Skin Barrier 101: Understanding and Maintenance

What is a Skin Barrier?

Your skin is your body’s largest organ and it’s mainly made up of three layers:

  1. The epidermis, or outer thin layer
  2. The dermis, or thick middle layer
  3. The subcutaneous fatty layer

The epidermis, especially its upper layer — called the stratum corneum — acts as a skin barrier and is your body’s first line of defense.

Your skin barrier has several functions. It protects you from:

  1. Pollution
  2. Ultraviolet rays
  3. Irritation, inflammation, and infection
  4. Dehydration
  5. Toxins

It regulates water loss from the inside out, retains moisture, and keeps you hydrated. The skin barrier also blocks entry to most topical drugs, or those you put on your skin. If your skin barrier is damaged, it could lead to skin problems like dry, itchy, or flaky skin.

Causes for Skin Barrier Damage

Many things can impact the quality of your skin barrier. These include:

  1. A dry or humid environment
  2. Hot or cold weather
  3. Allergens, irritants, and pollutants like denatured alcohol, fragrance & essential oils
  4. Too much sun exposure
  5. Hot baths or showers
  6. Harsh soaps or detergents
  7. Poor skin care
  8. Cuts or injuries
  9. Over washing or exfoliating
  10. Mental or physical stress
  11. Aging

Symptoms of Skin Barrier Damage

Skin barrier damage may change how the outer layer of skin looks. Symptoms can include:

  1. Lack of skin elasticity
  2. Itchy, dry and flaky skin
  3. Wrinkles
  4. Discoloration, inflamed skin, excess sebum, redness, purging and
  5. dullness
  6. Water loss (called trans-epidermal water loss)
  7. Thinning of the epidermal layer
  8. Visible bacterial or viral infections

How to repair a damaged skin barrier?

  • Limit frequency and time for face washing
    While water is necessary to keep our skin functioning normally and hydrated, it can dry out our skin even more and lead to more damage. Therefore, wash your face just once or at maximum twice a day with lukewarm water, and gentle and low pH cleansers that won’t exacerbate the loss of lipid barrier on your skin.

  • Stop exfoliating for a while
    With a compromised skin barrier, stop exfoliating! This will allow your skin to regenerate its skin barrier. Once all the symptoms have resolved, you can slowly start incorporating exfoliation into your routine.

  • Moisturize your skin
    The most essential step in your skincare routine, especially during this time point. Putting back just hydration won’t do as much as it will quickly evaporate through the damaged skin moisture barrier. Therefore, it is essential to seal it with your moisturizer (preferably an occlusive moisturizer). Ingredients such as Ceramide, Niacinamide, Panthenol and Fatty Acids are the best to keep your skin barrier happy and healthy.

  • Keep your skincare routine simple
    Yes, always go with the basics.The steps to maintaining a healthy skin barrier when it is at its’ lowest are: Cleanse, Treatment (serum), Moisturise, and Protect (SPF during the day). These four steps are the essential steps while your barrier is recovering.