Acne treatments can leave skin tight, so a barrier cream earns a spot on the shelf. I am not a doctor, so check with yours about what to use alongside a prescription. What I can tell you is what the brands say. AESTURA ATOBARRIER365 Cream is a rich, dermatologist-tested, non-comedogenic cream with ceramides, and the Cooling Hydro Soothing Water Cream from the same line is the lighter option for oily skin. Tower 28 SOS Daily Skin Barrier Moisturizer is fragrance free and intentionally basic, made with hyaluronic acid and ceramides. rhode Barrier Restore Cream is a fragrance free cream with peptides and shea butter, also labeled non-comedogenic. innisfree Green Tea Ceramide Cream is called non-acnegenic by the brand, with seven ceramides and colloidal oatmeal. Tatcha Indigo Overnight Repair is a fragrance free cream endorsed by the National Eczema Association, and ALPYN Super Peptide Barrier Repair has a five-ceramide complex. Summer Fridays Jet Lag is a mask and moisturizer in one.

How to use it: apply a thin layer after your treatment has dried, and use the water cream in the morning and the richer cream at night.

What I would skip: a thick, balmy cream over your whole face on a humid day. Use it only on dry patches around the mouth and jaw.

Sunscreen is the step people skip most on acne prone skin, usually because it feels heavy. These are the light ones. innisfree Invisible Barrier is an SPF 47 serum with green tea and is labeled non-comedogenic. Beauty of Joseon Dayscreen is an SPF 30 moisturizer hybrid with ceramides, and Day Dew is a water-resistant SPF 50 with niacinamide, both labeled non-comedogenic. Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Control is an oil-free SPF 40 liquid that doubles as a primer, with licorice root that the brand says soothes breakout-prone skin. The Fresh-Moisture version suits drier days. Paula's Choice RESIST Daily Hydrating Fluid is an oil-free SPF 50 with a satin-matte finish and no white cast, and the 5% Vitamin C Sheer Moisturizer SPF 50 is a fragrance free option for evening out tone. Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50 has peptides and squalane.

Pairing tip: if your gel already has hydration, you can let a sunscreen be the only thing on top in the morning.

What I would skip: a dewy cream sunscreen on an oily T-zone in summer. Take the matte fluid there instead.

Start with the texture that matches your skin on the day. If you are shiny by noon, choose a gel like Sofie Pavitt Skin Jelly or Paula's Choice CLEAR. If treatments leave you tight, add a barrier cream at night, and keep the sunscreen light in the morning. Change one product at a time and give it a couple of weeks, because that is the only way to know what caused what. A non comedogenic moisturizer is a good start, but your skin has the final vote. Keep the routine short, since skin that is already dealing with breakouts does not need a long shelf.