How to repair your skin barrier after over exfoliating, a gentle, grounding guide to soothe and restore

Sometimes, even with the best intentions, we can do a little too much for our skin. If your face feels tight, sensitive, or suddenly reactive and you can't even use those old faithful products, it may be a sign of over exfoliation. Repeatedly stimulating the cell turnover of your skin,

can result in a comprised skin barrier.

When the skin’s protective barrier has been stripped and it is feeling fragile, it is asking for calm, not correction.

The good news? Your skin knows how to heal. With time and gentle, mindful care, it can regain its natural balance and resilience.

How to recognise that your skin is telling you that you’ve over exfoliated:

• Your skin might feel warm, sting or flush

• easily

• Your skin might look shiny but feel dry or tight

• Your skin is reacting to products that never used to bother it

• Your skin has developed some flakiness or small breakouts

These are all messages from your skin saying: “Slow down, please.”

It’s not damaged beyond repair, it just needs a pause and some simple nurturing.

So, you have over exfoliated your skin, feeling overwhelmed and just want to return to a place of calm.

Pause all exfoliation and active treatments, this is the most important step in your skin barrier repair.

Give your skin time to recover by stepping back from:

• Physical scrubs and exfoliating brushes

• Acids (like glycolic, lactic, or salicylic)

• Retinoids, vitamin C or strong actives

Instead, focus on barrier recovery skincare

Choose a minimal, fragrance-free routine with three essentials:

A gentle cleanser with a cream or milky lotion texture

Take time to cleanse with care – use lukewarm water, ensure that the cleanser has been completely removed with gentle hand and pat your dry rather than rub. should leave your skin feeling hydrated and calm, not tight, itchy or screaming for you to quickly apply your serum or moisturiser.

A hydrating serum or essence that is applied to damp skin

Pick a product that does not contain any actives or fruit extracts that will stimulate your skins cell turnover. Look for deeply hydrating ingredients like ceramides, squalane, oat extract, hyaluronic acid, gylcerin, or panthenol.

A moisturiser rich in ceramides or fatty acids

Seal in your hydrating serum, apply a comforting moisturiser morning and night to lock in hydration. It should be the kind of moisturiser that doesn't ask anything more of your skin other than feeling comforted and nourished. You should be able to apply it and get on with your day. Remember to protect, use SPF if you go outdoors, as over-exfoliated skin is more sensitive to sunlight.

That is it, just three essential steps that will help to guide your skin to repair its barrier.

Right now, less truly is more. It is time to rebuild with nourishment and consistency.

Think of your skin barrier like a garden, when the soil is depleted, you add water and nutrients, not more digging and asking it to grow more. Your skin’s rhythm is already working to restore itself, your job is simply to make space for that process.

Support your skin from the inside out

At Hada Therapies, skin health is part of a whole system.

Your body, mind, and nervous system are all connected. Supporting skin barrier repair means creating calm not just on your face, but within yourself too.

Think about trying:

Hydrate from within, make drinking plenty of water and herbal teas a daily habit and eating a variety of nourishing, colourful foods that support hydration and overall body function.

Sleeping well and lowering stress where you can, stop scrolling on your phone right before your head hits your pillow. Take a moment to think about what brings you into a flow state, what really calms you? Is it reading, walking amongst the trees, dancing, baking? It can anything that brings you into a place of calm.

Start using slow, mindful touch when cleansing or applying products, calm skin begins with calm energy. Rushing will elevate stress levels, you might not even notice it. Even if you don't have lots of time, use the time you have to regulate your nervous system with slow, meditative movements to soothe both your mind and your skin.

When to reintroduce exfoliation mindfully

Once your skin feels comfortable again,usually after a few weeks ( your own intuition can decide this), you can slowly reintroduce gentle exfoliation:

Start once a week (or every ten days) with an enzyme-based exfoliant, papaya based formulas are considered to be the mildest of the bunch. Once your skin can regularly handle a minimal amount of exfoliation, you may wish to try a mild acid exfoliant. Lactic acid and mandelic acid are both regarded as gentle options. I would suggest starting with a very low percentage and to only stick with one exfoliation step within your routine.

Also ask yourself if you really need an acid exfoliant, if you are happy with what an enzyme exfoliant can offer you, then gentle consistent care can be enough.

Always follow with a hydrating moisturiser, if your skin reacts or tingles, take another pause. Exfoliation should refresh, not strip. Let your skin set the pace, not the other way around.

A final note from Elizabeth, Founder of Hada Therapies

Your skin is resilient. Even when it feels fragile, it’s working quietly to restore harmony beneath the surface. Over exfoliating isn’t a setback, it’s a reminder to return to gentleness, to focus of feeling present and gentle care, not chasing trends that encourage to try a new product every week.

Soothing and repairing your skin barrier isn’t about perfection, it’s about listening to what your skin is asking for and responding with softness. Take a deep breath. Slow down. Your skin will find its balance again and you will feel it too.

If you would like to find ease with your skin, download Calm Skin Foundations. A gentle free guide to help you understand your skin, calm your nervous system and create a simple routine that feels right for you.

In this guide, you'll explore nourishing ways to reconnect with your skin and wellbeing.