Damaged your skin barrier? Here’s how to fix it…

Our skin goes through a lot every day. From environmental stressors, to overuse of skincare products… our skin takes a beating, and the results can show on the skin. A damaged skin barrier can leave your complexion dry, irritated, red, and more prone to breakouts.

But the good news? There are simple steps you can take to get your skin back on track.

What is your skin barrier?

You can think of your skin barrier as your skin’s first line of defence. It’s the uppermost layer of your skin, a moisture barrier that keeps all the good stuff like hydration etc in and the bad stuff like pollution and irritants out. “When the skin barrier becomes compromised, the skin become irritated as microbes/ debris can seep into the deeper layers of the skin and cause inflammation. Aging of the skin is also increased as the skin cannot properly defend itself against environmental damage (UV radiation/ pollution) when in an inflamed state.  The skin also loses its ability to retain moisturise in the same way and trans-epidermal water loss increases,” says Chief Scientific Officer Eve Casha with MSc Pharmaceutical Formulation.

If you’ve been a little overeager with your exfoliation or actives, have dehydrated skin or have environmental triggers around you, your skin may have started to feel rather rough, dull, flaky or irritated because it’s been damaged. A strong, healthy moisture barrier on the other hand, will give you with dewy, smooth and glowing skin.

Why protecting the Lipid Barrier Matters

“Your lipid barrier not only needs to be protected but it’s just important to avoid irritants, protect your skin from pollutants with antioxidants. Not only is too much sun exposure damaging to your lipid barrier but what you’re eating and drinking affects your skin in the sun. Eating foods rich in antioxidants will help protect your barrier from pollution and sun. Using Ph balanced face wash avoiding harsh toxic chemicals like synthetic fragrance colors, and harsh preservatives like parabens. If your skin is always red and irritated it’s important to avoid steroids creams and look for ingredients that protect the Barrier,” says esthetician Amber Rose Johnson.

Signs of a Damaged Skin Barrier:

• Redness
• Flakiness
• Tightness or sensitivity

So, here’s some tips on how to give your skin a little extra love and keep it happy and healthy!

How to Repair the Skin Barrier

Strip Back Your Routine

The first thing you should do when your moisture barrier is compromised is working on getting it healthy once more. A good first step is by stripping back your routine to its bare bones to avoid further irritation. After this, you can then select some specific products to help speed up recovery.

Look for ingredients including ceramides, fatty acids and lipids and hyaluronic acid to name a few. Some effective plant oils also include jojoba oil, almond oil, organ oil, borage oil and rosehip oil, to name a few.

The Body Shop
Camomile Cleansing Butter

Skinfix
Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream

Alpha H
Hyaluronic 8 Super Serum

Use Gentle, Non-Stripping Products

You may have over stripped your skin (yes, we can all get a little carried away with the exfoliants… we’re all guilty of it) but you need to be very gentle with your skin now. This means using gentle, non-stripping cleansers that keep your skin healthy and clear without any added stress.

“If you have a compromised skin barrier such as with psoriasis, eczema, or severely dry skin then double cleansing should be avoided. It’s important to still cleanse with a gentle cleanser but would be advised to work on improving the lipid barrier first before considering double cleansing.” Says Frances Turner-Traill, Clinical Director of FTT Skin Clinics.

How to Protect a Healthy Skin Barrier

Now your skin is getting back on its feet – let’s seal in all that moisture and help keep that glow. Flood the skin with long-lasting hydration using nourishing, non-irritating moisturisers and creams that your skin will love.  It’ll thank you for it.

And finally: one of the best protections you can give your skin is by applying SPF. Don’t skip this step!

Without your skin barrier, all sorts of harmful environmental toxins and pathogens could penetrate your skin and wreak havoc on your body! It’s in your best interest to look after it.