Did you know that there are more bacteria on the surface of the skin than skin cells themselves? These little microbes need to be kept in perfect balance in order for our barrier to be happy and intact. Pre and postbiotics in skincare can help to balance the good and bad bacteria. For this reason, I recommend Vitamin B serum. Niacinamide also stimulates the production of the major skin barrier proteins to promote healing, protects the skin surface from inflammation and promotes overall skin immunity. Increasing essential ceramide lipids for retaining water is a vital function of the skin barrier. This is your best friend for barrier protection!ī3 is known to strengthen the barrier by increasing ceramide production. ![]() If you wish to proactively strengthen the skin barrier (perhaps as a pre-treatment precaution) I would recommend seeking out the following skincare essentials, among others: When in doubt, look for fragrance-free options.īarrier repair and reinforcement is all about reducing inflammation and retaining moisture. Even high levels of certain essential oils can act as potential irritants. Choose non-acidic exfoliants and polyhydroxy acids.Īrtificial fragrance can be extremely irritating to a delicate barrier. For a severely compromised barrier, I would opt for a low foaming more creamy skin cleanser.Īvoid excessive exfoliation with acids or scrubsĪvoid use of acids such as glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids, and do not use harsh scrubs which will directly irritate a damaged barrier. ![]() Avoid bar soaps which are highly alkaline and cleansers containing high levels of SLS or SLES which can be more irritating. I recommend cleansing with a pH balanced products that have a pH between 4.0 and 5.0 such as BioCleanse. ![]() Generally, the skin’s acid mantle sits at around a pH of 4-6 while the pH of some skin products can range from 3.7 to 8.2. Pay attention to the pH levels of certain products. Which products should you avoid/seek out if you have a damaged barrier? Synergie Skin also offers professional advice with regards to skin condition consultation via our complimentary Virtual Consultations. Consider speaking with a dermatologist about which products in your routine are essential and effective. Essentially, if there are any products your skin comes into contact with that contain questionable additives, I would recommend seeing how your skin behaves when removing them from your routine. The very first step to barrier repair is to analyse your skin routine, and root out any causes that may be adding unnecessary stress to an intolerant skin barrier. What are the steps of skin barrier repair? If, however, after reading this, you don’t believe you have a broken skin barrier but more likely just have sensitive skin, here is my recommended skincare for sensitive skin. If you have a damaged skin barrier read below for step-by-step recommendations. When you experience skin barrier damage or dysfunction, you are likely to become prone to a variety of symptoms including dry or flaking skin, pigmentation, roughness, acne, itchiness, sensitivity and inflammation, as well as bacterial, viral or fungal skin infections. How do you know if your skin barrier is damaged? Without your incredible skin barrier, various harmful aggressors such as free radicals, solar rays, environmental pathogens, toxins and pollutants can penetrate your skin and cause significant disruption within the body. Among other vital functions, these synergistic components keep the water inside your body, which prevents TEWL (Trans Epidermal Water Loss) and dehydration. ![]() These corneocytes and lipids form what is defined as your skin barrier within which, you’ll find key proteins, keratin and natural moisturisers including cholesterol, fatty acids and ceramides. Your skin’s outermost layer is called the stratum corneum, and it consists of sturdy and protective skin cells called corneocytes that are bound together by lipid bilayers that act as a ‘glue’. Understanding the skin barrier and how it functions is a vital aspect to skin longevity, as well as overall health in the body! In essence, your skin is the largest organ of your body and is made up of multiple layers, each of which performs specific functions when protecting and insulating your body against foreign bodies and pollutants.
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