With consistency, the right nourishment and protection you’ll see visibly calm, clear and glowing skin once again. Here is everything you need to know about rebuilding your epidermal skin barrier the right way…

Understanding your skin barrier

The skin barrier – or epidermis - is akin to a brick wall: flattened keratinocytes are cemented together by lipids like ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol. When disrupted (by over‑exfoliation, actives, harsh cleansers or climate stress, for example), that wall starts to weaken, showing a few cracks or holes, resulting in  essential moisture loss and letting irritants and pollutants in. Signs that your skin barrier is compromised can include dryness, redness, and even breakouts. Sensitive skin is especially prone to barrier depletion over time whilst age is also a factor - our natural production of lipids, ceramides and hydrators, all key skin barrier components, diminishes as we get older.

7 steps to rebuilding your barrier
 
1 Simplify first
The most potent act of repair starts with restraint. Temporarily shelf all strong actives such as AHAs and BHAs, retinoids and vitamin C. Let your skin rest. Instead, stick to a minimalist routine for gentle cleansing, hydration, repair and protection.
 
2 How you cleanse matters
Cleansing is the first and often most overlooked step in maintaining a resilient, healthy skin barrier. While it’s essential for removing daily impurities that can clog pores and trigger inflammation, it’s a delicate balance: too harsh, and you risk over-cleansing or over-exfoliating, both of which can weaken the skin’s natural defences.
 
The key lies in a formula that purifies without disrupting. Our Ultimate Cleanse, a balm cleanser, is packed with omega-rich baobab and borage oils, Vitamin-C powered rosehip, meadowfoam and jojoba oils, skin-rejuvenating vitamin A and peptides, all working in harmony to dissolve makeup and pollutants while preserving the integrity of the lipid layer.
 
What’s more, when the skin barrier is compromised, its ability to absorb and retain the benefits of serums or moisturisers diminishes. Cleansing correctly not only protects that barrier but also optimises the skin for everything that follows, ensuring actives are absorbed more efficiently, and your skincare works harder for you.
 
3 Add lightweight hydration
Well-hydrated skin is better equipped to retain moisture, fend off environmental stressors, and function optimally. When hydration levels drop, the barrier becomes vulnerable often prompting the skin to overproduce oil in an attempt to rebalance itself. The result can be congestion, dullness, and increased sensitivity.
 
To replenish skin without overwhelming it, reach for lightweight humectants such as hyaluronic acid or glycerin, which attract water into the skin without adding heaviness. Our Intense Hydrating Booster is a featherlight serum powered by low molecular weight hyaluronic acid and designed to deliver deep, lasting hydration to dry, depleted skin.
 
For more intensive hydrating benefits our 3D Moisture Mask floods the skin with hydration at three levels, while reinforcing the lipid barrier. Used once or twice weekly it’s a deeply restorative ritual ideal for reinforcing skin barrier repair efforts.
 
4 Replenish with barrier-building ingredients

 With the skin barrier composed of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids it makes perfect sense to use these same ingredients in your skincare routine to rebuild the structural integrity of your skin barrier. Here’s where our targeted barrier repairing moisturizers work their magic. Comfort Cream D‑stress: rich and buttery daily moisturiser, designed to help with irritation, redness and treating dehydration in moments when your skin is feeling under-nourished. It’s brimming with ceramides (SK‑influx), SymRepair® anti-inflammatories and omega oils. It strengthens that lipid matrix and soothes flaking, irritation, or tightness with a rich, buttery texture. R&R Glow was formulated in response to an increase in sensitised skin cases and barrier function disruption, offering comfort, strength and support. It’s the perfect partner to our new clinically focused serums that feature high concentrations of powerful actives to instantly cool, soothe with it’ cooling hydro-gel texture, while speeding up skin repair. It pairs active EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor) with Diosmin, Ectoin, a Ceramide Complex, Asiaticoside and Madecassic Acid. Together, they help to support skin’s natural regeneration process while enhancing moisturisation and smoothing texture.
 
Equally adept are our Morning Facial & Overnight Facial - our oil and serum hybrids. These dual-use elixirs prep daytime skin and deeply repair overnight and are packed with omegas. You can apply them neat to skin, add a few drops to your moisturiser (such as Comfort Cream) or for extra comfort and nourishment apply your moisturiser overtop. How you choose to use them is up to you.
To restore the skin’s barrier, we must replenish what’s been lost. Since the outermost layer of the skin is composed of lipids - ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol, it makes perfect sense to use these same ingredients in your skincare routine to rebuild its structural integrity. This is where our targeted barrier-strengthening formulations standout.
 
Comfort Cream D-Stress’s rich, velvety formula is crafted for moments when your skin feels depleted, tight, or on the verge of irritation. Formulated with a reparative blend of SK-influx ceramides, omega oils, and SymRepair - a complex of biomimetic anti-inflammatories - it cushions the skin, soothes redness, and reinforces the barrier from within. It’s a daily essential for dry, stressed, or barrier-impaired complexions.
 
