The Best Barrier Repair Creams for Cold Weather, According to the Experts

When the heating goes on and the air outside turns cold, skin that felt fine a month ago starts to feel tight, rough and flaky. The fix most of our experts reach for is a barrier repair cream, and the one they rate highest is La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5, with a Guru Score of 92% from 30 experts.

We gathered what the skincare experts we follow have said on camera about barrier creams and balms, and ranked the 13 that score highest. Below are our top picks by what you need, what a barrier cream actually does and why winter is hard on skin (with the research behind it), what to look for on the label, the full ranked list with each product's catch, how to use one through the cold months, and answers to the questions people ask most.

At a glance

What is a barrier repair cream?

Your skin's outer layer, the stratum corneum, is the barrier. Researchers describe it as bricks and mortar: flattened skin cells held together by fats, mainly ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids ^{[2, 4]}. When those fats run low, water escapes more easily and skin turns dry ^[4].

A barrier repair cream is a moisturiser made to top up and protect that layer. Most combine three kinds of ingredient ^{[4, 10]}. Emollients, such as ceramides and plant oils, soften the skin and fill the gaps between cells. Humectants, such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid, draw water in. Occlusives, such as petrolatum and dimethicone, sit on top and slow water loss.

The mix of fats may matter. In lab studies on mouse skin, with early checks on human skin, applying only one or two of the barrier fats slowed repair, while a balanced mix of all three allowed normal recovery ^[3]. That is why several creams on our list put "ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids" on the label.

Tea with MD, a dermatologist, says the SkinFix cream holds these fats "in the optimized golden ratio that helps your skin barrier stay really strong and hydrated." The research on ratios comes mostly from lab studies ^[3], so treat a "golden ratio" as a sensible idea rather than a proven advantage.

Why does cold weather dry out your skin?

A review of the research on climate and skin found that low humidity and low temperatures weaken the skin barrier and make skin more reactive to irritants and allergens ^[1]. The same review found that cold, dry weather raises the risk of flares in people with atopic eczema ^[1].

Several of our experts describe this happening to their own skin. Doctor Anne says her skin "starts acting up because of cold winds and indoor heating," with flaking around the nose and mouth. Dr. Shereene Idriss reaches for her favourite balm "especially in the winters as the heaters go up." Kelly Driscoll notices it overnight: "the cooler nights do mean that I wake up with a little bit more dry, dehydrated skin."

The American Academy of Dermatology's tips for dry skin include running a humidifier in the bedroom overnight, keeping showers to five to ten minutes in warm water, and wearing gloves against cold, dry air ^[8].

The best barrier repair creams, ranked by the experts

These are the 13 highest-scoring barrier repair creams and balms for the face that at least seven of our experts have rated, from a Guru Score of 92% down to 81%. Under each you will find what it is, how the experts voted and, where one exists, the catch: a reservation an expert voiced on camera, in the expert's own words. Body creams and ointments have their own sections further down.

For dry skin on your body (not your face)

These two are body creams. Our experts use them on arms, legs and hands, so we have kept them off the face list above and we are not recommending them for your face.

La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream has a Guru Score of 88% from 15 experts. The Budget Dermatologist calls it "My holy grail moisturizer for dry body skin." It is very rich: Kelly Driscoll finds that outside winter "it can actually sometimes cause some congestion on my skin."

Eucerin Skin Calming Itch Soothing Cream has a Guru Score of 86% from 7 experts, and all 7 said yes. Sincerely Miss Ash keeps it for dry, itchy skin, including "when we shave our legs and stuff, our legs become irritated."

Balm, cream or ointment: how to choose

Our experts use these for different jobs, and the NHS draws the same line: creams for daytime, because they are not very greasy and absorb quickly, and ointments for very dry skin and night-time, because they are thick and very moisturising ^[9].

Everyday creams

SkinFix, Aestura and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream are the everyday picks. Tea with MD says the SkinFix cream "layers really well under sunscreen and makeup." Dr. Jenny Liu thinks Aestura is "great as a daily moisturizer" because it is rich without being greasy.

