Why Is Everybody Talking About Skin Barrier?

The people you hear talking about skin barrier are right. Skin barrier is indeed the most important aspect of achieving healthy skin. The skin barrier, though often unnoticed, is a crucial part of your skin that serves as a protector and gatekeeper. Imagine it as a strong wall that shields your body from the outside world, keeping moisture in and harmful things out. In simple words, it's like the security guard for your skin.

Layers of protection: the skin's anatomy

Before learning about skin barrier, we need to talk about our skin's anatomy. Understanding how it is can help us figuring out what our skin needs.  Skin is like a layered cake, with each layer having its own role. There are three main layers:

1. Epidermis: This is the outermost layer, the one you see. It shields you from the world and holds special cells called melanocytes that give your skin its color.
2. Dermis: Below the epidermis lies the dermis, a thicker layer filled with blood vessels, hair follicles, and sweat glands. It also houses collagen and elastin, which make your skin firm and elastic.
3. Hypodermis: The deepest layer is the hypodermis, which is like a cushion of fat. It helps keep your body warm and provides a layer of protection.

What is the skin barrier?

The skin barrier is like the top layer of your skin called stratum corneum. It's made up of tiny cells and natural oils that work together to create a protective shield. This natural oils or what often called lipid extracellular matrix is mainly composed of ceramides, cholesterol, and free fatty acids. This shield does two important things: it keeps your skin from getting too dry by locking in moisture, and it stops bad things like germs and pollution from getting in and causing trouble. That's why it is so important to keep your skin barrier healthy, so that it can protect you from the external factors.

Compromised skin barrier

Disturbances in the composition and/or organization of epidermal lipids can cause a range of skin diseases including atopic dermatitis, lamellar ichthyosis, and psoriasis. If you notice that your skin becomes itchy, irritated, and dry. It might be that your skin gets compromised.

There are different factors that can lead to this.

Over-cleaning & using harsh cleanser

For the longest time, I thought facial wash should just function to cleanse your face.  did not pay attention to the formulation at all. As long as my face is clean, it's all that matters. Apparently, I was so wrong. Because using harsh soaps too often can wash away the natural oils that help keep your skin healthy, resulting in compromised skin barrier. Therefore, it's so important to choose facial wash that is gentle to your skin like Calming Cleansing Stick. We purposely incorporate gentle surfactant derived from coconut oil.

Products with high actives

Some skincare brands nowadays relies on the percentage to market their products. You might have seen a lot of brands competing with each other, who can come up with higher concentration of L-Ascorbic Acid or Niacinamide for example. I think this is not the right approach. The efficacy of a product relies a lot on the whole formulation, not on the individual ingredient or how much the quantity of that ingredient in the formula. And let's not forget that each of us has different skin chemistry that adds another factor on whether or not a product will work. It takes consistency and a lot of patients to see the result on your skin, and for that you will need to use products with gentle formula. That being said, incorporating lots of actives can weaken the skin barrier.

Sun and weather

This point now has become more relevant. If you live in Indonesia, it always feel like the sun was directly on top of your head. And if you live in Jakarta, you will have air pollution as the cherry on top. Sun exposure and environment play big role in how our skin is. So, check you weather app everyday to see the UV index. As per WHO's recommedation, you have to wear sunscreen and seek shade starting from UV index level of 3.

Scratching and rubbing

If you have carefully opted for gentle skincare, yet your skin is still irritated. Probably you are being too rough with your skin. If you like to use cotton pad to apply toner like me, opt for pad with softer surface. Or instead of rubbing, just gently tap the pad on your skin.

How to repair the skin barrier

Phew... So much effort to maintain the barrier. But worry not! You can help your skin barrier get strong again. Apart from carefully choosing the right facial wash, using gentle skincare, wearing enough sunscreen, and not rubbing your skin, one more thing you can do to repair the skin barrier is by keeping your skincare routine simple. I know... I know... We are so used to using gazillion products because the Koreans do it and they have perfect skin! If it works for them, then it must work for us, too, right? Not all the time. Using fewer products reduces the likelihood of overloading your skin with various ingredients, which can lead to irritation, sensitivity, or allergic reactions. If you keep your routine simple, you will also more likely to follow it consistently. As we all know, consistency is key in skincare because it allows products to work effectively over time, leading to better results.

Don't forget that your skin is unique, so what works for someone else might not be the best for you. If you're not sure what to do, it's a good idea to talk to a dermatologist or skincare professional. And taking care of your skin barrier isn't just about looking good – it's about keeping your skin healthy and comfortable. By giving your skin the attention it deserves, you're helping it stay strong and beautiful for the long run.

Sources

Samia Almoughrabie et al.,Commensal Cutibacterium acnes induce epidermal lipid synthesis important for skin barrier function. Sci. Adv. 9, eadg6262(2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg6262