For skin experiencing acute sensitivity or inflammation, R&R Glow offers an alternative treatment step. Sarah originally developed this clinic-inspired formula in response to the rise in barrier dysfunction and sensitised skin that often arises post-laser or peel or after using a retinoid or high concentration Vitamin C. The cooling hydro-gel Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), Diosmin, Ectoin, a Ceramide Complex, and Centella-derived actives (Asiaticoside and Madecassic Acid) to accelerate repair, smooth skin texture, and restore skin’s hydration levels.

For additional barrier-repairing support, our iconic oil-serum hybrids, Morning Facial and Overnight Facial, offer reparative nourishment around the clock. Infused with omega-rich oils and potent skin-soothing actives, they work to restore suppleness, resilience, and radiance. These versatile elixirs can be applied directly to skin, mixed into your moisturiser (such as Comfort Cream D-Stress), or layered underneath for added comfort and glow. How you use them is entirely personal, each approach brings its own kind of replenishment.

Incorporating these lipid- and barrier-building heroes into your routine strengthens the skin’s architecture, helping it to recover not just in the moment, but for the long-term.
 
5 Power up with peptides

Peptides are equally vital ingredients for strengthening the skin’s natural barrier. They act as messengers, signalling skin cells to boost collagen and elastin production, both proteins that are essential for skin’s firmness, elasticity, and structure. Collagen is primarily found in the skin’s dermis, the layer beneath the skin barrier, and acts like scaffolding, propping up and plumping out skin’s structure. When collagen levels decline, the barrier becomes more fragile and prone to disruption. Peptides help rebuild that foundation, improving hydration, texture, and the skin’s overall ability to protect and repair itself. The result is a more supple, radiant complexion with reduced sensitivity and fewer visible signs of fatigue or irritation.
 
Several of our Skinesis formulas harness the power of peptides: Eye Recovery and Overnight Lip Concentrate target delicate areas with peptide complexes and essential hydrators. Platinum Pep⁸ Stem Cell Serum delivers concentrated, collagen-stimulating peptides to reinforce long-term barrier strength and Platinum Stem Cell Elixir blends botanical stem cell technology with peptides to accelerate repair and restore resilience.
 
6 Reinforce skin’s environmental defence

As mentioned above, your skin barrier is your skin’s first line of defence, shielding against pollution, bacteria, and harmful UV rays. So when it’s compromised, this protective layer becomes less effective, leaving skin more vulnerable to irritation, and inflammation as well as environmental stress. Within our Comfort Cream D-Stress you’ll find an anti-inflammatory ingredient – SymRepair – to soothe skin from pollutants and other irritants that have already breached the barrier. This is why it’s also paired with two unique ingredients- Pollustop and LycoMega – which create an invisible matrix shield to protect against environmental aggressors such as airborne pollutants and climate fluctuations.
 
To complete any barrier-boosting morning routine, a final layer of SPF is key, especially to defend against external stressors. Our Skin Insurance SPF 50 Invisible is a multi-tasking feather-light SPF that defends against UVA and UVB rays while patented bioactives Vederine and Celligent support DNA repair and help prevent UV-induced lipid depletion. It wears like a second skin, reinforcing the barrier while shielding it from the daily elements.
 
Together, these formulations offer a layered approach to modern environmental defence, strengthening the skin’s internal resilience while protecting its external shield.
 
7 Support skin from within

Barrier repair extends beyond topical care. Sarah champions a holistic approach: hydration (two litres of water a day), a diet rich in healthy fats, and omega supplementation support the barrier from within. Lifestyle factors are also key. Prioritize restful sleep, reduce stress and cut back on inflammatory triggers like alcohol or excessive coffee—recovery lives in the quiet.
 
Your Rebound Ritual

Once your barrier shows early signs of recovery, support it with a carefully curated skincare routine. Our science-backed, sensorial approach soothes, strengthens and restores skin. By pairing strategic ingredients with luxurious textures and mindful routines, you’re not only healing skin—you’re giving it the resilience and radiance you’re meant to keep. 

In the Morning:

• Cleanse with Ultimate Cleanse
• Hydrate with Intense Hydrating Booster
• Reinforce with Morning Facial if extra nourishment is needed
• Repair with Comfort Cream D‑Stress or R&R Glow
• Finish with Skin Insurance SPF50+ Invisible

In the Evening:

• Cleanse and purify with Ultimate Cleanse
• Hydrate with Intense Hydrating Booster
• Add an extra layer of nourishment with Overnight Facial
• Soothe and Repair with Comfort Cream D‑Stress
• Target with Eye Recovery or Overnight Lip Concentrate as needed