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Incorporate gentle and nourishing ingredients: “Hyaluronic acid, lipids, essential fatty acids, shea butter, vitamin E, and grapeseed oil are always great, simple ingredients to soothe and help repair the skin’s barrier,” Aguilar says.
Mack also recommends looking for occlusive ingredients to improve the functionality. “Ingredients like dimethicone and glycerin help to pull and lock moisture into the skin,” she says. “Products that contain cholesterol and ceramides are also helpful. These ingredients are naturally found in the skin and contribute to the integrity of the skin barrier.”
While your skin is recovering, you’ll want to avoid AHAs, BHAs, retinol, antioxidants, or other active ingredients, Fernandez says. “If your skin is compromised from use of sensitizing products, stop using the products and let the skin calm down (this can take a few days or even weeks),” she explains. “It’s very important that the creams used on compromised skin are free of any irritating additives (fragrances, etc/) and are even designed to be a barrier repair cream.”