Your skin’s outermost layer, known as the skin barrier, protects your face by acting as a barrier.
Basically, the entire function of your skin barrier is to keep all the beneficial components of your skin in place while shielding it from external stresses, irritants, and inflammation (like moisture, moisture, and more moisture).
The most superficial layer of your epidermis, known technically as the stratum corneum, is where your skin barrier is located.
The stratum corneum (skin barrier) is made up of a complex network of lipids and cells that function as a barrier to protect the health of your skin.
The skin barrier’s cells, also known as corneocytes, are its bricks, and different lipids like cholesterol and ceramides serve as its mortar.
Each component is essential to maintaining the equilibrium of your face’s environment.
Read also: Benefit Of Vitamin C Face Wash For Oily Skin
What destroys the skin barrier?
Unfortunately, unlike a brick wall, your skin’s barrier is much more brittle and is easily “destroyed” by environmental factors (such as sun exposure, pollution, smoking, and extreme weather variations), physical harm (such as over-exfoliating your face or using harsh/irritating products), certain medical conditions (such as diabetes), and genetics.
Even your age might have an impact on your barrier since ceramide levels significantly decline with age and influence our skin’s capacity to retain moisture.
Obviously, some of these factors—ageing, pollution, desert heat, and icy winters—are beyond your control, but generally speaking, the most serious harm will result from using too-harsh treatments, such as gritty exfoliators, potent acids, and drying sulfates.
Your skin’s ability to retain moisture and hydration, which gives it a supple, full, and plump appearance, will be compromised if your skin barrier doesn’t have an effective balance of fats.
How can you tell if the skin barrier is damaged?
Your skin may feel dry, flaky, sensitive, irritated, tingling, stinging, and/or itchy if your skin barrier is compromised.
Since a compromised skin barrier raises your risk of dermatitis, infections, rosacea, eczema, and keratosis pilaris flare-ups, you might also be experiencing rashes and inflammation.
Another indication is when a moisturizer that you usually tolerate causes irritation or burning when applied to your skin.
Does your skin barrier heal itself?
Depending on the extent of the damage, a compromised skin barrier can typically mend itself in two weeks, but only if you stop using all exfoliants (including acids and retinoids) and switch to soothing, mild treatments.
You won’t see effects if you continue with the same behaviour that resulted in a damaged barrier in the first place (sry).
However, with time and a more straightforward routine, your skin barrier will start to work normally once more, protecting your skin from irritants and other stressors to keep it hydrated and healthy.
If my skin barrier is damaged, should I exfoliate?
Once you realize that your skin barrier is compromised, you should refrain from using chemical and physical exfoliants (such as retinol, AHAs, BHAs, and vitamin C) for two to three weeks.
You can resume using a light chemical exfoliator (such as polyhydroxy acids, PHAs, and the gentlest of acids) once a week for another two to three weeks if the inflammation, flakes, and irritation have reduced for at least one full week.
How can you maintain a strong skin barrier?
Healing the skin with a basic skincare routine and slathering on rich moisturizers are the keys to a healthy skin barrier.
Prior to reintroducing exfoliation once or twice a week, stick to a bland and hydrating routine for at least two to three weeks.
Your morning and evening skincare routine should start with a mild face wash, go on to a hydrating face serum, and finish with a rich, barrier-repairing cream.
Applying an occlusive ointment at the end will seal all of the hydration and water into your skin if it feels tight and dry.
Topical ceramides mimic your skin’s moisturizing functions to hold onto hydration, while humectants (such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin) “pull water molecules from the dermis toward the epidermis to keep your skin moisturized,” according to the ideal skincare routine, which is full of products that contain barrier-repairing ceramides and humectants.
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