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The Beauty Crew are on holiday:

December 18th 2023 - January 21st 2024

Is Your Skin Barrier Damaged? How To Find Out!

24 February, 2023 - 06:23am by - Head Pixie | 12 Comments

by BR Kellie

While some of us dream of having picture perfect skin, the reality can often be a bit of a nightmare. Breakouts. Redness. Irritation. Scaly patches. Getting our skin into balance can feel harder than solving a Rubiks cube. What's worse, is that in trying to do our best by our skin we can end up damaging it, as I recently discovered when my skin became a super scaly, super congested, breakout-prone hot mess.

This led me down a google hole, where the simplest answer made the most sense... I was experiencing skin barrier damage. So what is skin barrier damage, how can we avoid it, and - should we need to - how can we heal it? 

What is the skin barrier anyway?

Basically, the skin barrier is a collection of cells and lipids that makeup the outermost layer of your skin. It works to protect your skin from harmful bacteria, as well as environmental stress caused by the likes of pollution and UV radiation, while keeping your hydration levels within the skin balanced.

How does the skin barrier get damaged?

There are many reasons that your skin barrier can become damaged, ranging from stripping your skin by using chemical and/or physical exfoliants, using hot water on your flannel, overly-hot showers, using skincare that contains harsh ingredients or fragrances. It can even be caused by stress, smoking, too much sun, and even the ageing process.

How can I tell if my skin barrier's damaged?

Signs that your skin barrier may be damaged can include dryness, flakiness, redness, and irritation.

For example, say you're using your usual moisturiser and your skin's still dry and flaky, that's a sign of potential damage.

If your skin's feeling irritated for no good reason, and is itchier and/or redder than usual, that's another potential tip-off.

Suddenly breaking out, and you can't blame it on hormones? When your skin's barrier is compromised, this can disrupt the bacteria on your skin, which can lead to pimples and acne.

Find yourself reacting to skincare products that wouldn't normally bother you? Or perhaps the sun or even the air sees your skin flare up? Once again, increased skin sensitivity could be caused by a damaged barrier.

So, if it is damaged, what can I do?

We love a simple solution to a problem, and when faced with skin barrier issues, the first step is super simple, in fact it's the KISS method. Keep it simple, sweetie. The first thing to do is strip your skincare routine right back. Pack away any skincare containing acids, chemicals and physical exfoliants. Stick to super gentle, hydrating products, and be sure to use a sunscreen that's formulated for the face during the day.

Healing your skin barrier can take anywhere between two weeks to two months, depending on how damaged it is. So don't expect a super quick fix, and be consistent with your new skincare routine.

And if that doesn't work?

If you're not seeing any results with your simplified skincare routine, then it's time to talk to a doctor or dermatologist to rule out other issues, or to get more tailored advice and products for your skin's needs.

As for my skin?

I suspect over-use of acids caused the issue, so I've backed away from those and am keeping things super simple. While my skin's still dry and there's goodly congestion in the pores, the acne seems to have calmed its farm. It's still early days, but there's hope. And if there's no hope? There's a trip to the doctor in my future.

So, my lovelies... have you ever given much thought to the state of your skin barrier? Have you experienced a damaged skin barrier? And if so, what helped you heal it? Sharing is caring, so get chatting below!

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Comments

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14th April, 2023

I have never thought about this before but have definitely experienced damaged skin barrier before. What help was cutting out a lot of the products I was using and refraining from make up for awhile

13th April, 2023

If I have extra dryness I do try to moisturize more.I do have some damage to my forehead from too much sun but these days wear sunscreen and a hat .

23rd March, 2023

Usually if I have any dryness or irritation I’ll cut out any actives (or use every other day) and go back to basics, ie. gentle cleanser, a thick nourishing moisturiser and sunscreen and be done with it.

5th March, 2023

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer made a big difference for my skin when I'd experienced that. Haven't had that problem since.

4th March, 2023

I definitely get dry patches and irritation at times, even when I'm using all the same products I've been using for months. And the KISS method is definitely the thing that works for me. I've found the online beautypedia ingredient checker really helpful for this. I copy and paste all the ingredients for each of my products into the search, and I strip my routine back to using only the ones that come up with 100% 'good' or 'great' ingredients. I stick with that for a month and then (carefully) start reintroducing one product at a time. If it still reacts with my skin, I give it away or bin it.

3rd March, 2023

I had very oily skin in my 20’s and 30’s and thought the best way to help it was to only use products containing salicylic acid. I was using harsh cleansers, toners, serums and moisturisers and it actually made my skin oilier but with flaking. Swapping the products out for lighter more hydrating products made such a difference.

2nd March, 2023

I haven't ever noticed but it does dry out. When it looks too gross I try to stick with egg white and coconut oil and that helps.

2nd March, 2023

Luckily I haven't had issues with my skin barrier, it does not sound like fun!

2nd March, 2023

I am lucky l have never had this problem, it's great to know what the causes it and what to do if l ever get it, thanks

1st March, 2023

I can so relate to this article because my skin barrier has also been compromised by using hylaronic acid in my skin care and make up on a daily basis and often at night time.I have struggled with dry,flaking and inflamed red skin for many months and found the culprit is HA so I have had to change my entire skincare products now.

1st March, 2023

Interesting article! Not really thought about it before.

28th February, 2023

Have definitely thought about. I had a friend who has issues for months with redness and irritation. They had to go to the doctor many times. Although I've just realised they never mentioned what fixed it in the end. I will have to ask them.