Inside The Treatment Room
Your Skin Barrier is the main character.
Lots of talk these days about the skin barrier, well what is it really?
The skin barrier is the outer layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, which is made up of dead skin cells, or corneocytes. These cells form a tough, outer layer, similar to bricks on a brick wall. There are fats, proteins, and lipids that act as mortar keeping the dead cells together. This wall of cells keeps the moisture in and the irritants, allergens and other unwanted debris out of the skin. When we exfoliate, we are actively disrupting the barrier, which is why it is important to be gentler with your skin directly following your exfoliation. This is why I recommend mostly gentle hydration in your routine so we don’t end up with overly sensitized skin.
So what does a healthy skin barrier even look like?
How do you know when your barrier is struggling?
An impaired barrier often feels tight, dry, and flaky. Sometimes a disrupted barrier will cause increased sensitivity when applying new or old products and a rougher texture. Some with disrupted barriers will also see an increase in inflamed acne, due to the skin’s inability to protect itself from irritants.
How can we accidentally damage the barrier?
It is really easy to accidentally damage the barrier. I have done it myself more than a few times. The main way that I see clients damaging their barrier is over exfoliating. Many exfoliating products recommend more use than they should (as a sales tactic)and they make the skin look and feel good short-term, but longer term over use then ends with the client complaining of sudden sensitivity or dryness and /or acne.
Too many active ingredients in a routine can cause similar damage, even if they aren’t all exfoliating acids, because once the barrier is disrupted, applying too many active ingredients will have a similar effect of over exfoliation. The same goes for if not enough moisture is applied or the products are too drying because a disrupted barrier can’t hold moisture in.
Too many treatments can also be detrimental, which is why many estheticians don’t see their clients more than once a month. Exceptions are made in some cases for other reasons, but that’s not the point of this particular blog.
Environmental stressors can also affect the barrier. Extreme weather, pollution, UV radiation (a.k.a USE YOUR SUNSCREEN), excessively low or high humidity, chemical exposure, stress, poor sleep and poor diet can all disrupt the skin barrier’s function.
How can we support the skin’s barrier?
I recommend being gentle with the skin by gently cleansing, hydrating the skin, using barrier supportive ingredients and only exfoliating 1-2 times per week. It all comes down to choosing the right skincare for you and not over doing it. It is really easy to think you need to exfoliate every day when you see a small blemish appear, but often this will end with more blemishes and irritated skin. Sometimes, less is more!!
Ingredients that support the barrier:
- ceramides
- fatty acids
- cholesterol
- panthenol
- beta-glucan
- glycerin
- hyaluronic acid
- squalane
My favorite barrier supporting retail:
- Beta serum is my absolute #1
- CICA Recovery Set
- Strengthen + Protect Probiotic line
- Jelly Mist
- Dermathod Derma Revive Healing Gel
- Milk Boosting Serum (combines really nicely with the beta serum)
Professional treatments that support the barrier:
I LOVE my inflacure treatments. It is a combo of urea and chlorophyll that activates best with an LED treatment, though it can be done without, and it soothes and hydrates while also killing anaerobic bacteria. This one is almost always my top choice and it works every time.
Recently, I have been using more of the Cryofacial Icy Mask because the extreme heat and humidity we have been having make this soothing mask feel extra refreshing. It is hydrating with sodium hyaluronate and soothing with allantoin and betaine.
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