How to heal your damaged skin barrier.

Your skin barrier is one of the important parts of your body as it helps in protecting the skin from free radicals. Repairing the barrier has caught a lot of attention in the skincare industry and is also getting bigger every day. It becomes really important to keep it safe and protected from all those external factors causing them to get damaged.

There are many products available in the market which guarantee in keeping the skin barrier healthy. But there are many people who dont understand the real meaning of the skin barrier and why is it important. Continue reading the article and learn everything about the skin barrier along with its way to save it for better as well as beautiful skin.

What is Skin Barrier?

The human skin is made up of layers and each of those layers has its own major function. There are three major layers including the dermis which is the thin layer, second is the dermis which is the middle layer then the innermost fatty layer known as the subcutaneous layer. The barrier consists of strong skin cells and it works as a brick wall as per described by scientists. This wall helps in protecting the skin from Ultraviolet radiation, environmental toxins, and pathogens as well.

Along with that, this barrier is responsible for producing natural oil and also holding onto the water to maintain moisture around the skin. Well, you won't be alive or reading this article if you didn't have that skin barrier.

How to know it's damaged?

Dry and Damaged Skin

When the skin barrier is not working properly then your skin might become prone to different symptoms as well as conditions. This includes:-

Skin appears flaky and dry.

The appearance of patches that are rough as well as itchy.

Small bumps on the face

Dehydration around the skin.

Inflammatory problems like acne might also appear.

What are the causes of damaged skin barrier?

Causes Of Damaged Skin Barrier

There are many factors that could cause damage to the barrier of your skin and this includes different causative reasons including:-

Excessive exfoliation

Whenever you are exfoliating the skin each time you are removing the dead skin cells. Along with that, you are removing the protective skin barrier as well. Over-exfoliation can cause harm to your skin barrier, so, always stop over-exfoliating your skin.

Using harsh ingredients on the skin

If your skin care products have parabens, SLES, Mineral oil, lead, and much more harsh product in them, then you must avoid using them. These products can cause irritation to your skin and should not be used by people who have skin issues like acne, eczema, etc.

Washing face multiple times a day

Washing the face too much can cause damage to the skin especially when you are using a harsh cleanser. It can cause the natural lipid barrier of the skin to strip away. If you think that you are clearing the impurities away from the skin by excessively washing then you are wrong.

In fact, it can strip the oil away from your skin which is the protective layer of your skin. This could cause various other problems in your skin.

Getting exposed to environmental factors

As proven by researchers air and pollution can cause harm to your layer of the skin barrier. It is especially seen with people who have sensitive skin. Each time when you get in contact with a polluted environment the skin becomes more prone to having the inflammatory problem.

How to repair the damaged barrier of skin?

Repaired Barrier Of Skin

Being Gentle

If you find that your skin is too irritated then the first thing you have to do is stop using anything experimental on your skin. One of the simple ways to do it is by applying a gentle toner on the face like rose water or witch hazel. This can immediately give you a cooling effect on the skin and heal the damaged skin barrier.

Moisturizing the Skin

One of the most essential ways to protect your skin is by applying moisturizer on the skin. If you have damaged skin a simple moisturizer won't help as the water would keep on evaporating fast.

It becomes important to use the ones that have great hydrating ingredients in them including Niacinamide or Ceramide. This will help in making the skin barrier healthy as well as happy.

Use A Gentle Cleanser

It does not matter whether you choose a method like double cleansing your skin or just using a face wash. It should help you to clean the dust, makeup, dead skin cells, and pollution gently. It must help you in protecting the natural production of sebum and should not be harsh on the skin.

Follow a simple skincare routine

It is important to apply skin products that can help in protecting the barrier instead of affecting them. So, applying too many skincare products could be harmful which is why it becomes important to keep it simple.

The skincare routine must help you to cover the skin problems like redness, inflammation, or breakouts.

Getting Rid of the inflammation

If your skin is getting irritated all the time then you must visit your dermatologist in order to treat your inflammation. Sensitive skin is more prone to having that irritated skin and it becomes important for them to avoid products containing sulfate, alcohol, or fragrances.

Consider this as a sign if you have dry and itchy skin, it becomes important to skip the step of exfoliation. Instead, start using a good moisturizer that will soothe your skin and reduce that redness.

Ingredients that can help in repairing the damaged skin barriers:-

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid can help in regenerating the lipid profile of your skin barrier which can help in holding the water. This helps in keeping the skin cells balanced and hence makes the skin barrier stronger.

Along with that, the application of hyaluronic acid helps in protecting the skin from harmful free radicals and all those environmental toxins. It is also effective in covering skin concerns like dryness, dehydrated skin, and also inflammation.

Glycerine

Glycerine has been proven to be the best ingredient for hydrating the outer layer of skin as said by the American Academy of Dermatology Association. The application of glycerine helps the skin hydrated enough and also heals the damaged skin barrier.

Ceramides

Ceramides are naturally found in the skin and it is essential in order to keep the skin barrier healthy. Skincare products consisting of ceramides help in repairing the skin barrier and also give them strength.

Plant-based products

Plant-based skin products which consist of ingredients like aloe vera, shea butter, jojoba oil, or almond oil are considered one of the best for the skin. These skincare ingredients are anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and antioxidant in nature.

They help in reversing the damage caused to the skin, providing nourishment, and maintaining moisture as well.

What are the precautions that can be taken to save damaged skin barrier?

First thing is to avoid smoking as it can even increase the process of aging.
Apply sunscreen every 4 hours in order to save your skin from any skin damage.
Staying hydrated by drinking 6 to 7 cups of water each day.
Avoid any kind of DIYs especially if you have an inflammatory skin condition.
Only exfoliate once or twice a week.
Eat your greens because they have high levels of antioxidants in them.

Take Aways

Your outermost layer is one of the important ones and is considered to be the skin barrier. They are important in maintaining that water content and also fighting against pollutants as well. If the skin barrier is disturbed or damaged then you might suffer from these few signs like itching, inflammation, and dryness. The skin barrier can help can be simply healed through the few steps mentioned above like moisturizing, applying a simple skincare routine, and many more.

FAQs

Q. How long does it take for the skin barrier to fully get repaired?

Ans. Well, it depends on the level of damaged caused to the skin but it can be repaired easily with some little changes. On an average, it takes 3 to 5 months for the skin barrier to get better.

Q. Does Vitamin C serum helps in repairing the skin barrier?

Ans. Yes, as it helps in producing barrier lipids and also reduces water loss. The daily application of Vitamin C serum helps in keeping them hydrated and strong as well.

Q. Which ingredients are capable of affecting your skin barrier?

Ans. There are two main ingredients that could cause harm to your skin and this includes SLES (Sodium Laureth sulfate) and SLS (Sodium Lauryl sulfate). Both sulfates can dehydrate your skin and also irritating the skin barrier as well.

Q. Which products can cause harm to the skin barrier?

Ans. Products like detergent and soaps can cause harm to your skin as they can strip the natural oil from the skin and hence affecting the skin barrier.

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