Spotlight On: The Skin Barrier
The ‘skin barrier’ is a real buzzword in the skincare and beauty industry, but what exactly does it do and why is it so crucial to your skin’s health? Let us delve into the science behind this essential part of your skin and explore how you can keep it functioning at its best.
What is the Skin Barrier?
The skin barrier, also known as the stratum corneum, is the outermost layer of your skin, a thin yet mighty shield that maintains the skin’s integrity and prevents external aggressors such as pollution, bacteria, and harmful UV rays from entering, while keeping essential nutrients and moisture sealed within. Often likened to a brick wall, the skin barrier is made up of specialised skin cells called corneocytes (the bricks) and fatty acids, ceramides and a nutrient-rich substance called NMF, Natural Moisturising Factors, (the mortar).
What Are the Key Functions of the Skin Barrier?
Protection Against Environmental Stressors: The skin barrier serves as the body’s first line of defense against environmental stressors that could potentially cause infections or trigger allergic reactions.
Regulation of Moisture Loss: One of the key functions of the skin barrier is to prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL). By maintaining moisture levels, the skin barrier keeps your skin plump, soft, and resilient.
Maintaining the Skin’s pH Balance: It helps to maintain the skin’s slightly acidic pH, which is crucial for its overall health. This acidity acts as a natural deterrent to harmful bacteria and helps enzymes function properly to keep the skin in optimal condition.
What Are the Key Causes of a Compromised Skin Barrier?
When the barrier is compromised, it can lead to a variety of skin issues. Some common causes of a compromised skin barrier include:
Over-cleansing: Using harsh cleansers or washing your face too frequently can strip away the natural oils that protect the skin, weakening the barrier.
Over-exfoliation: Using exfoliants (both physical and chemical) too often or in high concentrations can damage the skin barrier by removing too much of the outer layer of skin.
Harsh Skincare Products: Products with high concentrations of alcohol, fragrances, or other irritating ingredients can disrupt the skin's natural balance.
Environmental Factors: Exposure to pollution, extreme temperatures, UV radiation, and low humidity can dry out the skin and weaken its protective function.
Stress: High stress levels can lead to hormonal changes that impact the skin's ability to maintain a healthy barrier.
Diet and Hydration: Poor diet and dehydration can affect the skin's ability to retain moisture and repair itself.
Medical Conditions: Certain skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea inherently involve a compromised skin barrier.
Ageing: As we age, the skin naturally becomes thinner and less able to retain moisture, making the barrier more susceptible to damage.
What Are the Key Signs of a Compromised Skin Barrier?
You can identify a compromised skin barrier by looking for several key signs:
Dryness and Flakiness: The skin may appear dry, tight, and flaky due to the loss of moisture.
Redness, Inflammation and Itching: Increased sensitivity, redness, and irritation are common when the barrier is damaged.
Breakouts and Blemishes: An impaired barrier can allow bacteria and impurities to penetrate the skin, leading to breakouts.
Stinging or Burning Sensations: When applying skincare products, you might feel a stinging or burning sensation that was not present before.
Increased Sensitivity: The skin may react more intensely to products that previously caused no issues, indicating heightened sensitivity.
Rough or Uneven Texture: The skin may feel rough or have an uneven texture due to the disruption of its natural structure.
How to Repair Your Skin Barrier
If you suspect that your skin barrier has become compromised, the following steps will help you to strengthen and repair it, putting you back on the path to healthier skin once more. With correct and consistent care, not only can you support your skin barrier, but also prevent it from becoming damaged in the future.
Simplify Your Skincare Routine: Use gentle, hydrating products and avoid active ingredients like acids and retinoids until the skin barrier is restored.
Choose Gentle, pH-Balanced Cleansers: Harsh cleansers can strip away the natural oils within the skin and disrupt the skin’s pH balance, weakening the barrier. Look for gentle, sulfate-free cleansers like our Deep Cleansing Oil and use lukewarm, not hot, water. Enriched with cold-pressed apricot kernel, rapeseed and sunflower oils to support and strengthen the skin barrier, this silken oil cleanser melts away makeup, SPF and impurities.
Avoid Excessive Exfoliation: Exfoliation is a highly effective method of removing dead skin cells and encouraging cell turnover but overdoing it with chemical of physical exfoliants can damage the skin barrier. Stick to gentle exfoliants and limit their use until balance is restored. Our Enzyme Exfoliator uses a blend of fruit enzymes to gently breakdown dead skin cells. To minimise the impact of the exfoliation process, we have added ectoin to restore moisture and soothe the skin, making it an ideal choice for dry or sensitive skin.
Incorporate Barrier-Repairing Ingredients: When it comes to skin barrier repair, the must-have ingredient of the moment is ectoin. Your skin’s ultimate bodyguard and the epitome of skin cell protection, this amino acid protects skin cells from extrinsic and intrinsic causes of premature ageing and damage, while its water binding capacity also affords intense hydration. Suitable for all skin types, especially dry or sensitive, our latest innovation Ectoin Repair Serum delivers clinically proven skin barrier repair and exceptional protection against external aggressors. For the ultimate barrier-boost, follow Ectoin Repair Serum with our sell-out Face Oil. Enriched with bilberry seed oil, this lightweight yet nourishing oil minimises transepidermal water loss, so it retains the reparative benefits that Ectoin Repair Serum offers.
Moisturise, Moisturise, Moisturise: An effective moisturiser reinforces the bonds between skin cells, promotes collagen production and locks in moisture to protect against external irritants. Enriched with jojoba and rosehip seed oils to help stimulate collagen synthesis and antioxidant Q10 to protect the skin against external stressors, our Nourishing Day Cream is your everyday go-to for strengthening the skin barrier.
Repairing a compromised skin barrier can take time, so be patient and consistent with your skincare routine. By understanding its functions and taking steps to care for it, you can maintain a resilient, hydrated, and glowing complexion. Remember, a healthy skin barrier is the foundation of beautiful skin, so treat it with the care it deserves.
