What is the Skin Barrier and Its Function?

A trendy topic at the moment in the world of skincare is "the skin barrier", "the barrier function" or to look at whether you might have an "impaired barrier". But what exactly is the skin barrier after all? What does it do and how can I protect my skin barrier?

Welcome to your Q&A with a Skin Therapist! All your questions about the skin barrier are finally answered.

A. The skin barrier is, as the name suggests, our skin's protection, the outer surface of the skin. Let's say it has a "brick and mortar" structure. The bricks are our skin cells and the mortar are our oils. When the mortar is damaged, from a multitude of reasons, it allows outside pollutants and irritants to enter and damage the skin cells. This is what we call an impaired barrier.

A. Have you ever noticed your skin is inflamed, flaky, sensitive or dehydrated, seemingly out of the blue? Well, you might have impaired your skin barrier. These symptons can lead to other severe skin concerns like acne, vascular skin, pigmentation or a skin rash.

There are many reasons for this to happen, here are some of them:

• Sun damage
• Extreme cold or heat temperatures
• Diet and lifestyle
• Inbalanced gut flora
• Over-exfoliating your skin
• Using incorrect products and/or an entirely incorrect home care routine
• Skin ageing

With an impaired barrier, the skin has no fighting mechanism to protect itself from outside aggressors.

A. There are many factors to be considered in order to maintain a healthy skin barrier. For instance, it's easy to get caught up trying every different product you can find, but make sure you have a professional prescribe your skincare. This will avoid damaging your skin barrier through incorrect home care products (a lot more common these days with the amount of Tik Tok trends out there!).

Healthy skin barrier always starts with a hydrated and moisturised skin. This is the foundation of a healthy skin.

Here are some tips to maintain the health and balance of your skin barrier:

• Avoid sun exposure - The UVA & UVB rays have an extremely damaging effect on the skin! And remember to wear SPF every single day.
  
  
• Avoid long hot showers -The heat can cause inflammation and strip the skin of the natural oils that help keep its protective barrier.
  
  
• Do not over exfoliate - Make sure you are using the correct exfoliation process for your skin type and condition, listen to your skin care professional, as they will be able to guide you carefully with this process. Our skin has an enzyme to aid in natural desquamatation (exfoliation), so depending on your skin type and condition, you might only need to exfoliate once a fortnight or once a week. Your professional Skin Therapist can guide you on what's the best option for you.
  
  
• Moisturise every morning and night - All skins need to be hydrated, this is a vital step in keeping the skin happy and the protective barrier functioning efficiently.

A. Less is more when it comes to active ingredients. Pull back on the use of actives for at least two weeks or until the skin has returned to a less irritated and more stable state.

Generally, also look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide, oils and glycerine, which are gentle and aid in hydration.

Dermalogica's exclusive UltraCalming Complex contains Oat and botanical actives that work below the surface to interrupt inflammatory triggers that lead to sensitisation, while helping to minimise discomfort, burning and itching. Help restore a healthy barrier function with Oil of Evening Primrose, Borage Seed Oil and silicones as vitamins C and E help combat free radicals that can lead to inflamed and irritated skin.

A soothing recipe of just 7 active ingredients to calm redness and provide intensive relief to sensitive skin. By improving the skin’s natural barrier function, this nourishing serum helps to combat all kinds of redness, including flare-ups caused by day-to-day environmental stress, irritants and dryness.

Gentle Clean - This gentle gel cleanser with Canadian Willowherb mildly cleanses the skin as well as effectively removing makeup. Leaving the skin feeling calm, clean and fresh.
Hydrating Serum - Its super-hydrating properties make Hydrating Serum a suitable alternative to a cream-based moisturiser for those with oily skin, as well as the ideal choice for those who are dry. 
Red-Less 21 - Red-Less 21 is a serious cosmetic Sea Buckthorn corrective with the power to confirm and relieve the look and feel of stressed, red skin.

My name is Rochelle, I have been lucky enough to be in the Beauty Industry for over 30 years helping clients achieve amazing results with their skin.

With 3 children of my own, I understand life is busy, so I'd love to help you find the best regimen that works for you and your lifestyle!

Having owned my own traditional based Beauty Salon and time in the Laser Industry, I've learnt that my passion lies in results-driven skin treatments and products. I feel so fortunate to have the most amazing brands at my fingertips. This allows me to give the best possible treatment and home care advice you need to achieve the skin you desire.