What’s the Purpose of Skin Barrier and How to Repair it?
The exterior layer of the skin is a protective shield for the deep layers of the skin. This layer of skin cells, lipids, and amino acids is called the skin barrier. If your skin suddenly appears dry and inflamed to the touch, your skin barrier may have been compromised. In this article, we’ll cover the purpose of a healthy barrier and how to repair it.
A healthy skin barrier is necessary to protect you from the harsh sun, environmental stress, and pollution. The damage to the barrier may lead to your skin getting issues such as acne, spots, patches, and flaky skin. When your skin barrier is repaired, you may pick from these six mild acids to take care of your skin effectively.
What is the Purpose of Skin Barrier?
The main purpose of this barrier is to work as a protective lining all over your skin. Your skin on the face is thinner and more susceptible to damage. So, even if you don’t see it, the skin is working hard to maintain its health. Therefore, it may become sensitized to some ingredients, over-exfoliation, or chemical damage.
The skin barrier also helps in maintaining hydration and moisture in the skin. Besides, it keeps the bacteria away and helps in maintaining the pH of the skin. This enriches the appearance of your skin and brings uniformity to the complexion even in harsh weather. However, it does have limitations due to reactivity and going overboard with skincare.
You may not even realize the ways you have been damaging this barrier. The moisture barrier of your skin may break due to excessive washing, harsh cleansing, and too many chemical peels. It may even be a result of tanning, a new skincare product, or facial therapy. Therefore, it is wise to test skin products before using and generally consider how your skin will react to a certain therapy.
Factors Affecting Skin Protective Barrier
Skin Type
Yes, you read that right. You may blame your genetics and skin types for a weaker skin barrier. This just implies you need to be even more proactive while taking care of your skin. You can also blame stress and skin’s cyclical changes for this. The acceptance of your skin type will help you determine the root cause of this. Some people have more sensitive skin due to a thin and weak skin barrier.
External Factors
Factors such as UV rays, climatic changes, water pH, pollution, pollen, dust, and sweat may be responsible for weakening your skin barrier. The extreme change in weather and temperature may make your skin barrier change unexpectedly. Also, using hot water to wash your face can break this barrier.
Lifestyle and Skin Care
Hair removal, too much cleansing, not washing your face, not removing makeup, and chemical products may lead to skin inflammation. Along with laziness, you may blame lifestyle choices like alcohol and oily food to wreak havoc on your skin barrier. Furthermore, hair removal and bleaching may mess up the pH and skin’s barrier.
How to Repair the Skin Protective Barrier
Effective and Mild Cleansing
The temperature of water you use to wash your face should not be too high or too cold. Try washing your face with lukewarm water to take off the products from the skin. You may splash it with cold water in the end. To wash your face, we recommend using Rose Hip Radiance Cleanser by Mello Beauty.
It is mild and sensitive for all skin types and has the goodness of nourishing rosehip oil. If your skin is dry, stick to washing it just once with the cleanser. For oily and combination skin, you may wash it twice a day gently.
Targeted Toning for Repairing Skin Barrier
Toning comes next after washing your face to restore the pH of the skin and take away any left-over products. If you are not washing your face, you may use toner to freshen up your skin in the morning or throughout the day. You may use witch hazel or rose water to tone your dry and sensitive skin.
Your skin may appear red and inflamed. For this, try the Marine Balancing Toner by Mello Beauty, which is perfect for all skin types. It will help in combating redness and texture from the skin. The minerals present in the toner are rich in seaweed extracts to keep your skin balanced.
Repairing Moisture Barrier
You may use oil-free soothing moisturizers to heal the barrier of the skin. Products such as aloe vera, honey, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin will nourish your skin and help it get back to normal. Avoid using any fragrant or alcoholic products. Besides, take a break from using acidic and active ingredients until your skin repairs.
No Exfoliation
Exfoliating your skin when the barrier is damaged may be catastrophic for the appearance and cause even more damage. Avoid using any physical, or chemical exfoliator on your skin until it is healed. Fight the temptation of removing flaky damaged skin by exfoliating as it may lead to infections.
Pick products that are rich in healing ingredients such as niacinamide, light retinol, and glycolic acid. These will keep your skin moisturized and help maintain the barrier in the long run.
Healthy Diet
Your diet and nutrition in the body may reflect in a compromised skin barrier. The skin reflects what you drink and eat in general. You should eat a healthy diet that has vitamins, minerals, carbs, and enough fats to sustain the health of the skin. Besides, you can supplement your diet with collagen and multivitamins.
Manage Stress
Try to minimize stress by working out, meditation, and walks. Stress can make your pick on your skin and cause more breakouts. So, try to avoid picking on your skin or fixating too much on your flaws. Give it time to heal while you take care of other things that are in your control.
Now that you know how to maintain and repair your skin barrier, you will have fewer struggles looking glowing. Stay tuned for our next article comparing salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide for effective skincare.