Hey everyone! I recently over-exfoliated and completely wrecked my skin barrier — it was sore, red, and super uncomfortable. Luckily, after about five days of careful skincare, my skin recovered beautifully. Here’s everything I used during that healing period.
For reference, I have sensitive, oily combination skin.
CLEANSER
When my barrier was damaged, I only used gentle cleansers with no active ingredients.
- COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser: A mild and non-irritating cleanser — perfect for acne-prone and sensitive skin.
- Manyo Oil Cleanser + COSRX (Double Cleansing): This combo ensured my skin was clean without being stripped or irritated.
TONER
- Abib Heartleaf Calming Toner: Known for reducing redness and inflammation, this toner is incredibly gentle. I also soaked cotton pads with it and used them as calming masks.
ESSENCE
- COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
- Laneige Cream Skin Refiner
These essences helped maintain hydration and supported the effectiveness of the following products. They’re both gentle and super moisturizing.
SERUM
- The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum: Since niacinamide isn’t an exfoliating acid, I continued using it to calm my pores and prevent future breakouts.
MOISTURIZER
- Day 1: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5
I used this thick, soothing cream only on the first day because it can clog pores, but it worked wonders in calming and repairing my skin.
- From Day 2 Onwards: Etude House SoonJung Hydro Barrier Cream
A lightweight, skin-barrier-friendly moisturizer that worked perfectly for daytime.
- COSRX Snail Mucin Cream: A thicker cream I used at night to deeply nourish and lock in moisture.
SPOT TREATMENTS
- COSRX Centella Blemish Cream: Light, calming, and perfect for reducing inflammation.
- La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5: I also dabbed this on areas with redness or active breakouts as a spot treatment — it’s like magic in a tube.
That’s everything I used to get my skin barrier back on track! Hopefully, this helps if you're going through the same thing — healing is possible with the right care and a little patience. Stay gentle with your skin!
