Everything You Need to Know About Skin Barrier

Introduction

Instagram & TikTok are damaging our skin barrier! Now you might be wondering how these two things are even related? According to the digital marketing statistics, consumers are exposed to almost 4,000-10,000 advertisements each day on social media. You simply scroll through your Instagram and you’ll find a beauty brand announcing a new product that will promise to transform your skin within seconds. While trying new exfoliating acids, scrubs, toners can be exciting, sometimes succumbing to these idyllic advertisements can result in a damaged skin barrier.

So, drop the acids and listen to your skin! Your skin barrier is your body’s first line of defence against the various external stressors. However, just like any other wall, even our skin wall can be compromised. Adopting healthy lifestyle habits, following skincare routines consistently and listening to your skin is crucial for a healthy skin barrier.

This blog post will delve deeper into the world of the skin barrier. We'll explore its amazing functions, what weakens it, and how to keep it healthy and strong.

What is the Skin Barrier?

The skin barrier is the outermost layer of the skin that helps keep the pollutants out and the moisture in. Scientifically, it is a complex structure composed of various layers, structures and mechanisms that come together to keep the skin happy:

• Prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL):
• Shield against external threats
• Maintain skin pH levels

Layers of the Skin:

Your skin is made up of several layers, with the outermost layer being the stratum corneum. Here's a breakdown:

• Epidermis: This is the topmost layer of your skin, constantly renewing itself.
• Stratum corneum: This is the outermost layer of the epidermis and the key component of the skin barrier. It is a brick wall made up of cell proteins called keratinocytes. These proteins are arranged like flat bricks that create a formidable shield protecting the skin from various aggressors.

In the mortar, there are proteins, lipids like ceramides, fatty acids that hold the wall together.

What Does the Skin Barrier Do?

The skin barrier is a multi-talented marvel, performing several crucial key functions to keep the skin healthy & happy. Let’s delve into its key roles:

Skin Barrier protects from external aggressors

The skin barrier acts like the first line of defence shielding our skin from a constant barrage of external threats that could potentially damage our skin. In today’s constant hustle-bustle, our skin is susceptible to various irritants like the harmful effects of the UVA & UVB rays, pollutants, hazardous chemicals and even cigarette smoke.

That’s where the skin barrier comes to the rescue. This molecular brick wall acts as a filter and minimises the penetration of these irritants into the skin and keeps it resilient.

Skin barrier maintains hydration

Think of the skin barrier as a seal on a container. It prevents the moisture from escaping and locks it in. This keeps the skin hydrated, plump & supple.

Supports a healthy skin microbiome

The outer layer of the skin is dealing with a community of microbes on a daily basis. The skin barrier plays an important role in determining the good bacteria, & allowing them to penetrate the skin whilst pushing the bad bacteria away.

How to know if skin barrier is damaged?

Your skin will tell you when something is wrong. It shows. Below are some telltale signs of a damaged skin barrier:

• Dry skin: A damaged skin barrier loses its capability of retaining the moisture and keeping the skin supple. This leads to a dry, flaky and uncomfortable feeling.
• Increased Sensitivity: A damaged skin barrier leads to increased sensitivity and makes the skin more vulnerable to bacteria, viruses, & irritants. This manifests in itchiness, irritation, redness and inflammation on the skin.
• Breakouts, Acne: A damaged skin barrier can allow the acne-inducing bacteria to penetrate the skin and amplify.
• Flakiness and Rough Texture: When the barrier can't hold onto moisture effectively, the outer layer of skin cells can dry out and become flaky or scaly.

What Can Damage the Skin Barrier?

While some products promise over-the-top results, those containing harsh chemicals and ingredients can turn out to be detrimental for your skin. Watch for these pesky pests:

Synthetic Ingredients can lead to compromised skin barrier.

• Fragrance: Synthetic fragrances can irritate your skin and disrupt the natural pH balance.
• Sulphates: These cleansing agents can be harsh to the skin, stripping off the natural oils and other essentials. This does more harm to the skin than good.

Look for fragrance-free formulas with skin-loving, calming and skin barrier-repair ingredients.

Excessive Exfoliation

Exfoliation can be helpful in slugging off the dead skin cells and promoting cell turnover. However, over-doing it can come off as being counter-productive.

• Physical Exfoliation: Harsh scrubbing can irritate the surface of the skin and disrupt the natural skin barrier.

• Chemical Exfoliants: Over-exfoliating your skin with chemicals like AHAs and BHAs could be doing more harm than good. These chemicals can strip away the natural oils and lead to broken skin barriers.

Habits that can lead to damaged skin barrier.

• Excessive smoking
• Disrupted circadian rhythms
• Junk food

How to Repair a Damaged Skin Barrier?

A compromised skin barrier isn't a permanent state. With informed skin care decisions, adopting healthy lifestyle habits you can heal your skin and bring it back to its former glory.

Use gentle skincare products for skin barrier repair

Steer away from chemically-laden, drying skincare products. Opt for sulphate-free cleansers that will remove oil, sweat and other impurities from your skin without being too harsh. Switch to calming & soothing ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera, amino acids, & Coenzyme Q10 for skin barrier repair.

BiE’s Pro youth face serum, is a multi-tasking marvel that firms and tightens your skin. It instantly nourishes your skin and gives it a youthful glow.

• In addition to nourishing your skin, strengthening the body with the right skin barrier repair cream is also crucial. BiE’s Turn-Around super peptide serum strengthens your skin barrier, promotes cell turnover & improves the elasticity of the skin.

Moisturise regularly for skin barrier repair

Hydration is the key to happy skin! Apply a hydrating moisturiser when your skin is damp for skin barrier repair.

Support your skin from within

Healthy Diet: Fill your plate with nourishing foods like green vegetables, antioxidants that will accelerate the process of skin barrier repair and give you a luminous complexion.

Manage stress: Practice meditation and yoga to relieve stress. Aim for getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep. This paves the way to repair damaged skin barriers.

Conclusion

The bottom line is the skin barrier is an important part of your skin’s overall health. It stands to reason, your skin barrier is under constant attack. This brick wall is working relentlessly to fight off the environmental invaders ready to disrupt its delicate balance. The good news! You control its destiny. Gentle skin care practices, optimal hydration, and healthy lifestyle choices empower your skin to thrive.

Want to learn more about specific ingredients and routines that benefit your skin barrier? Subscribe to our blog for ongoing skincare tips and tricks! Have questions or success stories to share? Leave a comment below – we love to hear from our readers! Till then, take care of yourself & your skin barrier!