How to repair your skin barrier and keep it healthy

Skin Barrier - it’s become a bit of a buzz term, of late, but just because everybody is talking about it doesn’t mean it’s a fad and you shouldn’t take it seriously. The health of your skin barrier is vital to how your skin looks and behaves, and so much of my work in developing my SkinGoal collection is about working with skin’s natural processes and needs, that I really wanted to get into why we all should take it seriously.

What is the skin barrier?

The skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin (the stratum corneum, which is the top layer of the epidermis). Think of it as your skin’s protective shield, that keeps nasties at bay and the good stuff working as it should.

The skin barrier has two main elements: the skin cells themselves (corneocytes) which are like bricks, stacked up to present a barrier to prevent bad things getting in and good things leaking out; and lipids (fats such as ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids), which act like mortar, holding the bricks together in a stable fashion.

What does the skin barrier do?

The skin barrier has three main functions:

Protection: it shields against bacteria, viruses, pollutants, and irritants making headway into your skin. If these nasties make headway, you can experience flare ups, red and sore skin and even an increase in the signs of aging, as skin experiences oxidative stress.

Moisture retention: it prevents excessive water loss, keeping your skin hydrated. Dehydrated skin feels taut, you may experiences flakiness and a feeling that your skin care is just sitting on your skin, not doing what it’s supposed to do.

Regulation: it helps maintain the right pH balance. The skin’s surface is naturally slightly acidic, usually around pH 4.5–5.5. This is often called the acid mantle. It plays a vital role in protection against microbes: most harmful bacteria and fungi don’t do well in an acidic environment, so the slightly acidic pH helps prevent infections. Additionally, the skin’s natural enzymes that build and repair the ‘mortar’ work most effectively in this environment.

Signs your barrier is damaged

If your skin barrier is weak or damaged, you are likely to experience any one or a mix of: dryness, flakiness, or tightness; redness and/or sensitivity; a burning or stinging response to skincare products you normally tolerate. Sometimes people think they’re having an allergic reaction to a product, and it’s very close, but in fact it’s your skin protesting and demanding a little TLC.

When the barrier is healthy, skin looks smooth, feels hydrated and has a resilience against external aggressors - and can then do its job creating collagen and elastin, with a healthy skin cell turnover, all part of the virtuous circle of skincare.

The skin barrier can struggle at any age, this is not something that just happens as we age. It’s affected by hormones, seasonal changes, and, yes, ageing, but there are things we can do to repair a struggling skin barrier and keep it strong.

Simple lifestyle changes to support your skin barrier

Stay hydrated: drinking plenty of fluids helps maintain moisture balance. 

Eat barrier-friendly foods: omega-3s such as found in oily fish, flax seeds and chia seeds; antioxidants (lots of berries and green vegetables); and healthy fats such as avocado and extra-virgin olive oil.

Avoid hot showers: warm water is gentler on the skin and won’t strip away your natural oils or overheat the epidermis.

Skincare to support your skin barrier

If you recognise that your skin barrier is damaged or struggling, tweak your skincare routine to give it some healing and TLC. It’s time to recreate the three-step morning routine, ladies!

Cleanse
Avoid harsh foaming cleansers or soaps that strip natural oils and choose instead pH-balanced, hydrating cleansers. My Prep Cleanse is designed to gently, yet thoroughly, cleanse skin while protecting and calming the skin barrier. It’s infused with nourishing plant oils, blackcurrant extract, and barrier-supporting panthenol for a calming sensation and clean skin.

DO NOT (ever, in fact) use a textured exfoliator, and while you’re rebuilding your skin barrier avoid retinol at all costs! 

Tone
Use a very gentle toner to clear away any makeup residue or night cream. I developed my Botanical Balance Tonic specifically to support stressed skin. You can use it as a cleanser rather than starting with Prep Cleanse, if your skin is really struggling, too. It’s infused with revitalising ginseng, hydrating hyaluronic acid, and a curated blend of botanical actives that gently refresh and rebalance, helping restore your skin barrier.

Moisturise

Okay, maybe not quite the three-step routine! Before we moisturise, we must hydrate. And there is nothing, but nothing, better, than my Power HA for this. A beautifully smooth serum just LOADED with hyaluronic acid to support collagen synthesis, reinforce the skin barrier and help soften the appearance of fine lines, your skin will drink it up.

Now to moisturise! Start with a light layer of Serum Serene, which works to restore hydration and visibly reduce redness, without disrupting the barrier. Next, Cream Drench. This one is a beautifully soft moisturiser designed not only to lock in hydration, but feed the skin with a double hit of peptides, Vitamin B Complex (Panthenol) to soothe and replenish the skin barrier, and free-radical fighting, natural healer, Vitamin E. 

Sunscreen is non-negotiable 

Yes, here I am on my soap-box again! Never, ever leave the house without a layer of SPF on your delicate facial skin. Ever. In winter my Cream Solar 20 does a fine job of protecting against the less invasive UV rays we experience here between October and March, but at all other times nothing less than an SPF30 will do, and my broad spectrum Solar 50 is my first choice for every day from April to September.

It’s time to man the barriers, ladies! Do you hear the people sing…? Sorry, slipped into a Les Miserables moment there!

Love, Penny x