Some people don’t realise it, most don’t even think about it. Yet, a lot of them have it. And they’re roaming around with a completely destroyed skin barrier and wondering what’s wrong with their facial skin. Yes, the reason behind most of your skin woes could perhaps be a damaged skin barrier – you just haven’t thought about it as yet. Something you should start doing right this moment, but do you even know anything about your skin barrier? No, you don’t. So let’s start this session and tell you more about it.
It’s the outermost layer of the skin, the one that protects your face and helps keep out irritants, bacteria, allergens and pollutants. It’s made up of cells and lipids (ceramides, fatty acids & cholesterol). It also helps retain water and moisture, making it crucial for the health and wellbeing of your facial skin.
A healthy skin barrier will ensure your facial skin is looking and feeling nourished, glowing and hydrated.
There are many signs to suggest your skin barrier has been damaged or compromised. Here are some of those:
Your skin has been feeling unusually dry and/or flaky
You feel tightness (not the good kind) in your skin after washing your face
There’s a burning and/or stinging feeling after applying your skincare products
There’s been an increase in the redness or sensitivity of your skin
The texture of your facial skin is looking/feeling rough
All of these signs point out to just one thing – your skin barrier has been destroyed, and you must address it right away.
But first, you must understand the reason behind your problem. Honestly, it can be just one thing or a combination of them all. Here are the usual reasons that could lead to a damaged skin barrier:
Over-exfoliating your facial skin
Unnecessarily harsh facial cleansers
Hot water
Excessive scrubbing
Using too many active ingredients (retinol, salicylic acid, vitamin c, etc.) in high amounts
When it comes to skincare, you must, on an immediate basis, go back to keeping things simple. And by that, we mean using a mild cleanser to wash your face, followed by a skin barrier-repairing moisturiser (more on that in a bit) and a sunscreen during the day. The idea isn’t to stop using skincare altogether but using the right kind of it instead. Your skin barrier needs nourishment so going off everything won’t help repair it either.
What you should do is start using a moisturiser that’s packed with skin barrier-loving ingredients such as ceramides, glycerine, hyaluronic acid, and petrolatum/squalane. This will help rebuild and strengthen your skin barrier.
Additionally, stop using (temporarily) all actives as well as exfoliants till your barrier hasn’t recovered from the damage.
Now, to the most important part. Here’s the list of our favourite skin barrier-repairing moisturisers that we reach out to every time your barrier needs a little more love than usual. Find one out of these that works for you & go forth and apply!