Rescue balms for nights and rough patches

Cicaplast Baume B5 and Avène Cicalfate+ are the thick layer for nights, chapped patches and skin stung by too many actives. Dr Sam Bunting finds Cicaplast "very much the kind of thing you'd put on to soothe the skin at nighttime." Dr. Daniel Sugai uses Cicalfate+ "to sandwich in my retinol", with a layer before his retinoid and another after it. One cold-weather warning: Dr Dray reports tubes of Cicalfate+ arriving separated, and "Avene claims it's because the product was exposed to freezing temperatures."

Ointments, for cracked skin and slugging

For cracked hands, chapped lips and very dry patches, an ointment seals best. CeraVe Healing Ointment has a Guru Score of 87% from 18 experts, Vaseline Original Healing Jelly 85% from 34, and Aquaphor Healing Ointment Advanced Therapy 84% from 14. Kelly Driscoll uses an ointment as the last step at night: "You would apply your moisturizer and then just put a thin layer of it right on top, kind of like a sleeping mask situation."

In an eczema flare, Dr Dray prefers plain petroleum jelly, because ointments with more ingredients "could potentially be allergens." She also points out that Aquaphor contains lanolin, so skip it if you are allergic to lanolin.

How to use a barrier cream through winter

A good cream can still disappoint if it goes on at the wrong time or in the wrong amount. Here is what the research and our experts suggest.

Put it on damp skin

Dermatologists advise patting skin dry after washing and applying a fragrance-free moisturiser straight away, while the skin is still damp ^[8]. Moisturisers work best in the first six hours, so very dry skin may need them two or three times a day ^[10]. The NHS calls emollients very safe and says you cannot overuse them ^[9].

Use less than you think on your face

A heavy layer of a rich balm can cause breakouts. Dr. Daniel Sugai's advice is "just a pea-sized amount of the Cicaplast Baume because people who have used too much of it have clogged up their pores and caused acne or milia." Occlusive moisturisers can cause or aggravate acne and folliculitis ^[10].

Under sunscreen and makeup

Use a cream rather than a balm in the morning. Even then, some creams pill under sunscreen. Dr Dray found that with Rhode Barrier Restore Cream: "If I added this and then sunscreen I would get pilling."

Make your cream richer on the coldest nights

Kelly Driscoll's trick costs nothing extra: "I mix a pea-size amount of this Cicaplast into my moisturizing cream and this really makes it more luxurious, thicker, and more protective."

Pair it with a gentle cleanser

Everyday soaps and shower gels can dry skin out ^[9], and dermatologists suggest a gentle cleanser without a thick lather ^[8]. Among cleansers, CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser has a Guru Score of 85% from 28 experts. Dr. Jenny Liu likes it "especially during the winter time it really helps to gently cleanse without stripping the skin barrier." Its limit, in Sincerely Miss Ash's words: "I wouldn't say this is the best cleanser to use to remove your makeup and sunscreen as that first cleanse in your nighttime routine."

Wondering why your favourite isn't on the list?

Some of the most talked-about barrier creams score lower with our experts, below the 81% that holds the last place above. Most of them still have fans. Here is what holds each one back, in an expert's own words. The viral Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream has its own section just below.

What about the viral Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream?

It is one of the most talked-about creams online, but our experts mostly turned it down. Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream has a Guru Score of 48% from 6 experts, and 5 of the 6 said no. That verdict is why it is not one of our picks.

Dr Dray found it "sticky and tacky" and adds: "There's fragrance in it, and fragrance is a common allergen in skincare products and it can be irritating." Dr. Daniel Sugai, its one fan, likes the glow it leaves but still calls the collagen name "a little gimmicky", since "it's not going to rebuild collagen." That fits the research: large molecules such as collagen cannot get through the skin's outer layer ^[10].

The bottom line

For cold-weather dryness, our experts' clearest picks are a thick balm like Cicaplast Baume B5 for nights and rough patches, an everyday barrier cream like SkinFix or Aestura under your sunscreen, and a gentle cleanser underneath it all. If your skin cracks, bleeds or itches badly, or a rash will not settle, see a doctor or dermatologist: it may need more than a moisturiser.

For more picks by skin type, see our rankings of the best moisturizers for dry skin and the best moisturizers for sensitive skin, or read Kelly Driscoll's guide to moisturizers, from one of the experts quoted here.