11 Gel Creams That Will Strengthen Your Skin Barrier

Don't touch your face. It's advice dermatologists, estheticians and skin-care savvy parents have doled out for generations. But if you still haven't taken it to heart, now's the time. "We normally do this about 300 times a day, and it can cause the spread of viral illness," says Dr. Melanie Palm, a San Diego area dermatologist.

But try not to touch your face when putting on and taking off masks several times a day. Then there's the act of wearing a mask itself, which can cause its own host of skin woes, including breakouts, scaly skin and redness near the mouth and nose. "When the natural microflora is disturbed, a disequilibrium in the skin microenvironment occurs, leading to inflammation and worsening of some skin conditions, like eczema, acne, and rosacea, among others," Dr. Palm says.

One way to raise your skin's defenses against bacteria and inflammation — whether it stems from face touching or mask wearing? Strengthen its protective barrier by keeping skin hydrated and its microbiome in balance. "The best advances more recently in moisturizers are those that provide hydration, repair the skin barrier, help the skin microbiome re-establish itself, and decrease overall inflammation in the skin," Dr. Palm says. "Some lighter or whipped formulations are great as they are actually lipid-derived bases that are processed to feel lighter."

Ahead, find 11 moisturizers that do all the heavy lifting that derms look for in a stellar hydrator — but in featherlight gel-cream formulations that won't leave skin suffocating when masked up or in summer heat.

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