SKIN BARRIER 101

A STRONG SKIN BARRIER IS THE SECRET TO GLOWING SKIN. BUT HOW DO YOU STRENGTHEN IT?

What is the skin’s natural barrier and why do you need it? Let’s tackle this first. The skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin, and it protects you from environmental damage and trans-epidermal water loss. It also protects from irritants and allergens, which can cause all the skin issues you don’t want, like acne and inflammation. So, glowing skin always begins with a strong skin barrier.

When we’re talking about what strengthens the natural skin barrier, it’s important to first know what also weakens it: stress, over-washing, over-exfoliation, and hormonal changes amongst others. But the biggest factor that weakens your skin barrier is environmental stressors. These determine on how your skin ages, how your skin barrier breaks down, and all of the other skin issues that you might face. UV rays and pollution are the most damaging environmental stressors, which is why – we’ve said it a million times and we’ll say it again –sunscreen is SO important in your daily beauty routine. However, sunscreen is to protect your skin barrier, so the question remains: how do you strengthen it?

A healthy skin barrier is composed mainly of lipids, and the three key components are: ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol. To strengthen your protective barrier, you want to use ingredients in your skincare that rebuild and repair these components. One effective ingredient to replenish your barrier is ceramides. Think of ceramides as the mortar between bricks – if the bricks are your skin cells, that is. Ceramides help hold skin together by forming a protective layer that limits moisture loss and protects against pollution. Next, you want to use ingredients that stimulate lipid production. Here, niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is the top ingredient. Not only does niacinamide stimulate lipid production, but it is also an antioxidant, so it helps to protect your skin against environmental damage.

Another ingredient that really strengthens your skin barrier is probiotics. Probiotics are microorganisms, and microorganisms live on your skin and inside of your body. There are good ones, and there are bad ones. Probiotics happen to be the good ones – the ones that you want to flourish. Topically on your skin, probiotics strengthen your skin’s natural barrier by repairing it and help to improve its overall immunity.

Now you know the best barrier-boosting ingredients, but make sure you have good products! Start here with Ohlala’s picks of the best skin-barrier saviours: