Understanding and Repairing a Damaged Skin Barrier Effectively

Skin Barrier and Causes of A Damaged Skin Barrier

When the skin barrier is broken and disrupted, the skin’s health is compromised. This blog will explain the science and anatomy of the skin barrier, Damaged moisture barrier symptoms can be identified using a quiz that dermatologists use to identify the Baumann Skin Type.

What is the Skin Barrier?

The definition of skin barrier is a protective layer of lipids that surround skin cells in the epidermis.

The function of the skin barrier is to keep water in the skin and prevent entry of germs, allergens and irritating substances into the skin.

Other names for the skin barrier are:

the moisture barrier

lipid barrier

skin protective barrier

skin water barrier

multilamellar layer

lipid bilayer

An intact skin barrier prevents water from evaporating off of the skin’s surface.

Intact skin barrier

A compromised skin barrier causes holes in the skin barrier.

A broken moisturize barrier allows:

water to leave the skin’s surface

allergens to enter the skin

microbes like bacteria to enter the skin

better penetration of skincare products

increased retinoid side effects

Toxic chemicals to get into the skin

Compromised skin barrier

What causes barrier damage?

A damaged skin barrier may be genetic or it may be caused by something your skin is exposed to.

The skin barrier is damaged by:

Chlorine in water such as swimming pools

Cholesterol lowering drugs like statins

Friction

Hard water with calcium and magnesium

Harsh detergents or surfactants

Lack of fat or cholesterol in diet

Exfoliants

Poor diet (not enough fat)

Water (type and exposure time matter)

Cholesterol lowering drugs

Habits that Injure the skin barrier

I often see patients who have an injured skin barrier due to their habits. In their case, it is not a genetic issue, but something they are doing wrong. These habits can injure your skin barrier by stripping needed lipids from your skin:

Overexfoliation

Too frequent baths

Bath and showers that are too hot

Prolonged immersion in chlorinated water

Cleansers that have too many detergents (vigorously foaming cleaners)

Soaps

Using baking soda on the skin

Beginning a retinoid

Damaged Skin Barrier

A damaged skin barrier makes your skin susceptible to dehydration, rashes, infection, and inflammation.

A broken moisture barrier has tiny holes in between skin cells that allow damaging substances into the skin.

Compromised skin that has a disrupted skin barrier is more susceptible to:

Allergy

Chemical burn

Dehydration

Infection

Inflammation

Irritation

Stinging

How To Know If Your Skin Barrier Is Compromised

You can tell if your skin barrier is damaged if your skin is:

Dull

Dry

Itchy

Rough

Uncomfortable 20 minutes after washing when no moisturizer is applied

Feels tight and stiff without moisturizer

Happiest when you use a heavy moisturizer

Soothed when oils are applied

There are devices that can measure if the skin barrier is compromised such as a TEWAmeter® and a Corneometer®.

Dermatologists use our skin type quiz to detect a damaged skin barrier.

Take the Quiz

Find out if your skin barrier is damaged

How do you break the skin barrier?

Detergents and soaps in foaming cleansers destroy the skin barrier by removing lipids from the skin.

Examples of lipids in the skin are cholesterol, ceramides and fatty acids.

Detergents weaken the skin barrier by removing these lipids. They surround the lipids and strip them away from the upper layers of the skin.

How detergents injure the skin barrier

Friction and minerals in water can also break the skin’s moisture barrier by stripping it of lipids.

Does water hurt the skin barrier

Does water disrupt the skin barrier?

Water has a big effects on the skin barrier.

These attributes of water can compromise the skin barrier:

Exposure time

Calcium

Chlorine

Magnesium

Salt (sodium chloride)

Temperature

Learn more about the best type of water to wash your face and body with here.

How water affects the skin barrier

How do you know if your skin barrier is damaged?

A damaged moisture barrier leads to dehydration, inflammation and impaired desquamation.

Damaged skin barrier symptoms are:

Ashy skin

Bumpy skin

Dry dehydrated skin

Dull skin

Eczema.

