With the season’s changing and frigid winds blowing on your face, you may find your skin barrier to be damaged. Now you might ask, “what is my skin barrier?” and today, Prosperity Abounds is here to explain what exactly is your skin barrier and how to protect it!
What is my Skin Barrier and why is it important?
Your skin barrier is the uppermost layer of your skin, built out of lipids, keratin, and other moisturizers. It helps keep free radicals from entering your skin like harmful bacteria. It also helps keep your skin’s moisturizer trapped from evaporating. Without your skin barrier, harmful toxins would be able enter your body and all the water in your body would dissipate, leaving you dehydrated.
Signs of a Damaged Skin Barrier:
- dry or flaky skin
- sensitive skin
- redness or irritation
- acne
What can damage your Skin Barrier:
- too much sun exposure or not wearing sunscreen
- exposure to extreme weather
- contact with harsh chemicals
- over-washing or over-exfoliating
How to Repair your Skin Barrier:
- Wear Sunscreen: Too much exposure to UV rays can cause your skin to become irritated and damage you skin barrier. While reducing sun exposure is the best option, if you need to stay outside for extended periods of time, the best option would be to lather on some sunscreen!
- Simplify Your Skin Routine: Sometimes, your skin care routine can become too complicated and you might be using too many active ingredients at once. What you can do is to try and reduce your skincare routine to only three steps. These include, a gentle cleanser, hydrating moisturizer, and a sunscreen of your choice. Once your skin barrier slowly starts to heal, you can begin introducing other active ingredients into your routine like a chemical exfoliant. Remember, only exfoliate about 2-3 a weeks to not irritate your skin too much.
- Use Nourishing Ingredients: One of the best ways to repair you skin barrier is to use a nourishing moisturizer. Pay attention to ingredients that focus on hydrating and moisturizing your skin. These will trap in the moisture on your face and let your body focus on doing the repairing itself. Some of these ingredients include: ceramides, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, aloe vera, and glycerin. One great moisturizer is New Earth’s NutraBeautiful cream. Packed with powerful antioxidants and nourishing ingredients, it can help you repair your skin barrier to best shape it has ever been.
Sources: https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-barrier#bottom-line
