How to Repair Your Skin Barrier
Our skin has a natural protective barrier that fights to keep dirt and bacteria from clogging our pores and damaging our skin. It also helps retain moisture and other essential elements to keep our skin healthy and clear. However, treating your skin aggressively, excessive sun exposure and using too many beauty products can damage or weaken your skin barrier. If you’re suffering from a damaged skin barrier, here are a few tips on how you can repair it:
Choose Skin Soothing Ingredients
When your skin barrier is damaged, your skin feels raw, sensitive and irritated. Calm and soothe it by switching to gentle, nourishing skin care products made with skin-soothing ingredients. Natural ingredients such as aloe vera, chamomile, calendula and colloidal oatmeal are all very gentle and soothing on skin, and can help reduce irritation and inflammation. Many of these ingredients can be found in natural beauty products by companies like Well Within Beauty.
Be Gentle
A damaged skin barrier should be treated like you would a wound; with a gentle touch and tender loving care. Don’t scrub your skin aggressively or use products with harsh or potent active ingredients. Until your skin barrier has healed, stick to a minimalist skin care routine focused on cleansing, moisturizing and protection.
Instead of using harsh scrubs, keep your skin clean by practicing the double cleansing method. This involves first removing your makeup and/or sunscreen with a gentle yet effective oil-based cleanser, like Well Within Beauty’s natural makeup remover. This is made from the finest plant-based oils and botanical ingredients, to nourish your skin as you cleanse. Follow up with a mild, pH-balanced water-based cleanser to get rid of any excess oil or residue.
After cleansing, pat—don’t rub!—your skin dry with a clean, fluffy towel, then apply a gel or lightweight cream moisturizer. Look for products that contain skin-repairing ingredients like ceramides, panthenol, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, as these restore moisture to your skin and help it to rebuild itself. Avoid using acids and actives while you are repairing your skin barrier; these may disrupt your skin’s progress or cause it to become more irritated and inflamed.
Protect Your Skin
Daily sun protection is a must, but it becomes even more crucial when your skin barrier is damaged. The sun’s powerful rays can wreak havoc on your skin, especially when it is already weakened. Be sure to wear sunscreen every day, even on the days when it’s rainy or cloudy. Choose a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and broad spectrum protection to keep you shielded from both UVA and UVB rays.
When it comes to repairing your skin barrier, gentleness, patience and consistency are key. Your skin can’t repair itself overnight, but if you regularly practice good skin care habits during this period, it will be able to build restore itself in time. A strong and healthy skin barrier is impressively good at renewing and protecting itself, so once your skin is at its healthiest, you won’t have to do much to maintain a clear and smooth complexion. It also pays to avoid damaging your skin barrier in the first place, so always be gentle and treat your skin well, even when it is healthy and strong.