What Are The Barriers to Skin Health?

What are your biggest skin concerns and skin issues? We call skin concerns and skin issues “barriers to skin health”.

There are 4 main skin concerns, or barriers to healthy skin, that need to be addressed when choosing skin care products to target your skin concerns.

The first step to healthy skin is identifying your skin’s issues and diagnosing your Baumann Skin Type. Your Baumann Skin type takes into account the 4 most important skin concerns and skin issues which we call barriers to skin health.

Once you know your skin type, you can follow our tips for healthy skin based on your skin type. Your skin type will determine which skin care products will make your skin healthier.

When choosing the best skin care products and others ways to make your skin healthier, you need to first identify signs of unhealthy skin and what issues are affecting your skin health. You may have skin issues that you do not recognize. We are here to help!

If you want to get healthy looking skin and improve your skin’s health and appearance, you need to eliminate any barriers to skin health that you have.

Healthy Skin Tips:

Diagnose your Baumann Skin Type

Use skin care products that target any underlying barriers to skin health

Use the products in the best skin care routine step order

Combine products with other products that enhance effectiveness and not increase side effects

The Baumann Skin Typing System is based on the presence or absence of these 4 barriers to skin health. If you have any of these skin problems, the best way to make your skin healthier is to target these skin concerns with an entire custom skin care routine designed to eliminate these barriers to healthy skin.

4 most important skin concerns

To find out which barriers you have and find products to target these barriers and improve skin health, you first need to know your Baumann Skin Type.

Take the Quiz

What makes skin unhealthy?

Signs of unhealthy skin are dehydration, inflammation, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and fragile skin that hurts or tears easily. There are 4 main barriers to skin health:

4 barriers to skin health and skin issues

DEHYDRATION:

Dehydrated Skin is Dry Skin.

Dehydrated skin contains less water than healthy skin needs. This occurs because there is an increased amount of water that evaporates off of the skin. This is known as transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Increased TEWL1 results in dry, dehydrated skin.

What Causes Skin Dehydration and TEWL?

An impaired skin barrier allows water to evaporate off of the skin. An impaired skin barrier occurs when lipids (fats) known as ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol are not found in the proper ratio (1:1:1)2

dehydrated skin gets inflammation

Why is Skin Dehydration Bad for Skin Health?

Dehydrated dry skin feels rough and looks dull. The rough edges of the skin cells cause friction when touching wool, fabric and other rough surfacing causing a destructive shearing force on the skin’s surface. This leads to small cracks in the skin allowing entry of irritants, allergens, microbes, chemicals and pollutants causing inflammation. Dry skin tends to itch in many people and scratching of the skin leads to inflammation, and in susceptible skin types, dyspigmentation and an uneven skin tone.

The enzymes in the skin that perform many constructive and protective actions require water. A decrease in water in the skin leads to lower enzymatic activity and changes in the skin cells in the upper layers of the epidermis.3 For example, in dehydrated skin, the upper layers of the stratum corneum (outermost layer of the skin) do not desquamate properly 4 and heap up on the surface making it rough, uneven and a poor reflector of light. This is why dry skin looks dull and loses radiance. Darker skin types with dry skin get an ashy tone due to the retained transparent dead skin cells seen over pigmented skin cells.

Skin dehydration causes the other barriers to worsen. In other words, dry skin leads to inflammation5, pigmentation, and skin aging. This is why skin dehydration is the first target of any good skincare routine for healthy skin.

Inflammation and dehydrated skin concerns should be treated first

INFLAMMATION:

Inflamed Skin is Sensitive Skin.

Sensitive skin is more susceptible to inflammation in the form of acne, rosacea, redness and stinging. Anti-inflammatory cosmeceutical ingredients like green tea soothe inflamed skin, but it is necessary to discover the source of inflammation to treat it properly.

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation occurs when cell signaling molecules cause dilation of blood vessels leading to skin redness known as erythema. The redness is caused by the fact that you can see more blood through the skin when the blood vessels are bigger.

blood vessel dilate causing the skin issue of red skin

What Causes Inflammation?

Many different cell signaling molecules cause inflammation such as cytokines, arachidonic acid, bradykinin, histamine, prostaglandins, activation of Toll-like receptors and interleukins. In addition to causing dilation of blood vessels, histamine also causes swelling and itching. It is complicated to learn all of the inflammation pathways that cause inflammation to occur. The important thing is to know what is causing these inflammatory pathways to get turned on. Once inflammation starts, regardless of the cause, the various pathways can turn each other on causing an endless cycle of inflammation.

What Types of Inflammation are Seen on the Face?