Inflammation

Itching

Poor skin texture

Reactive Skin

Rough skin

Stinging

Uneven skin texture

What Are the Signs of a Damaged Moisture Barrier?

Signs of a compromised skin barrier are:

Frequent rashes

Itching

Poor light reflection

Rough texture

Sensitive skin

Where Is The Skin Barrier Located?

skin barrier is in the upper layer of the epidermis

The skin barrier is in the upper layer of the epidermis called the stratum corneum.

What layer of the skin is the skin barrier?

Skin barrier in the stratum corneum

The skin barrier is in the outermost layer of the epidermis, called the stratum corneum.

It is a bilayer membrane that surrounds the skin cells, called keratinocytes.

There are multiple layers of the lipid bilayers in between each keratinocyte of the stratum corneum.

The skin barrier has multiple bilayers

How Does the Skin Barrier Work?

The skin barrier is a bilayer of lipids that surround the skin cells in the upper part of the epidermis.

These multilamellar membranes bathe keratinocyte skin cells in protective lipids.

The lipids (fats) that make up the skin barrier are:

ceramides

fatty acids

cholesterol

These lipids line up in bilayer membranes so that their hydrophobic tails (yellow in the illustration) form a center section that repels water. The way the lipid line up determines how strong the barrier is. The strongest barriers show a maltese cross pattern under the microscope.

When lipids are packed together in the tightest way, this prevents the passage of water across the multilamellar membranes.

Lipids form a bilayer structure to form the skin barrier

The lipids that form the bilayer membranes are like puzzle pieces.

They must be the correct size and shape to fit together and eliminate any spaces between them.

You must have a 1:1:1 ratio of lipids.

Lipid shape determines skin barrier strength

What Is the Skin Barrier Made Of?

The skin barrier is made of of 3 main lipids:

Ceramides

Fatty acids

Cholesterol

There are many different kinds of fatty acids, and the type of fatty acid affects barrier strength and function.

Barrier repair moisturizers should:

Contain the correct 1:1:1 ratio of lipids to repair the skin barrier

Show a maltese cross pattern when viewed under a cross polarized microscope.

Have soothing oils

Have a combination of humectants and occlusive ingredients

Learn more about the lipids in the skin barrier with my interview with a skin barrier scientist on You Tube.

What Is the Best Way To Repair a Compromised Skin Barrier?

Moisturizers that have the three lipids (ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol), or that contain barrier repair technologies, will repair the skin barrier.

Click here to learn more about how to repair the skin barrier and find the best barrier repair moisturizers.

How to find barrier repair moisturizers

Where Do the Lipids in the Skin Barrier Come From?

The skin barrier components are mostly made by the skin. The lipids in the skin barrier come from:

Diet- fats and oils in the diet

Enzymes in the epidermis15

Granules in the granular layer of the epidermis

Sebum

Moisturizers and other skin care products that contain lipids and oils

What Can Damage the Skin Barrier?

The wrong skin care products are the most common cause of a broken skin barrier.

These factors also damage skin barrier integrity:

Cholesterol-lowering medications like statins16

Poor diet leads to fewer nutrients

Vegan diets low in cholesterol and fat

Gut microbiome and use of probiotics17

Presence of inflammation from disease

Genetic defects such as a defect in filaggrin gene18

What products can damage your skin barrier?

If you have a damaged skin barrier, avoid these ingredients:

Alcohol- denatured

Essential Oils

Exfoliants

AHAs (alpha hydroxyacids)

Acne medications such as benzoyl peroxide

Retinoids

Foaming cleansers

Preservatives

Fragrances

Retinoids and hydroxyacids initially damage the skin barrier, but once you use them regularly they strengthen the skin barrier. I take this into account when I design your custom skin care routine based on your skin care routine quiz.

