I Messed Up My Skin Barrier But These Two Products Helped

I feel like this happens to a lot of us. I mean, who hasn’t gone a little overboard with skincare in an effort to quickly fix something? Only to have regret later. Oh boy. This was me last week when I had gone too many days in a row with a retinol serum. It wasn’t a new serum to me, but I had taken a break from it while moving and being sick and apparently 4 days in a row was NOT the way to go. 

Oops.

My skin barrier had been compromised. Oops. You guys, I woke up to my face feeling slightly like sandpaper and with redness on my cheeks. I was so mad at myself because it doesn’t happen often and you think you know better….but I didn’t think the break would cause this. 

My skin was uncomfortable. It kinda hurt in places and just felt rough. It wasn’t pretty, so I did my best to avoid any skincare products with multiple actives, and keep things simple. I switched from my usual hyaluronic acid serums with peptides to Murad Sensitive Skin Soothing Serum, and also relied on two other products that need time in the spotlight. 

The Skin Healer

After sharing on my stories that I had messed up my skin, my friend Eryka from Busy Little Izzy recommended I look into BLDG Active Skin Repair Hydrogel.  Once I read about the product I realized I was familiar with what it was and how it worked, I just forgot all about it! Active Skin Repair is an all-in-one natural solution for skin healing. Its main active ingredient is HOCl which stands for hypochlorous acid, a molecule that our own bodies produce to help support our own natural healing process. 

HOCL acts as an antibacterial agent and disinfectant. You might have seen it as an active ingredient in other products from brands like Tower 28 beauty, Force of Nature cleaning products, Briotech, and more. It also helps with keeping acne under control, rashes, and redness as it also acts as an anti-inflammatory. I have had success using different brands of spray on my skin to control a sweat rash I was getting from my sports bras, so I know it’s useful to me!

This brand made its products into both a spray and a hydrogel. It’s designed to be safe for everyone to use without causing irritation or reaction, so babies, animals, and those with sensitive skin can benefit from this too.  I liked how the hydrogel felt hydrating on my face when I applied it and it only took a few days to use to help my skin go back to normal. It doesn’t have any scent added to it, but to some like me, it smells like pool water. I like having the gel so you can apply it right where its needed if we end up getting any small cuts or wounds; versus a spray that would cover more area and waste more. 

This product is backed by the national eczema association.

BLDG is a 1% for the Planet company which means 1% of every sale goes back to non-profit environmental organizations. 

The Skin Soother

The skin soother and moisturizer I relied on was Beautycounter’s Balm For All (also known as baby daily protective balm previously). I absolutely love using balms like this on any skin irritation Zoe or I get. This is a non-petrochemical option for a balm if you choose to stay away from petroleum products, and because it’s from Beautycounter you know they are using the safest possible ingredients. 

Just the same as Active Skin Repair, Balm For All is also fragrance-free. It hydrates and moisturizes the skin with a blend of shea butter, jojoba oil and organic sunflower seed oil. During the winter I like to add a dab of this to my nighttime moisturizer because it really helps seal things in without having a suffocating feel. I can also use this on snagged or cracked cuticles so they look better. 

In my most recent skincare disaster, I used it as my nighttime moisturizer and used my True Botanicals Skin Barrier Sun Shield During the day. 

I like that this one can be used by everyone in the house to help minor booboos or skin irritations feel better. Zoe and I get dry skin so it’s really helpful for making it more comfortable. I find it less thick than its familiar counterpart, Aquaphor, and definitely thinner and less intrusive than straight vaseline.

Balm for All is packaged in 30% PCR tubing and the brand is cruelty-free. 

First time Beautycounter customer? Try code: CLEANFORALL20 for 20% off your first order!

Could you use these in your household? Or use something similar?