A Healthy Barrier: The Secret to Resilient Skin

Guest Contributor: Sarah Ban

Here’s a game-changing fact: The vast majority of your skin issues—whether it’s the pesky pimple that won’t go away or painful-to-touch sensitivity—can likely be traced down to a single culprit: a compromised skin barrier.

Your skin barrier, also referred to as the stratum corneum, is simply the uppermost layer of your skin. It comprises sheets of dead skin cells “glued” together by water and oils (lipids), specifically cholesterol, ceramides, and fatty acids. Your barrier has two primary jobs: to lock in moisture and provide protection from external aggressors, like harmful UV rays. It also protects the fresh, young skin cells underneath from being damaged. Think of your skin barrier as your complexion’s bodyguard.

When your skin barrier is balanced, you not only put a halt to aggravation in the skin (the other main driver of skin problems), but you also strengthen the skin’s self-correcting mechanisms—which means it can “fight” visible manifestations like blemishes and wrinkles a lot more effectively.

On the other hand, a weakened skin barrier will essentially develop cracks—spaces that allow essential moisture to evaporate and allow irritants to come in, resulting in dryness and irritation. An impaired barrier manifests itself in a number ways, including redness, tightness, roughness, and breakouts. In the long term, this can lead to premature sagging, wrinkles, and other unwelcome complexion issues.

If your skin isn’t quite where you want it to be, start by supporting your skin barrier (the sooner, the better). Avoid exfoliating too frequently and using harsh skincare products that strip your skin of its natural oils. Always ensure you feed your skin with nourishing barrier-friendly ingredients like avocado, safflower, and meadowfoam. You can also consider Renewal Facial Lotion, Renewal Eye Cream and Enriched Body Cream, three of our signature products provide skin with the perfect ratio of its natural lipids to trigger rejuvenation of the skin barrier.