What’s so important about our skin barrier? Imagine your skin as a protective barrier that wraps around your entire body, like a suit of armor. This "armor" is made up of several layers, each with its own important role in keeping you safe and healthy.
Lots of people, companies, and media outlets are talking about our SKIN BARRIER but, what exactly is that?
Imagine your skin as a protective barrier that wraps around your entire body, like a suit of armor. This "armor" is made up of several layers, each with its own important role in keeping you safe and healthy.
At its most basic level, the skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin, known as the epidermis. It's the first line of defense against anything that might try to harm your body from the outside world. This could include things like bacteria, viruses, pollutants, or even harsh weather conditions.
Think of the skin barrier as a kind of "security system" for your body. When it's healthy and intact, it does a great job of keeping your body safe from harm. However, if the skin barrier becomes damaged or weakened, it can't do its job as effectively, which can lead to problems like dryness, irritation, or even infection.
The skin barrier also contains lipids, which are like fats that help to seal in moisture and keep harmful substances out. When these lipids reduce with age or damage, our skin ages rapidly. Properly hydrated skin (no, not from drinking water) is the best anti-aging tool you can have.
People suffering from acne, eczema, rosacea and other chronic skin disorders, have a compromised skin barrier. Aging skin does also due to a reduction in the natural oils our skin produces. This lack of naturally produced oil and fat makes our skin age prematurely and leaves our skin vulnerable to irritation.
You hear a lot of skincare experts saying that facials should be done every 6 weeks. This cycle is definitely optimal in order to keep your skin on track and identify issues. Facials benefit your skin barrier, keeping it healthy and functional and long term, giving you less irritation, less inflammation, and the bonus is, younger looking, glowing skin.