Are you a skincare enthusiast? If yes, you must have heard about the ‘skin barrier’ lingering on the Internet. However, not many people truly know what a skin barrier means or how it works. And that’s why we’re here to help. To put it simply, your body's first line of defense against environmental stresses like air pollution and severe temperatures is your skin barrier, also known as a moisture barrier. A strong and healthy skin barrier influences the appearance and feel of your skin. However, many factors can weaken this barrier and expose you to a variety of skin issues. But don’t worry, we’re here with the perfect guide you need to understand skin barriers.
What is Skin Barrier?
Since our skin is the largest and most exposed organ in our body, it must be protected. The first line of defense against irritants and stressors in the environment is our skin barrier. It guards against the depletion of water, which is one of the most vital components of the human body. The selective permeability of the skin barrier, which keeps harmful substances out and beneficial ones in, is what gives it its amazing defense. For instance, it will retain enough water to enable it to work and release enough water to hydrate the skin's outermost layer. This maintains the softness and suppleness of our skin, making it vital to take care of your skin barrier.
Causes of Damaged Skin Barrier
Over-care or aggressive care: Products with high active ingredient concentrations, high alcohol content, and strong surfactants can all damage your skin's protective layer. Therefore, using gentle and mild products like a whitening face wash is recommended.
Overheated water: Hot water can harm the skin's barrier and remove a lot of moisture and oil.
Climate: Your skin and its barrier may become unbalanced due to drastic weather changes or a new climate.
Drugs and illnesses: The barrier may be impacted and harmed by specific drugs as well as skin conditions like psoriasis or neurodermatitis.
Age: As the skin ages naturally, it loses fat and gets thinner. The barrier may also be weakened more quickly.
Lifestyle: Your skin's protective layer might be harmed by stress and an unhealthy diet.
How to Maintain a Healthy Skin Barrier?
Here’s how you can maintain and repair your skin barrier.
Use Mild Whitening Face Wash
To maintain and prevent a damaged skin barrier, you should wash your face with a gentle cleanser. To help your skin look more radiant, look for a whitening face wash with mild ingredients. We recommend using Skin Lab Whitening Face Wash to remove all traces of makeup and pollutants without damaging your skin barrier. This whitening face wash doesn’t contain any fragrance or harmful substances, which makes it suitable for every skin type, even sensitive skin.
Look for a Suitable Moisturizer
In order to maintain a strong skin barrier, moisture is necessary. Therefore, picking the right moisturizer is essential. To help maintain and rebuild the skin barrier, we advise using occlusive moisturizers or ones containing humectants (like hyaluronic acid) and emollients (like ceramides). These skincare products create an ideal environment for healing by forming a protective barrier over the skin to prevent moisture loss. In addition to reinforcing the skin barrier, these moisturizers containing ceramides and micro hyaluronic acid will dissolve rapidly into the skin to assist in drawing and retaining moisture.
Wear SPF
According to many studies, spending time in the sun without the right protection is a proven way to weaken your skin's protective layer. Not to mention that wrinkles, fine lines, sagging, and dark spots are all caused by dangerous UV radiation. Therefore, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen (one that blocks UVA and UVB rays) with an SPF of 30 or more, and apply it as recommended, reapplying it every two hours. Look for a sunscreen containing vitamin C and niacinamide that protects against damaging UV rays and free radical damage, which can hasten the aging process.
Don’t Exfoliate Too Much
Remember, exfoliation is not always necessary, whether it be mechanical (scrubs) or chemical (acids). Once or perhaps twice a week is more than enough, even if your skin is in a healthy condition. However, the temptation may be to exfoliate more frequently in an attempt to address dry, flaky, or greasy skin, but doing so will only further damage the skin barrier. Thus, we recommend selecting a mild exfoliant, always adhering to the directions, and paying attention to your skin. Moreover, if you're already exhibiting signs of a compromised skin barrier, wait to exfoliate until you've resolved the issue to prevent damaging the skin barrier even more.
So, what’s stopping you from maintaining a healthy and strong skin barrier? Use the above-mentioned tips to understand the skin barrier and prevent it from getting damaged. By using a mild whitening face wash, preventing over-exfoliating, and using the right moisturizer, you can get a healthy skin barrier and skin health.