“Comparable in system, they’re carefully associated however not essentially an identical,” says board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban, M.D., founding father of SKINFIVE. So whereas they do typically include moisturizing properties, you would not wish to use a barrier cream the identical manner as a moisturizer (extra on that later). Positive, some manufacturers will title their fatty-acid-rich moisturizers “barrier lotions,” however simply know that the 2 aren’t so interchangeable. 

“Barrier lotions are often thicker than common moisturizers and often kind a skinny layer on high of the pores and skin as an alternative of melting and disappearing into the pores and skin when utilized,” says Rodney. “If you’re trying to hydrate dry and itchy pores and skin, you wish to use a moisturizer. If you’re searching for an added layer of pores and skin safety towards wind or harsh climate over already moisturized pores and skin, you should utilize a barrier cream.” 

Consider it this fashion: Barrier lotions do not precisely hydrate your pores and skin, however they do preserve hydration locked inside. Shamban agrees: “They do greater than introduce moisture; they have protectants and actives to work on lowering irritation, combating redness, lowering itch, repairing and strengthening intracellular constructing blocks of the stratum corneum layers,” she says.