# Horse Skin Care: Gentle Wash Plus Barrier Balm

> Keep skin healthy with a gentle wash plus a protective barrier balm for intact skin. Shop Ferro grooming. Free shipping over $100.

- **URL:** https://piaffehorse.com/collections/horse-skin-care/

Healthy skin starts with a gentle wash, not harsh scrubbing. Ferro's [Repair Cream](/product/repair-cream/) is a protective barrier balm for intact skin that's prone to rubbing — girth areas, clipped patches — while [Revive Shampoo](/product/revive-shampoo/) cleans the coat without stripping the skin underneath it. Repair Cream is for unbroken skin only. Open wounds or active lesions need a vet, not a balm.

## Why skin health starts with what you wash with

A harsh detergent shampoo strips the skin's natural oils and leaves it dry, more reactive to rubbing, sweat, and tack contact. [Revive Shampoo](/product/revive-shampoo/) is built for everyday full-body washing with plant oils and magnesium, so it cleans the coat gently without stripping the skin underneath — a reasonable habit for skin that's already healthy. That matters most in summer, when sweat and friction under tack are hardest on the skin.

### Where a barrier balm helps

- Girth and cinch areas that take repeated friction between rides.
- Clipped patches right after a body clip, once skin is clean and dry.
- Any intact skin that regularly rubs against tack, rugs, or boots.
- Dry, weathered skin on the legs or muzzle that isn't broken or inflamed.

Intact skin only, never a wound

[Repair Cream](/product/repair-cream/) is a preventive barrier balm for unbroken skin. Don't use it on open wounds, girth galls that have broken the skin, or active mud fever or rain scald lesions. If the skin is broken, weeping, or you suspect a real infection, that's a job for your vet, not a grooming balm.

Apply a thin layer to clean, dry skin — just enough to leave a light barrier, not a thick coat. Skip any area with existing hair loss, scabbing, or heat, since those need a vet's assessment first. For tack-rub prevention, read [girth galls and tack rubs](/conditions/girth-galls-and-tack-rubs/); for post-clip skin care, see [clipping aftercare](/guides/clipping-aftercare-for-coat-and-skin/); and if your horse reacts to grooming products, check [sensitive skin and product reactions](/conditions/sensitive-skin-and-grooming-product-reactions/).

A simple skin-first routine looks like this: wash with Revive Shampoo after work, let the skin dry fully, then apply Repair Cream to the spots that take the most friction — girth, saddle patch edges, boot rub — before you tack up next time.