From over-exfoliating to over-cleansing and overdoing the actives: find out how to spot the signs of a damaged skin barrier, and how to fix it by resetting your routine with a minimalist approach.

I’ve been there. We all have. You try something (or multiple somethings) new, something trending, something that everyone swears by, and next thing you know, you’re red, flaky, itchy, or breaking out in places you never used to.

If this sounds familiar to you, relax, take a breath, you’re not alone. I’ve been there myself—more times than I’d like to admit. I might even have fallen for the “if it tingles, that means it’s working” propaganda (not one of my finer moments). And no, your skin hasn’t suddenly turned against you. It might just be a sign that your routine is doing more harm than good.

So, today, let’s talk about how to tell if your skincare is damaging your skin, and more importantly, how to fix it.

Top 5 Signs That Your Skincare Might Be Damaging Your Skin

I know a lot of us assume that any breakouts after using a new product are a result of “purging”, but sometimes the culprit is actually a damaged moisture barrier (your skin’s primary defense mechanism). It’s actually rare to purge if you’re not using a retinoid or exfoliating acid.

So, if you’re experiencing any of these additional signs, chances are it’s more than just a purge:

1. Dryness or flakiness

Dry, flaky, even peeling skin (especially around the chin, jawline or cheeks) may signal barrier damage, over-exfoliation or dehydration. You might think it’s dryness and slather on more moisturiser, but chances are, unless you treat the underlying cause, it won’t improve.

2. Sudden irritation

Your skin feels itchy, tight, or uncomfortable. This is often a sign that your barrier is compromised, especially if you've recently added new products to your routine that contain strong actives.

3. Breakouts in New Places

If you're breaking out in areas where you usually don’t (like the cheeks or jawline) it could be a reaction to your new products.

4. Stinging or Burning

Let me say it again—stinging doesn’t mean it’s working. Products should not sting, tingle, or burn unless they’re prescribed by a dermatologist for a specific reason and you’ve been forewarned about the side effects. If your skincare feels like it’s setting your face on fire, it’s time to stop.

5. Shiny-Looking but Dehydrated-Feeling Skin

OK, this last one is based purely on personal experience, but when I’ve damaged my moisture barrier, my skin often looks shiny or oily on the surface but feels incredibly tight and dehydrated underneath. This is usually my barrier crying out for help.

What May Be Causing the Barrier Damage

This is going to sound harsh, but trust me, you need to hear it. If your skin is constantly getting damaged, then the most likely cause is…YOU. You may not have meant to do it, but one or more ingredients that you’ve chosen to put on your skin is probably the culprit here. The most common ones include:

Harsh cleansers: It’s important to start your skincare routine with a clean face, but cleansers with drying and stripping ingredients, like denatured alcohol or strong exfoliating acids, can disrupt your skin's delicate pH balance and zap away those precious natural oils that keep your moisture barrier happy.
Over-exfoliation: Regular use of chemical exfoliants, or worse, physical scrubs, can strip away the protective layers of your skin, leaving it vulnerable to dryness, irritation, and overall barrier breakdown. When you strip away the skin's protective layer, it leads to moisture loss and sensitivity.
Lack of hydration: On the flip side of over-exfoliation is under-hydration. One of the most common signs of disrupted barrier function is dry, deyhydrated skin. To reverse this, and prevent it in the future, you need to make sure you’re using products with hydrating and barrier function promoting ingredients, especially if your skin feels tight, rough and flaky.
Layering too many actives: I get it—it’s tempting to add actives like retinoids, AHAs, BHAs, vitamin C and others into your skincare routine. They promise flawless, radiant, youthful skin, and the proof is in the shiny, glossy images we see on social media every day. But unfortunately, layering too many actives together, or cranking up the concentration without proper hydration and barrier support is one of the leading causes of barrier damage.

It’s worth adding that there are a few barrier damage triggers that are out of our control, but knowing what they are can help protect your skin from them:

Environmental factors: From blistering cold winds to scorching heatwaves, Mother Nature loves to throw a curveball at our skin. Exposure to harsh weather conditions like extreme temperatures, low humidity levels, and pollution, without proper skincare, can stress the skin, leaving it damaged, irritated, and in need of repair.
Age: The natural aging process can lead to a gradual weakening of the moisture barrier, making our skin more susceptible to dryness, sensitivity, and environmental stressors. This is totally normal—and expected—so it’s important to continue reassessing what your skin needs as you get wiser.

How to Fix Your Damaged Skin

Now, here’s the good news—since a lot of the damage was probably done at your own hands, reversing it is also absolutely in your control too.

If you suspect your skincare is doing more harm than good, here’s how to hit the reset button:

1. Stop Everything You’re Doing and Get Back to Basics

Put down the actives, lock away your exfoliants. It’s time to go back to the bare minimum: gentle cleanser, simple moisturiser, and a good sunscreen that you’d be comfortable reapplying during the day.

Think of it as a skincare detox. This is what your routine might look like:

Cleanse:

Depending on how dehydrated your skin is, you may consider skipping the morning cleanse entirely (a splash of cold water is often enough in the mornings). Instead, opt for a double cleanse at night, using a micellar water (Bioderma is my personal favorite) or cleansing balm as your first step, followed by a super gentle gel or foaming cleanser as the second.

