When we think of our skin barrier, we often think of thick skin. Yet our skin barrier goes far beyond density, is fundamentally based on our skin’s natural daily moisture levels.
So how do we know if we have skin barrier damage?
Simply put, there are multiple simple key symptoms that indicate we have a compromised barrier.
- skin becomes tight and uncomfortable immediately after cleansing or being exposed to water
- skin is flaking, peeling, or appears dusty
- you’re experiencing more acne pimple breakouts than normal
- small lumpy hives are appearing on the skin outside of normal
- your usual skincare routine doesn’t feel like enough on your skin
These skin barrier damage symptoms are most often accompanied by consistent tightness in the skin that can be very uncomfortable and sometimes even painful.
Aside from discomfort and inconvenience, what are the negative side effects of skin barrier damage?
Having a compromised barrier for an extended period of time can have long-term negative effects on our skin. These can be seen as.
- constant acne breakouts
- acne scarring more easily
- premature signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles
- advancement of inflammatory skin conditions such as contact dermatitis
How can I start a skin barrier repair routine?
Fixing a damaged skin barrier is easier than you may think. Thankfully there are many products on the market that focus on providing our skin with exactly what it needs to be healthy and thriving.
The first rule to repairing skin is to minimize your routine.
1. Limit cleansing.
Our skin doesn’t need to be heavily cleansed morning and night. Heavy cleansing with gel and foam cleansing strips the skin of its natural moisture barrier. By starting a gentle and minimal cleansing routine, we are able to get our skin back on track to the healthy barrier.
New skincare routine
In the morning, simply cleanse with this hydrating toner and a cotton pad or this gentle cleansing pad to effectively remove skincare from the night, excess oil, and dead skin without removing essential skin moisture.
In the evening, cleansing is the most important step as we tend to wear pore-disrupting products such as SPF, makeup, and are exposed to external pollutants.
Use this lite oil cleanser to dissolve SPF, makeup, and lift dirt and pollution out of the pores. Easily wipe the cleansing oil away with a konjac sponge or washcloth. Follow up with this gentle barrier-safe milk cleanser to remove any remaining cleansing oil.
2. Deeply hydrate
No matter what the condition of your skin is, adding hydration is a fundamental step to take. Yet when our skin is compromised, we need to ensure we avoid hydrating products that focus too heavily on acid-based hydration.
Use a hydrating toner with minimal to no sodium hyaluronate / hyaluronic acid and instead uses gentle hydration such as butylene glycol, glycerin, aloe vera, green tea extract, and cucumber extract as some examples.
This deep hydrating toner is ideal to add hydration without potentially compromising the skin further. While this gentle hydrating toner adds rich hydration to the skin.
3. Calming & repairing layer
When our skin barrier is damaged, it’s exceptionally dry throughout all levels of the skin. Use a calming layer such as this calming hydrating gel to soothe the skin internally whilst hydrating.
If you’re looking for something richer, use this deeply nourishing calming serum to deliver nourishment to compromised skin cells and stimulate cell repair.
Ingredients to look for are aloe vera, ceramide np, arginine, allantoin, any form of peptide, and natto gum.
4. Simple moisture
It’s important to stick to simple yet effective products when using a skin barrier repair routine. Use a simple deep nourishing moisturizer such as this facial cream to restore moisture to the skin without the use of acids.
This repairing cream contains essential repairing ingredients such as ceramide np to restore your skin barrier.
5. Protective layers
No matter your skin condition, it’s extremely important to always wear SPF during the day. Incorporate this moisturizing SPF into your routine that is gentle and rich to deliver essential repairing moisture to your skin.
During the night, finish your routine with a rich balm. Using this recovery balm will seal in all the products previously used, optimizing their skin recovery effects.
Your recovery journey is underway!
By following this routine strictly, you will have your skin back on track within 1 week and by the 3rd week, your skin barrier will be feeling and looking healthy again.
Share this routine with anyone you know who may be struggling with skin barrier damage and is in need of some serious TSLC.
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