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Trying to keep our skin healthy and glowing is a lifelong process. It protects us, shields us, and defines us in a lot of ways! But every layer of the skin acts as our armor in a different way. On the very top, we all have a "skin barrier" that requires its own care for long-term health.
You might have heard about the skin barrier on social media, but not understand why it's so important. The skin barrier's role is to protect the live layers of skin by keeping out harmful chemicals and bacteria. Without some care, it won't be able to accomplish this as effectively. Here, I'll highlight some products from my favorite Korean skincare brands to keep your skin glowing and healthy for years to come.
The skin barrier is only the outer layer of the skin, called the stratum corneum. This layer is actually a dead layer of proteins, lipids, and dead skin cells over the top of your skin's live, acting layers.
Think of it like a brick wall, with the lipids creating the mortar of the wall. The primary lipids making up this layer are cholesterol, free fatty acids, and ceramides. These three compounds bind together with our tough, dead skin cells, called corneocytes (which are like the bricks in this analogy!). The resulting barrier makes it difficult for other, harmful substances to get through to the live layers below and cause damage.
This means that damaging the skin barrier can lead to many problems!
But how does it end up damaged in the first place? An underlying skin condition, external damage like a sunburn, using harsh chemicals in low-quality soaps, or coming into contact with cleaning chemicals can cause the skin barrier to become thinner in some places or even develop tears. Not using a moisturizer can cause a thinning skin barrier, as your live skin cells aren't able to replenish the barrier effectively.
And how do you know if your skin barrier has been damaged? You might have dry or flaky skin, inflammation, rough patches, sensitivity, and in particularly damaging cases, infection or an increase in acne. To choose the right products to support your skin, it's important to know whether you're trying to maintain your skin barrier, or repair damage done to it.
Luckily, although awareness about the skin barrier may only just be increasing in Western culture now, Korean products for skin care have long been working together to keep your skin barrier healthy.
If you are tired of dry skin problems and more, then repairing the barrier might be just what you need. When you try to repair your skin barrier, it's best to limit or completely cut out the use of exfoliants. It is best also to use an even gentler cleanser than usual, and limit any stripping ingredients like acids that you may use in your typical routine.
I recommend tackling this problem with Dr. esthé's Dual Barrier Cream, which will steadily build back up the skin's lipid structure by maintaining moisture longer and preventing trans-epidermal water loss. The hypoallergenic formula of this product helps you soothe flaky and damaged skin. You can easily add this to your skincare routine as your first moisturizer. Massage it in right after cleansing and applying any serums.
If you are looking to amp up treatment for a more thorough fix, check out my next recommendation in my video about repairing your skin barrier. The Dr. esthé Rejuvenating Ampoule is a milky serum that helps repair your skin barrier with a bio-stimulator that encourages the skin to build collagen back quickly. This is especially effective if you use microcurrent or an exoderm mask, then apply two pumps of this product. Your skin will quickly reap the rewards!
Once your skin barrier is back in action, here are some good rules of thumb I like to recommend to keep it healthy.
1. When you wash, use warm water. Although it can feel like it's scourging away all of the dirt and grime, using hot or scalding water can be very damaging to the delicate live layers of skin and the layer of lipids make up your skin barrier. Using hot water essentially melts it away like butter, getting rid of all the healthy, natural oils. This takes a while to build back up—and leaves your skin vulnerable in the meantime.
2. Use the right cleanser. There are a handful of great Korean skincare cleansers
that nurture the skin, cleaning it without entirely purging it of the healthy oils it needs for continued, natural maintenance. I recommend the House of PLLA line HOP+ Pro Volumizing Mousse-Daily Foaming Cleanser. It's great for sensitive skin and for protecting your skin barrier, even while washing away the dirt from the day.
3. Be gentle when you exfoliate. I find that many people only feel clean when they have harshly scrubbed away on their faces, leaving themselves feeling "squeaky clean." However, that feeling often results from you rubbing off many of those natural oils of the skin barrier, leaving your face feeling raw. Don't exfoliate using anything with "microbeads," as these create small tears in your skin barrier that only time can heal. Instead, in my line of CBE Botanicals™, I have a Revive Exfoliating Serum that gently exfoliates and brightens the skin without causing any damage.
4. Finally, let your skin rest sometimes. What does a rest for your skin look like? It is often going back to gentle basics: cleansing, moisturizing, and applying SPF, but otherwise allowing it to rebuild itself, trusting that you have given it the tools to create a healthy protective layer once again.
Q: How often should I focus on repairing my skin barrier?
While maintenance is key, you may need to focus on barrier repair during seasonal changes, after sun exposure, or when using new skincare products that can be harsh on the skin.
Q: Can makeup products damage my skin barrier?
Some makeup products, especially those with heavy fragrances, alcohol, or harsh chemicals, can strip or irritate the skin barrier over time. Look for makeup labeled as "non-comedogenic" and "hydrating" to be gentle on your skin.
Q: What lifestyle habits help keep the skin barrier healthy?
Hydration, a balanced diet rich in healthy fats, reducing stress, and sleeping well all contribute to a stronger skin barrier and overall skin health.
If this is the first time you are hearing about the skin barrier, you might be thinking "There's another entire layer of my skin I need to be caring for on top of what I already do?" I understand that the journey to have healthy skin can feel like a long one, but there's no reason to do it alone! You can join me at the Christine Byer Beauty Club, where I offer two weeks of a FREE preview with full access to everything the Club has to offer. You will get personalized support for any questions you might have and the opportunity to win a FREE consultation along with access to savings on my recommended products. Not interested at the end of the 14-day trial? You can cancel your membership free of charge.
