How I Repaired My Skin Barrier With 4 Soothing Products

BEAUTY

20 May

Written By Ellie Bunic (She/Her)

As a beauty blogger and content creator, my job is to test skincare products, but my sensitive skin had other plans.

Sensitive skin doesn’t always show up how you’d expect.

As someone who tries dozens of products, I know this firsthand.

My skin might look clear and even but underneath, it’s reactive, fragile, and constantly on edge.

I’m usually pretty cautious. I patch test. I introduce one product at a time. I know the rules.

But during a busy and stressful period, I slipped up.

I started trying multiple actives back-to-back, layering serums like I was frosting a cake.

My skin barrier? Absolutely wrecked.

Ellie’s skin during a flare up. Left: Before. Right: After

The first red flag, a full-blown sensitive skin flare up.

My rosacea flared and just wouldn’t settle. Even rinsing with plain water left my face stinging, tight, and inflamed.

My skin felt stripped and over-sanitised.

To top it off, I started breaking out in itchy red rashes on my palms.

Tiny bubbles, constant irritation, unbearable discomfort. It was my body’s way of waving a giant red flag and screaming: enough!

I hit reset.

I ditched all the actives and went back to barrier-repair basics.

These are the four products that literally saved my skin.

biobod Gentle Rice & Oat Cleansing Powder, $65.00

The thought of using a foaming cleanser on my raw, reactive skin made me wince.

This powder cleanser was a total game changer.

It’s ultra-gentle and packed with calming rice starch and oats—no bubbles, no stripping, just clean, calm skin. A must-have for anyone on a skin barrier repair journey.

biobod Replenishing Hydra-Soothe Serum, $65.00

This is hydration in its most soothing form.

It’s lightweight, but powerful, formulated with sodium hyaluronate, panthenol and prebiotics to calm inflammation, hydrate deeply and help balance your microbiome.

My skin drank this up.

Read: The Monthly Favourites That Helped my Skin Bounce Back

biobod Barrier Restore Nutrient Oil, $95.00

One word: nourishing.

This silky face oil is rich in omega fatty acids and barrier-loving botanicals.

I used it every night to seal everything in, protect my skin from trans-epidermal water loss, and give it the nourishment it was desperate for.

biobod Probiotic Salvation Balm, $55.00

This one was for my hands.

The itch, the rash, the discomfort—gone.

Infused with medical-grade lanolin, probiotics and anti-inflammatory extracts, this balm was my daily saviour.

I used it religiously and finally started to feel human again. See my before an after.

Avocado Zinc SPF 50 Natural Tinted Moisturiser, $40.00

Because even when your skin is in crisis, you still need SPF.

This non-irritating, reef-safe, mineral sunscreen gave me protection without the sting.

Zinc is incredible soothing for sensitised skin and every time I applied this spf, my skin felt soothed. Plus, the natural tint helped me feel like myself again on makeup free days.

Repairing a damaged skin barrier isn’t about throwing more products at your face. It’s about listening to your skin, keeping things minimal, and choosing formulations that support healing.

If you’re in the middle of a sensitive skin flare up, don’t panic:

Strip it back
Stick to the essentials
Give your skin the love (and time) it needs to bounce back

These four products worked wonders for me maybe they’ll be your skin saviours too.

Note: Always perform a patch test before introducing new products into your skincare routine to ensure compatibility with your skin.

Thanks for being here!

By Ellie.VAMS

Important you know: This article contains commission links.

Ellie Bunic (She/Her)

Queen of masking and multi-tasking, Ellie is a self-proclaimed self-care and beauty lover. Founding VAMS Beauty from a love of Australian Made Beauty and Wellness Brands created by women, you can also find Ellie at @ellie.vams on Instagram elevating all things woman owned.

https://www.vamsbeauty.com/