MECCA's Most-Loved Skincare for a Better Skin Barrier

May 14 | 3 minute read

Words by The MECCA Memo

Is your skin suddenly feeling extra sensitive or looking more red than usual? You may have a compromised skin barrier.

Supporting your skin barrier with targeted skincare is one of the most important ways to protect your skin from external aggressors: “These layers keep moisture in and irritants out. When your moisture barrier is healthy, your skin will feel calm, plump and hydrated,” Giorgi, MECCA’s skin education manager, tells us.

If your barrier is compromised, it can cause your skin to feel sensitive, uncomfortable (tight, sore, itchy, flaky) and even increase breakouts.

So, whether you accidentally went too hard on the actives or exfoliators, or it’s simply a shift in the seasons impacting your skin, the best thing to do is focus on gentler formulas.

For Everyday Hydration and Repair
Go-To Very Luxe Face Cream

Filled to the brim with ceramides, algae and collagen, this cream will pair beautifully with any serums and SPFs already in your routine. Those plumping ingredients will make your skin look and feel glowy and hydrated instantly, while helping to strengthen your barrier over time. We recommend using this one under makeup for a smooth canvas.

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When You’ve Gone Overboard on the Acids or Actives
Cosmetics 27 Baume 27 Advanced Formula

This French secret to hydrated skin is somewhat of a hidden gem at MECCA HQ. The advanced formula helps support your skin barrier thanks to its hero ingredient, Centella asiatica – an antioxidant that helps to soothe irritated skin. A few days with this rich balm in your routine is pretty much guaranteed to give your skin that ‘I’ve just had a facial’ glow.

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For a Brightening Boost
Drunk Elephant Bora Barrier™ Repair Cream

Featuring a 6-Butterlipid Complex (a blend of ceramides, lipids and butters) and two forms of vitamin C, this cream is perfect for those looking to lock in hydration and even out their skin tone. If you want a moisturiser to make your skin feel like you’ve spent the last week exclusively meditating and drinking herbal tea, look no further.

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For Barrier Support You Can Sleep In
rhode Barrier Butter Intensive Moisture Balm

Hydration and barrier care is the foundation of Hailey Bieber’s skin routine, and this rich night-time balm delivers both while you sleep. With five molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, ceramides and murumuru butter, it leaves an immediate glow, plumps skin over time and delivers hydration for up to 24 hours. The thick, occlusive texture also acts as a physical barrier, making it ideal as the last step in your PM routine as it seals in all the products you’ve applied before.

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For Prioritising Your Microbiome
Cultured Biome One Rich Cream

If you’re dipping your toe into the world of microbiome skincare, then this velvety cream from Cultured needs to be on the top of your wishlist – it’s like kombucha for your face. Biome One Rich Cream features a complex of skin-loving ferments (see: Phytosphingosine and Lactococcus lactis) as well as the hydrating heroes you’d expect in a rich cream (vitamin E and oat kernel oil). This fragrance-free formula helps fortify both the microbiome and the barrier, leaving your skin feeling nourished and looking glowy.

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For Skin on the Sensitive Side
Kate Somerville DeliKate® Recovery Serum

If even the mention of a new product makes your sensitive skin prickly, you’ll find relief in Hollywood’s aesthetician to the stars, Kate Somerville. Part of her DeliKate® range – formulated for the most stressed and sensitised complexions – this silky serum sinks in immediately, delivering hydration and comfort on the double! It includes ceramides and omegas as well as cucumber seed oil and Tasmanian lanceolata fruit extract, which work together to dial down visible redness and restore the barrier so that skin becomes less reactive over time.