DQH Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C? It’s easy to create a skincare routine, but knowing how to use it is another thing entirely. In most cases, if you’re not getting the desired skin results, it could be due to the layering of conflicting ingredients. So, is it possible that salicylic acid and vitamin C are such ingredients? Or are these active ingredients the duo that’s been missing from your skincare routine? If you want answers, stick around because today we are going to explain the benefits of salicylic acid and vitamin C and how they can be used in your daily life. What are the benefits of salicylic acid for skin? Salicylic acid is one of the most commonly used beta hydroxy acids and is favored by many people with oily, acne-prone skin. This acid is derived from willow bark, and unlike its water-soluble relatives (called alpha-hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble, which means it can penetrate deeper into the lower layers of the skin. Once it reaches the lower layers, it can help unclog pores of excess sebum, dirt, bacteria, debris, and impurities. This results in clearer skin tones and greater definition. Not only does salicylic acid benefit the underlying layers, but the outer surface of the skin benefits as well. When applied to the skin, salicylic acid removes the buildup of dead skin cells. This is accomplished by breaking the bonds that hold dead cells to the surface. Over time, this can cause the complexion to look dull and prone to acne, blackheads, and other blemishes. If you’d like to learn more about salicylic acid and how it can improve your skin, check out this dedicated blog post from a beauty insider. What are the benefits of vitamin C for skin? Vitamin C is considered one of the most powerful antioxidants, which means it is very effective at fighting free radicals and preventing them from causing further skin damage. Examples of free radicals include pollution, central heating, UV rays and harsh climate. They attack proteins, fats and cell membranes as soon as they come into contact with the skin, causing signs of premature aging such as fine lines and wrinkles as well as hyperpigmentation, flaky patches of skin and loss of elasticity. Many people usually prefer to use vitamin C in their morning routine as this ingredient gives the complexion a radiant glow. You’ll also find that vitamin C can target areas of hyperpigmentation, plumping the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The thing about vitamin C is that there are a lot of outdated studies going back to the 1950s that describe vitamin C as an unstable skin component. Thanks to improvements in modern technology, this is no longer the case as all products now contain a stable form of vitamin C. Visit The Beauty Insider to learn more about vitamin C. So please check out our blog post. Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C? Yes, you absolutely can. In fact, it’s thought that using salicylic acid before using vitamin C ensures it penetrates faster and works faster. This is an efficient way to utilize two power sources, and the reason has to do with pH. For example, the skin’s natural pH is about 4.7, making it slightly acidic. Salicylic acid and vitamin C are also both acidic, and you’ll find that vitamin C is absorbed quickly into the skin. Therefore, using salicylic acid beforehand can increase the acidity of the skin and allow vitamin C to penetrate into the skin faster. While this is considered an effective way to combine two powerful ingredients, you need to be aware of your skin type and how it reacts to certain active ingredients. Even people with perfect, normal skin can experience skin sensitivity and irritation. Therefore, always consult a doctor or dermatologist before using any new products on your skin. It’s also important to follow skin application rules. In this case, you need to use the product correctly to ensure you get the best results for your skin. If you’re not sure what I mean, the basic rule for skin is to start with the thinnest consistency and work your way up to the thickest consistency. This prevents a barrier from forming on the surface, preventing other active ingredients from penetrating the skin. Can I use salicylic acid at night and vitamin C in the morning? Yes, absolutely, this is considered the most effective way to get returns without any adverse side effects. This is because there is enough time between applications to ensure that the skin’s pH levels return to balance. You’ll also find that Vitamin C is rich in antioxidants and is perfect for use in the morning to ensure your skin is protected and looking its healthiest. Due to the small size of salicylic acid molecules, it is an acid that is able to reach the deepest parts of the skin. While this is effective at keeping skin clear, it also increases the risk of irritation and photosensitivity. Therefore, many people prefer to use powerful BHAs in their evening routine without exposure to UV rays, pollution, or harsh weather. Warning: If you avoid using sunscreen every day, none of these ingredients will do what your skin needs. The combination of chemical peels and powerful ingredients increases the risk of further damage to the skin’s surface. Use SPF 50 every day to keep your skin protected and your lipid barrier healthy, even on cloudy days, keeping your skin in top condition.

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