Your skin barrier is your body’s first line of defense. It works tirelessly day and night to protect you from external aggressors, lock in moisture, and maintain skin health.
The stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin, is a protective barrier that keeps the skin healthy and strong. Without it, the face and body would suffer a cascade of complications, including dryness and inflammation.
In this article, we will discuss why a healthy barrier function is essential and why specific actions are needed to help restore your barrier function to full health when it has been damaged.
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Why Your Skin Barrier is Important
Think of your barrier function as a strong wall, with your skin cells as its bricks and mortar as its lipids holding them in position. In its healthy state, this wall keeps moisture and ‘enemies’ out, including irritants like chemicals, bacteria, and allergens. Once broken, it allows these ‘enemies’ to enter your skin and causes moisture loss. The result? Trouble in the form of dryness, irritation, and premature aging.
A healthy barrier function in your skin helps maintain a radiant, even-colored complexion, but a weakened barrier function can lead to sensitivity and ongoing concerns. By knowing what can hurt your skin, you can help it with the best products that target these issues and enrich it to protect you from external threats.
Common Signs of a Damaged Skin Barrier
If you are not sure if you have a compromised barrier function, here are some common symptoms you should take note of that all point to that your skin barrier is screaming for attention:
Dry, flaky regions with a rough, textured feeling
Redness and increased sensitivity
A tight, constricting sensation
Stinging or burning when applying products
Persistent breakouts or inflammation
A dull, lackluster appearance
If you start recognizing these symptoms early, you can fix your skin's barrier before any critical damage can be done.
Read more: How to Choose the Perfect Hydrating Skin Product for Your Skin
What Causes a Compromised Skin Barrier?
Your skin doesn't just suddenly have a compromised skin barrier—it’s actually most often a result of a combination of stressors you may be doing that you aren't aware of. These include:
Over-exfoliating: Using exfoliants excessively can remove the natural beneficial oils the skin uses to protect itself from drying out.
Harsh skincare ingredients: Harsh skincare ingredients, such as sulfates, artificial fragrances, and alcohol toners, can damage your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Extreme weather: Cold, arid environments and excessive sunlight dry out your skin and its protective barrier.
Lack of hydration: Dehydration will cause your skin to be susceptible to irritation and damage.
Stress and sleep: If you don’t sleep or are stressed, you can block your body's natural ability to rebuild and restore; this disruption starts creating a weakened rebuilding mechanism in your skin barrier.
Read more: Hyaluronic Acid Benefits for All Skin Types
Essential Steps to Fix a Damaged Skin Barrier
Repairing your damaged skin barrier entails simplifying but maximizing your routine where possible. Consider doing the following to achieve skin barrier repair:
Gentle cleansing: Clean your face with hydrating but gentle cleansers which works to hydrate and clean while not removing any beneficial oils.
Moisturize deeply: To rebuild your skin's protective barrier, add lipid-restoring products with ceramides and squalane your skin's protective barrier. Consider using Vieve’s Leaves Routine to achieve this.
Soothe and hydrate: Aloe, oat extract, calendula oils, or a restorative serum are all good options for calming irritated, inflamed skin. Look for these ingredients in sensitive skincare products that also double as hydrators.
Sun protection: Never forget SPF. UV damage is a key cause of barrier damage, and daily use is your best bet for protection. Remember that it must be 30 SPF or higher to be effective.
Hydration inside and out: Hydrate internally with sufficient water intake and hydrate your skin with moisturizers and serums.
Read more: What to Eat & Avoid for Your Skin
Conclusion: Restoring Your Skin Barrier for Healthy, Radiant Skin
Achieving a healthy skin barrier isn't complicated. A consistent and simple skincare routine and high-quality products can help.
However, patience and consistency are the key factors because your skin will take a little time to rebuild and heal.
So, stick with your routine and Vieve’s Leaves products. As your barrier strengthens, there will be fewer breakouts and less sensitivity, and that glow you want to achieve will follow.