Here are a few of my personal faves (full disclosure: I do make a teeny little commission off these if you buy through my links, so please show some support if you found this article helpful):

Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water (only as the first step of a double cleanse)
BePlain Mung Bean Cleanser
Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelee 3%
Prequel Gleanser Glycerin Cleanser

Moisturize:

Here you want something thick enough to seal in moisture but not so rich it clogs your pores. Look for calming ingredients like ceramides, squalane and oat to make the most of this step. Some that I recommend are:

Sunscreen:

If your skin burns at the touch of sunscreen, choose a mineral formula that’s usually less irritating for sensitive skin. Bonus points if it has calming ingredients like green tea or centella asiatica. Some good options are:

CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen
Prequel Sun Barrier Mineral Sunscreen
Round Lab Birch Juice Mild-up Sunscreen
Skin1004 Hyalu-Cica Water Fit Sun Serum (a chemical sunscreen, but still soothing)

This routine may feel underwhelming at first, especially if you're used to layering five serums. But less really is more when your barrier is in rebellion mode.

2. Cut Out ALL Exfoliants and Harsh Actives

I know I’ve already said this, but it bears repeating. When your skin’s breaking out, the natural instinct is to attack it with exfoliating acids or retinoids or acne targeting ingredients like benzoyl peroxide. But please, for the love of the skincare gods, resist the urge to scrub or swipe your breakouts into submission.

Right now, exfoliants (even the mild ones) are more likely to further weaken your barrier than help. That includes AHAs, BHAs, PHAs, retinoids, and even physical scrubs. You can reintroduce them eventually, but for now, just lay off them completely.

3. Support Your Skin With Hydrating and Barrier-Repairing Ingredients

After at least 8-10 days on the back-to-basics program, you can start introducing some serums, toners and/or essences back into your routine but with a focus on repair, not performance.

Look for soothing, rebuilding ingredients like:

Ceramides that help restore the lipid layer of your skin barrier (I love the Anua Rice Ceramide Hydrating Barrier Serum for this)
Humectants like Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Glycerin, and Hyaluronic Acid that help your skin hold on to moisture, hydrating and soothing it in the process (the Beauty Of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol is a personal fave)
Centella Asiatica known to calm inflammation and encourage healing (the Heveblue Salmon Caring Centella Toner contains both centella and the trendy new damage repair ingredient, PDRN)
Colloidal Oatmeal, which is excellent for itchiness or redness
PDRN, the trendiest new ingredient, known for its wound-healing and damage repairing properties.
Squalane, non-comedogenic oil that helps soften and moisturise

4. Be Gentle and Avoid Irritating Your Skin Further

This is one of the hardest steps, because it’s almost impossible not to constantly touch your face to check if a breakout has become smaller or new bumps have popped up in its place. But, if you want your skin to heal, it’s important to:

Stop picking at flakes or spots
Avoid cleansing your face with hot water
Use clean, fresh towels (ideally ones that are soft) and don’t rub too hard
Try changing your pillow cover often (if you can afford it, a silk or satin pillow case is a great investment too)
Avoid face waxing, shaving or other hair removal procedures until your skin heals

Remember: If your skin barrier is broken, every little bit of friction matters, so try and keep any additional damage to a minimum.

5. Reintroduce Products Very, VERY Slowly

Once things settle down and your skin is no longer irritated, reactive, or sore (usually 2-3 weeks), you may be tempted to rush back to your regular routine. STOP. Slow your roll. Let’s do this the right way:

Add only one product back at a time
Make sure your skin isn’t reacting badly to it, give it a week for things to settle
Monitor your skin for any signs of sensitivity (tingling, redness, tightness)
If it’s a completely new product, make sure to patch test before incorporating it into your routine
Rinse and repeat for any other products you want to (re)introduce

This is how you avoid ending up in a never-ending cycle or barrier damage and repair.

Bonus Tip: Don’t Underestimate Lifestyle Factors

Skincare isn’t just what you put on your face—it’s also sleep, stress, hydration, and diet. Look at what other factors may be making your barrier damage worse, and consider making changes accordingly.

Stress raises cortisol, which can affect your skin’s ability to heal.
Lack of sleep slows down cell turnover and repair.
Low hydration can make your skin feel tight and more prone to flaking.

So, while you’re being gentle with your skin barrier, be gentle with yourself too.

Final Thoughts: Listen to Your Skin

Despite all the things we do to our skin, at the end of the day, it’s pretty patient with us. It will always tell us when something’s not working, it’s just a matter of learning how to listen.

If something suddenly feels off, don’t panic. More often than not, the answer isn’t “add more products,” it’s “strip it back.” A healthy barrier is the foundation for everything else: brightening, firming, clearing up acne. So treat it like the priority it is.

Is Your Skincare Routine Damaging Your Skin? Here's How to Fix it.

From over-exfoliating to over-cleansing and overdoing the actives: find out how to spot the signs of a damaged skin barrier, and how to fix it by resetting your routine with a minimalist approach.