A lot of skincare brands and products speak about ‘healing the skin barrier’… But what actually does this mean? Find out more in our latest blog post.
What Is Your Skin Barrier?
The skin is the largest organ making up nearly 15% of our total body weight and is the first line of defence against the external world. It protects us from bacteria, allergens, pollutants and infections and helps regulate temperature as well as protect water loss through the skin.
The outer layer of our skin is structured like a brick wall with cells called corneocytes held together by lipid membrane consisting of fatty acids, cholesterol and ceramides. This is our skin barrier.
The skin barrier also has an extremely delicate acidic film called the acid mantle which helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and viruses. It’s essential that this acid mantle doesn’t get harmed by using incorrect skin products.
How Do I Know If My Skin Barrier Is Healthy?
A healthy skin barrier is when…
- Your skin feels soft, plump and well hydrated
- Your skin is even toned, supple and glowing
- Your skin is smooth and feels comfortable
- You feel no itchiness, redness, inflammation or sensitivites
A compromised skin barrier is when…
- You have dry skin that resembles rough scaly patches
- You have itching and a rough skin feel
- You have discolouration and acne
- You have inflammation and break outs
- You have dehydrated skin
Why Is My Skin Barrier Damaged?
Your skin barrier may be damaged because you’re using harsh cleansers that are not compatible with your skin. You may be exfoliating too much and overusing skincare tools causing micro tears in the acid mantle. You might have had too much sun exposure, UV radiation and environmental factors like urban pollution. Also, temperature fluctuations, dry air and humidity fluctuations affect your skin barrier. Finally, the natural ageing process and lifestyle factors, such as stress and lack of sleep, may damage your skin barrier.
How Can I Fix My Skin Barrier?
You can restore your skin barrier with botanical lipids. Our facial oil serums are full of essential fatty acids and antioxidants that help keep your skin looking radiant and youthful.
Botanical oils have been used for centuries to beautify and nourish the skin. Derived from fruit, nuts, and seeds, these plant oils are super rich in fatty acids which are easily absorbed into the skin providing protection and nourishment.
These oils are also rich in nutrient dense vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that feed the skin from within, helping to nourish, hydrate, repair and rejuvenate skin.
Applying a few drops of a good quality oil or serum to the skin morning and evening will help heal, repair and protect the skin barrier.
Shop our Botanical Serums here: https://botanyxskincare.com/shop/
What Else Can I Do To Protect The Skin Barrier?
- use creamy cleansers (the skin should not feel tight or dry after cleansing)
- try lukewarm showers over hot showers
- moisturise skin after showering and cleansing to lock in moisture and keep it hydrated
- use a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF30
- avoid harsh physical exfoliants
- avoid dry hot heat, cold temperature and exposure to extreme weather and make sure your skin is well moisturised according to weather and temperature
- a good quality diet with nutrient dense whole foods with good fats such as nuts, seeds, oily fish and avocados
It is so important to be in tune and listen to what your skin barrier is telling you. If your skin feels inflamed, hot, dry, itchy and overly sensitive, this is a sign your barrier needs a lot of love and care to bring it back to optimum health.
The good news is that you can restore the skin barrier with time and care.
Skin regenerates about every 28 days and within a few weeks or months, depending on the damage, you can get your skin looking youthful, glowing and radiant again!
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