Acne, rosacea, skin stinging, skin itching, skin tenderness or a pink/ red discoloration are all types of inflammation seen on the face. Other types of inflammation can be seen in hypersensitive skin. Skin allergies can also be associated with inflammation.

Why is Inflammation Bad for Skin Health?

Inflammation causes free radicals and turns on destructive skin pathways that lead to thinning of the skin and wrinkles. Inflammation also stimulates melanocytes to make pigment (melanin) in skin types prone to an uneven skin tone. Inflammation of the skin6 is associated with systemic inflammatory diseases7 such as diabetes, heart disease8 and Alzheimer’s disease. In children, skin inflammation causes an increased risk to develop food allergies.

PIGMENTATION:

Hyperpigmentation is Uneven Skin Tone

In the Baumann Skin Typing System, skin types with dark spots are defined as skin with an uneven skin tone.

Uneven skin tone has been associated with the perception of unhealthy skin.9 10 11 Uneven skin tone may be called dyschromia, hyperpigmentation, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, dark spots or pigment alteration.

if you have dark spots on the skin and uneven pigmentation, you need skin lightening ingredients to even the melanin distribution in your skin.

Cause of Dyspigmentation and Hyperpigmentation of Skin

An uneven skin tone is caused by excessive production of melanin by skin cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes increase the production of the pigment melanin and/ or increase the transfer of melanin-containing melanosomes into skin cells. The increased skin pigment production results in an uneven skin color due to uneven light reflection in different areas of the skin due to differences in distribution of melanin pigment.

uneven distributed pigment causes the skin concern of uneven skin tone

Skin Problems That Cause an Uneven Skin Tone

An uneven skin tone is caused by many things. One common cause of an uneven skin tone is inflammation. Inflammation stimulates melanocytes to make more melanin resulting in a problem known as post-inflammatory pigment alteration or PIPA. Other skin disorders that cause an uneven skin tone are melasma, acne, eczema, tinea versicolor, hemochromatosis and any skin disorder that causes inflammation.

AGING SKIN or MATURE SKIN:

Aging skin is wrinkle-prone skin

wrinkle skin concerns occur from lifestyle habits

More is being learned every day about the causes of skin aging. Aging skin has molecular pathways that lead to sagging, fragile and wrinkled skin. There are two main types of aging:

Intrinsic aging is caused by your genetics and normal cellular metabolism

Extrinsic aging is caused by exposure to sun, light, pollution and other insults that turn on destructive pathways in the skin that lead to aging. Poor lifestyle habits increase the risk of skin aging.

Both intrinsic and extrinsic skin aging can be prevented or treated with antiaging ingredients such as antioxidants and retinoids.

Causes of Skin Aging

Lifestyle habits such as ultraviolet light, stress, lack of fruits and vegetables in the diet, smoking, vaping and pollution exposure turn on harmful pathways that injure the skin. Inflammation also turns on these aging pathways by causing free radicals that damage cell structures leading to skin aging. Dehydration can also lead to increased skin aging. We know that cellular senescence, autophagy and exposure to pollution can also age skin.

Does Skin Type 10 have to use products to stay healthy?

How To Treat Unhealthy Skin and Improve The Barriers To Skin Health?

How to treat any issues that are affecting your skin’s health depends upon what Baumann Skin Type you have.

You should shop for products and build your skin care routine based on what signs of unhealthy skin you have. Here are the 16 Baumann Skin Types. Note that only Skin Type 10 is the perfect healthy skin type. The others all have at least one issue making the skin unhealthy.

16 Baumann skin type numbers with skin concerns

Once you know your Baumann Skin Type, you can shop, build regimens, read reviews and get educational material all by your Baumann Skin Type.

Take the Quiz

Your skincare regimen should contain products that target your barriers to skin health. The goal is to turn the unhealthy aspects of your skin to healthy attributes as seen below:

skin concerns and skin issues that hurt and help skin

Our mission at Skin type Solutions is to improve skin health globally. The first step to skin health is identifying which of these barriers are preventing you from having your healthiest skin. Tell your friends- spread the word- together let’s empower the world to confront these barriers to skin health and change skin to the healthiest skin type.

You can also sign up to be an ambassador, earn points and help improve global skin health by spreading the word.

DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek. “Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more. Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals. Sunscreen “We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.” Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup. Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand. Vitamin C Serum “A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging. Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation. Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants. Peptides Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.” Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively. This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek. At-Home Peel Pads Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate. “The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.” According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says. Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection. KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids. Emollient Night Cream “In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.” “Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products. Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid. RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme “The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.

Related Articles

Ad Blocker Detected