We repeatedly use the term ‘skin barrier’ in our blog. But, what does it actually mean? And why does it matter?
The skin is the largest organ of our body, and works as a shield or barrier that protects us from various environmental factors such as temperature, wind, pollutants, and others. The skin barrier is, in fact, the protective buffer between your internal organs and the outside world, making it extremely important to keep it free of damage.
What Is the Skin Barrier?
The human skin is made of three main layers – epidermis (top layer), the dermis (middle layer), and a layer of subcutaneous tissue or fat (or the hypodermis as the bottom layer). The top layer or the epidermis itself has several layers and its uppermost layer is known as the stratum corneum (or the skin barrier).
When we observe the barrier at the microscopic layer, it has a compact layer of skin cells held together by a collagen-elastin-hyaluronic acid and lipid matrix, fatty acids, ceramides, and cholesterol.
Why is the Barrier so Important?
As mentioned, the barrier keeps us protected from the environment, including toxic elements, UV rays, microbes, dirt, pollution, and other dangers in the outside world.
When the barrier is weak, it becomes increasingly prone to dryness, irritation, itchiness, frequent infections, acne, and blemishes.
How or Why Is The Barrier Compromised?
One of the major factors behind damage to the barrier is long-term usage of products that are not pH balanced. According to science, the optimum skin pH is between 4.1 to 5.8. Anything lower or higher can damage the skin barrier in the long run. Some of the other reasons behind a compromised skin barrier are:
- Exposure to an overly dry or humid environment
- Sun exposure
- Over exfoliation
- Stripping off of protective layers and oils with harsh soaps and cleansers
- Use of topical steroids and dehydrating toxic chemicals
- Stress
- Certain skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.
How To Protect & Improve Your Skin Barrier
If you have a damaged skin barrier, there are natural ways to restore it. In fact, the first step of any serious skin treatment (such as anti-aging or rosacea) is barrier restoration. The following are some of the expert recommendations that will help protect and reconstruct a damaged barrier:
- Maintain a dosha-specific & minimalist skin care regimen.
- Use pH-balanced products.
- Always use gentle, sulfate/chemical-free cleansers.
- Exfoliate your skin with caution. Try to avoid harsh or mechanical scrubbing materials such as tiny plastic beads (also bad for the environment) Instead, you can use fruit enzyme based exfoliants, such as our Papaya & Honey Facial Scrub & Mask (or the SBR version).
- Always keep your skin hydrated using formulas with ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, and moisture loss protection such as Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Hemp seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, etc. For excessively dry skin, Coconut Oil and Shea Butter, being heavier, are good rescuers.
- Use a Peptide-based Serum (with ingredients like Argireline & Matrixyl) to reconstruct the damaged barrier and for anti-aging benefits.
- Of course, the most important step is to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Apply our broad-spectrum mineral-based SunProtect SPF 30+ whenever you are out in the sun. The Zinc Oxide and several other organic oils in the formula create a barrier to save your skin from the damaging effects of the UVA, UVB, and UVC rays.
