Caring for your skin barrier
Have you heard of the skin barrier?
Your skin is composed of layers, with each layer performing different functions to keep your body going. The stratum corneum, the outermost layer, is the toughest layer that is often compared to a brick wall. It comprises skin cells (the bricks), and a lipid matrix made of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids (the mortar between the bricks). This layer is what we are referring to when we say the skin barrier.
As its name suggests, it is the layer of skin that protects your body from harmful pollutants and bacteria. It is also responsible for maintaining skin hydration, softness and firmness. It is highly permeable and delicate, and also helps maintain the pH levels of your skin. Your skin barrier is essential for good health and to maintain the processes happening in your body.
What’s up with skin barrier damage?
Not many people are aware that your skin barrier is constantly at work keeping out harmful pollutants like UV rays, toxic particles and bacteria out of your system. As the skin barrier is the part of the skin that is directly exposed to the surroundings, thus, it is prone to damage easily. A change in environment or overloading your skin with products may cause your skin barrier to weaken and make you more receptive to toxic particles. It is also one of the underlying causes of sudden sensitive skin.
On the contrary, having a healthy skin barrier will retain the water content in your skin and keep your skin looking fresh, hydrated and vitalised. Most of the bacteria can also be kept out of your body and the pH balance of your skin is maintained.
How do I know if my skin barrier is damaged?
The change may not be noticeable immediately, but you may experience:
- Dry, scaly skin
- Rough and discoloured patches of skin
- Increased acne
- Inflamed areas on your face
- Your regular skincare products no longer seem to be effective, or causes irritation and redness
What can damage my skin barrier?
Lots of external factors can compromise your skin barrier. One main cause is using harsh or very alkaline cleansers which can disrupt the pH balance of your skin (remember, cleansers are not supposed to make your face feel squeaky clean!). Other causes are over-exfoliating, using too many products or over-using one product in your routine.
External environmental conditions can also do a number to your skin barrier. Too much sun exposure or remaining in a dry environment for too long (like in an aircon room) are some of the ways you can compromise your skin barrier. Yes, we know; while it is inevitable here in humid and sunny Singapore, instead, we can take preventive steps to ensure that our skin barrier is maintained and healthy.
How do I prevent my skin barrier from being compromised?
- Don’t over exfoliate.
The chemicals in your exfoliator can be a cause of disrupting the pH balance of the skin barrier. Even if you’re using a gentle exfoliator, the ingredients and formulas may still be damaging if you use it too much or too often. We recommend to exfoliate once or twice a week, at most.
- Simplify your skincare routine.
Too many products may weaken your skin barrier due to the sways in pH balance. If your products are causing irritation to your skin, dial back on the number of products and just stick to the bare basics. If you can’t let go of your well-earned money, rotate your products around so your skin is not too oversaturated with products in one sitting.
- Add hyaluronic acid before moisturiser.
A common result of a damaged skin barrier is dry skin, which leads to your lipid barrier overdrying, which leads to a more damaged skin barrier. To help regain moisture, add a hydrator like hyaluronic acid into your routine. Hydrators draws water from the surroundings and binds it to your skin barrier.
- Use SPF.
If you aren’t protecting your skin from the #1 cause, the sun, including sunscreen as the last step of your routine can help your skin barrier by leaps and bounds. Choose one that is compatible with your skin type to help your other skincare products underneath do its job.
Caring for your skin barrier
In all, your skin barrier is a vital part of you as it protects you from harmful particles and is the key to you achieving healthy, glowy skin. With this, we hope you’re more aware of your skin barrier and provided you with tips on how you can keep your skin barrier healthy and happy.
