The terms moisturiser and barrier cream get used as if they mean the same thing. They don’t. One focuses on temporary hydration. The other focuses on structural repair and resilience. Getting this right changes how your skin feels, how it reacts, and how it ages.
What a Moisturiser Really Does
A moisturiser manages water in the top layer of your skin. In simple terms, it helps your skin hold onto moisture.
It works through three ingredient groups:
Humectants
Glycerin, sodium PCA, urea, hyaluronic acid.
They pull water into the skin.
Emollients
Triglycerides, squalane, esters.
They soften dry, rough skin and improve texture.
Occlusives
Dimethicone, plant oils.
They slow water loss by forming a light film over the skin.
This improves how your skin feels quickly. It does not fix a weak or damaged barrier. If the outer layer is compromised, that water escapes again within hours. Tightness, shine, or redness returns, and you feel like you need to keep reapplying because the real problem never changed.
What a Barrier Cream Really Does
A barrier cream targets the structure of your skin’s protective layer.
Your skin barrier is built from thin layers made mostly of:
· Ceramides
· Cholesterol
· Free fatty acids
In healthy skin these fats exist in precise molar ratios (the balance of ingredients based on the number of molecules, not their weight). In healthy skin, ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids exist in roughly a 3:1:1 ratio. When these layers are damaged, skin becomes leaky, inflamed, and more sensitive.
Barrier creams restore this system in three ways:
Physiological lipid replacement
Your skin’s natural fats are put back in the right balance so the barrier can rebuild and hold onto moisture again.
Lamellar organisation support
These ingredients help your skin rebuild neat, organised layers instead of messy patches of oil.
Occlusive sealing
Rich ingredients form a protective layer over the skin to stop water escaping while it heals underneath.
Moisturisers change how skin feels. Barrier creams change how skin behaves.