Skin Barrier Saviours, Fragrance Free.

We can't always control the environment we find ourselves in. What we can control however, is what we put on our skin, strengthening it and giving it the best possible chance to withstand environmental triggers.

I've been in training for this blog post for years. As a teenager, I was already using what would now be considered premium skincare products and cosmetics, simply because the cheaper options were full of fragrance and other irritants.

Back then, choices were limited, but I knew very early on that Estée Lauder was not for me, Clinique and Prescriptives were pretty safe, Clarins was a big no no and Elizabeth Arden was just about ok, depending on the product.

Nowadays, there are so many more products available, it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Yes, some of those listed below are slightly more pricey, but they last, they work and they give you the best chance of keeping reactions at bay by nourishing your skin so it has a fighting chance.

Here are my Skin Barrier Saviours (All prices are approximate and there are invariably offers to be had, particularly on CeraVe and La Roche-Posay...so shop around!)

1. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser For years I used Simple Soap and water, then moved on to a Prescriptives cleanser. Prescriptives were discontinued (sad times), so this is where I landed. This cleanser is exactly what it says it is. Suitable for sensitive skin, hydrating, cleans the day away and I use it to remove eye make-up too.
   

2. Oil of Olay Sensitive Beauty Fluid The OG - where would we be without Mr Wulff and his wife. I can't remember exactly when the fragrance-free version came out, but I was using Clinique at the time and needed to find a budget alternative. I have been using this trusty favourite ever since and can safely say, it is a brilliant moisturiser that will leave your skin feeling hydrated and happy. You can also use it to cleanse if you run out of CeraVe.
   

3. La Roche-Posay Dermallergo Eye Cream (RRP £21.00, but always on offer somewhere bringing it down to as low as £15.00!) When I started to have problems with my eyes, I decided to try a separate eye cream. I rely on this so much I did a separate blog post about it. Small enough to pop in your pocket, light enough to apply mutliple times a day. It's not cheap but it's so soothing, it's worth every penny.
   

4. CeraVe AM Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF50 I don't use this all the time as I use a separate daily SPF (see the next item!) plus a tinted moisturiser that contains SPF, but this is great if you want to go make-up free and use less products.
   

5. La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMUNE 400 SPF50+ This isn't cheap, but it's light enough to pat on to my eyelids and smooth over the rest of my face/neck/ears etc. It's quite watery, so a little goes a long way and you can rub any left over in to your hands. I like to think it also creates a bit of a barrier to the fragranced world, so I use it even on a dull day if I'm venturing out and about.
   

6. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Light Revealer SPF 25 I don't wear foundation, so this is my lightweight base just to even out my skin, add more moisture to the mix and again, create a bit of a barrier. It is a bit of a splurge, but I figure as I'm a minimalist when it comes to make-up, I save on not having lots of other products.
   

7. Vaseline This stalwart needs no introduction, having been around since 1870! Some don't like the idea of using petroleum jelly. I however have been using it every day since the early 80s - after hearing Dame Joan Collins used it on her eyelids nightly to lock in the moisture and help prevent wrinkles. I obviously was very concerned about that at the grand old age of 8. I will however say that when I used to suffer from more typical dry eczema as a child, using this anywhere I had patches helped calm things down by preventing further moisture loss. Now I use it every night around my eyes and daily on my hands. It's cheap, you can have a tin of it in your pocket for any skin that needs soothing and it also is great for removing eye make-up. My dermatologist did say I should try using it in the daytime too, as a barrier....but I'll leave that to Natalie Imbruglia, circa 1997.

So there we go. Of course, we are all different so always read labels carefully and do remember to check for formulation changes. But this bunch are the ones I buy on repeat, as they quite simply do the trick.