Why is it important to protect your skin barrier?

What is a skin barrier?

Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin and is made up of cells and lipids. The lipid layer consists of keratin, natural moisturisers, cholesterol, fatty acids, and ceramides. The skin barrier is responsible for not letting toxins and pathogens enter your body and disrupt its balance. Most importantly, it helps retain water inside your body and skin. A healthy skin barrier is vital in maintaining balance in your body and skin. This is why it is important to take quick action if you have a damaged skin barrier.

What causes skin barrier damage?

Several external and internal factors are major reasons for a damaged skin barrier. Here are a few common causes:

Harsh weather: If you live in a place that is too hot or too cold, the temperatures can result in a damaged skin barrier.

UV rays: Being exposed to harsh sun rays is what causes skin barrier damage. The UV light dries out your skin and can affect the strength of your skin barrier.

Over-exfoliation: Overusing harsh exfoliators results in microtears in your skin. This damages the skin barrier greatly and results in breakouts, dryness and inflamed skin. While starting a skincare routine, it is important to make sure you don’t try too many strong products at once. An elaborate skincare routine can irritate the skin and will leave you with a damaged skin barrier.

Stress or lack of sleep: A stressful lifestyle can be a major reason for a damaged skin barrier. Make sure you get enough sleep and practise yoga, meditation, and other de-stressing techniques for barrier repair.

Poor diet and dehydration: Make sure you get enough water and nutrients to nourish your body from within. A healthy body ensures proper barrier repair.

What are the signs of a damaged skin barrier?

If you aren’t well versed with your skin, it can be a little tricky to determine if your skin barrier is damaged or not. Here are a few signs of a damaged skin barrier:

Redness: If you have normal skin with no history of rosacea, redness in the skin can be the primary sign of damage.

Flaky skin: If your skin has started to peel and feel extremely dry, it can be a sign of a damaged skin barrier. Make sure you rule out all the causes of dry skin while you care for your skin.

Acne: If your skin has been breaking out abnormally, it is because your skin barrier is damaged.

How to repair the skin barrier?

A damaged skin barrier is not healthy. It disrupts the balance of your body and skin, which needs to be repaired pronto. Going on a skincare diet is the best way to let your skin barrier repair and breathe. A skincare diet is when you temporarily stop using chemical exfoliators and other strong products in your skincare routine. It is a minimal diet that helps repair your skin and make it strong again. Here’s a list of things that will help you with your concern about how to repair the skin barrier.

Tip 1: Stick to gentle skin barrier repair products

The first step is to temporarily stop using products with harsh actives. Actives can sensitise your skin and disrupt your skin barrier. Start your routine by using a gentle gel face wash, this will cleanse your face without stripping it of its natural oils.

Tip 2: Use sheet masks

As an additional step, you can use a serum sheet mask from time to time. This will gently hydrate your skin barrier and help repair it. Try using a nourishing hyaluronic acid sheet mask to combat any dryness.

Tip 3: Don’t neglect nighttime skincare

Your skin repairs itself at night while cell regeneration is at its peak. Make sure you never neglect a nighttime skin regimen and add a vitamin C overnight serum to your routine for repairing the skin barrier.

Tip 4: Moisturise

The next step would be to use a hydrating serum cream. This will keep your skin hydrated and make it plump. You can also use a nourishing night cream to maintain moisture and promote barrier repair. For the daytime, opt for a serum cream with UV filters or SPF. This will protect your skin from the harmful UV rays.

Tip 5: ALWAYS use Sunscreen

If you’re doing everything right and still wondering what causes skin barrier damage, it’s probably the harsh sun and UV rays. Never step out of the house without a powerful SPF 50+ and PA++++ sunscreen. If your skin is easily weighed down by products, try serum sunscreens or mist sunscreens.

Now that you know what is skin barrier and how to repair it, it’s time to build your own skin regimen. Add products from the Garnier Skin Naturals range and create a day and night regimen that caters to your skin type and concerns! Remember, repairing skin barriers is your first step towards having healthy skin.