Mistakes That Can Unknowingly Damage Your Skin Barrier
When we think about our skincare routine, we always have good intentions. We want our skincare products to work great for our skin to keep it healthy and youthful. However, even doing skincare with good intentions, we sometimes disrupt our skin's barrier without realizing the mistakes we are doing it. The skin barrier is a part of our skin's top layer, commonly called the stratum corneum, made up of lipid interface and skin cells that stick them together.
The job of the skin barrier is to keep the harmful things like irritants, pollutants away and the good things like moisture, hydration in. Besides, many skin experts say that your skin barrier is just like brick and mortar structure. Where bricks are the skin cells, and the mortar is the lipids in between that helps to lock the moisture in.
Therefore, the overall health of your skin depends on the skin barrier. In this blog, we will discuss those mistakes that can unknowingly damage your skin barrier. Besides, we will also share few skin barrier products that will help you repair your skin barrier.
Most common mistakes that are damaging your skin barrier
Below we have shared some common mistakes responsible for your irritated, itchy, eczema-prone, dull and dehydrated skin. Read on.
#1. Over-exfoliating your skin with harsh scrubs
Exfoliation definitely sounds nice, but it can be more abrasive on your skin. There are different products available these days that contain harsh granules that can cause tiny tears in the skin and damage the skin barrier. Over exfoliation not only takes away the dead skin cells but also impair the skin barrier that is there to protect your skin.
Exfoliation is essential, but instead of using harsh granules scrub, we suggest you go for chemical exfoliation like AHA/BHA. But do not overuse these exfoliants because over usage of these acids might cause more harm to your skin. Therefore, limit its use to only once or twice a week.
#2. Using essential oil on the face
Undoubtedly essential oils are trending these days but using them directly on your face is the biggest mistake you make to your skin. Essential oils are concentrated and potent; therefore, they can cause skin reactions like itchiness, acne, and inflammation. We always advise you to avoid essential oils on your skin if you are allergic to fragrance.
Besides, if you still want to take advantage of essential oils for your skin, always dilute them with some carrier oil or with your moisturizers and serums.
#3. Pollution and skipping sunscreen
If you are skipping on your daily sunscreen, you need to pay for that mistake in the longer run. No matter if it's raining, snowing, or cloudy, you need SPF daily. Sun rays cause more damage to our skin barrier, which results in blemishes, breakouts, dry and dull skin. Besides, pollution also affects our skin's topmost layer.
Therefore, wear an SPF of 30 or above, and wear protective masks and clothes. It will not only improve your skin but also helps you to protect yourself from deadly skin diseases.
#4. Less sleep and stress
Have you ever noticed your skin reacts differently when you lack sleep and rest? It is all because lack of sleep and stress can damage the skin barrier, leading to transepidermal water loss (TWL). Therefore, your skin will likely behave dehydrated and dull, which will also cause more acne or breakouts. It is really essential to have a good sleep of at least 7 hours daily to prevent your skin barrier.
How to protect and repair your skin barrier?
If you want to protect your skin from future damage, it is mandatory to go for skin barrier repair. In case you are adding new skincare products to your routine, try to incorporate them one at a time. Besides, go very slow with the actives in your skincare. Slowly and steadily, you will able to repair the skin barrier. Below we have shared few tips to help you improve damaged skin barrier:
#1. Keep your skincare routine simple
If your skin is already irritated, always go with the basics. To maintain a healthy skin barrier when your skin is at its worst, follow the three simple rules: Cleanse, Moisturise, and protect. These steps are essential whenever your skin barrier is recovering. Moreover, you can also add a hydrating toner or serum in between that will be a bonus for your skin. But, make sure to check the ingredient list before using it.
#2. Do take care of pH
Always make sure to pay attention to the pH of your skincare products. Your skin's natural pH lies around 5.7; however, there are lots of skincare products that can range from the pH of 3.7 to 8.2 as well. Therefore, always try to cleanse with a product that is close to your skin's natural pH level. If you keep your skin pH at a healthy level, it will protect your skin from issues like dermatitis, acne, and more. Besides, it helps to repair skin barrier quickly.
#3. Moisturize your skin
Dry skin is a problem that usually occurs due to a damaged skin barrier. Moreover, occlusive moisturizers play an important role that aids the damaged skin barrier by reducing the amount of water lost from the skin. Similarly, humectants also work great by taking out water from the environment or inside the body and binds it to skin repair.
Therefore, look for moisturizers that contain ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, panthenol, and fatty acids. These are some fantastic skin barrier ingredients to keep your skin healthy and happy.
Skin barrier products that can be helpful
You can help your skin barrier to repair by simplifying your skincare routine. Try to incorporate products with a suitable pH, use moisturizers, as we said above, with ceramides, petroleum, and humectant like hyaluronic acid to repair your skin barrier.
You can begin with a gentle cleanser that contains aloe vera gel or rosehip oil that is great for replenishing the skin. Our favorite cleanser is Rose Hip Radiance Cleanser by Mello Beauty, a light yet effective cleanser with natural floral extracts that soothes the skin's surface.
Furthermore, we suggest you use toners/essences for an extra boost of hydration that helps keep the skin barrier healthy and supple. Try Marine Balancing Toner by Mello Beauty, a multi-beneficial toner with the power of seaweed extracts to help with the redness, irritation, and dryness.
Finally, use a hydrating moisturizer with Centella Asiatica, ceramides, or hyaluronic acid to lock in the moisture. Using a moisturizer is really essential for the restoration of skin barriers. We suggest you try 100% Pure Hyaluronic Moisturizer by Mello Beauty, formulated with pure hyaluronic acid to provide long-lasting hydration.
From the above discussion, we hope you get to know about the mistakes you were making in your skincare routine. Besides, stay tuned for my next blog, where we will discuss the reasons why skincare products are not effective.