Healthy Skin
How to repair your skin barrier
Your skin barrier is key to a happy, healthy and glowing complexion. But with so many of us being overzealous with retinols, acids and peels or having excessive skincare routines, you may end up causing more harm than good.
The skin barrier is the top layer of your skin, and it acts as a shield to keep your skin in tip-top condition. It keeps the good in and the bad out. But if it’s damaged, you may run into redness, irritation and other common skin bugbears.
Here’s how to tell if your skin barrier is damaged and what you can do to restore it.
Signs your skin barrier is damaged
Inflammation, redness and breakouts are all tell-tale signs of damage.
Not only that, but roughness, dryness, new wrinkles and susceptibility to infections are signs your skin barrier is unhappy. You may also experience stinging, sensitivity and irritation when applying your skincare products.
Conditions like eczema and rosacea are caused by a genetic defect to the skin barrier, but can flare up as a result of external and internal factors.
What causes this damage?
There are lots of things that can damage your skin barrier. Overusing and mixing skincare products that aren’t designed to work together is a common one.
Many of us are lured into thinking more is more when it comes to skincare. But using conflicting ingredients on our complexions at the same time can irritate our skin barrier.
Over exfoliating with physical or chemical exfoliators can also cause damage, as can using too-hot water when washing our faces.
The environment may play a factor too. Smoking, UV radiation, pollution and a lack of sleep can also cause issues.
How to repair your skin barrier
You’ll be pleased to hear that you can repair your skin barrier. But you’ll need to be patient as it can take a few weeks.
Working out the root cause of your skin issues should be your first port of call. If you’ve noticed irritation since adding a new step or product into your routine, it’s time to stop using it.
Taking your skincare back to basics can help, especially if it’s been caused by an overcomplicated routine.
Choose a mild cleanser to whisk away grime and makeup, a fragrance-free moisturiser to nourish and hydrate the skin, before finishing up with an SPF to protect against UV rays.
Try to reduce your stress levels, hydrate from within and prioritise good quality sleep.
There are also lots of skincare products on the market that are designed to protect and repair any damage.
Products we love
Enriched with thermal spring water, Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Cream is a great option for nourishing and repairing a damaged skin barrier.
By Sarah’s entire range is designed for sensitive, stressed-out skin and the Reviver Hydrating Mist helps to keep skin calm, radiant, and – most importantly – strengthen the barrier. Use the LIZLOVES code to save 20% at By Sarah.
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5 Multi-Purpose Repairing Balm is infused with skin-soothing ingredients. It’s dermatologist-tested and suitable for even the most sensitive complexions.
Biogenic’s Rebalancing CBD Day Cream helps to restore surface cells while boosting protection from the elements. Ylang ylang also helps with the regenerative process of the epidermis.
