What is the Skin Barrier and What Should You Do to Repair the Skin Barrier?

What is the Skin Barrier?

We all know from biology class that our skin (skin) is the largest organ of our body. The skin is a covering that protects us from harmful external factors for the integrity and health of our body.

Although the skin is very thin, it is made up of many layers. The task of the outermost layer is to create a barrier that separates the inside and outside of our body, that is, a protective border. Technically, this layer is called the stratum corneum, and this function is called the skin's barrier function, briefly known as the skin barrier.

What Does the Skin Barrier Protect Us From?

The skin protects us from all external harmful effects. Skin is our best defense against the outside world. The barrier function is the most important function of the skin. Due to harmful external factors, sometimes it cannot fully fulfill this task. When it cannot fulfill its duty, our skin cannot protect itself from harmful external factors and sends help signals to you with various problems.

What are the harmful external effects that the skin barrier protects us from?

• Sun rays: The skin barrier prevents our body from being damaged by UVA and UVB rays.
• Climatic conditions: The skin barrier prevents cold, wind or dry air from harming our organism.
• Air Pollution: The skin barrier prevents dust, pollution, toxins and heavy metals from entering our body.
• Allergens: The skin barrier prevents allergens such as pollen and mites from entering the body.
• Microorganisms: Disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi in the skin barrier are stopped by the skin before they go deeper.
• Environmental conditioning tools: The skin barrier protects us from artificial climatic effects created by heating and air conditioning.
• Wrong care and make-up products applied to the skin: The skin barrier prevents the damage caused by the wrong skin or make-up products on the skin.

How Does the Skin Barrier Damage?

The skin barrier begins to weaken when exposed to the above-mentioned harmful external effects continuously or in high amounts or for a long time. The skin, which has difficulty in coping with the extremely harmful external effects, has difficulty in producing sebum, which is the protective layer on it, over time, the skin tissue with low sebum begins to leak water, which causes dehydration. First of all, with the decrease in the production of sebum by the skin and its presentation to the skin, dehydration and hardness occur.

How Do You Know If Your Skin Barrier Is Damaged?

Any abnormal condition you observe on your skin may be a sign that your skin barrier is damaged. These signs, which first start with moisture , tension and dryness , over time itching, redness, skin tone unevenness, excessive oiliness, acne, spots, increase in the appearance of capillaries, delayed healing of wounds and leaving dark marks, early signs of aging, decrease in skin elasticity and allergic reactions. manifested in reactions .

Can You Repair Your Damaged Skin Barrier?

The good news is that you can repair your damaged skin barrier, no matter how damaged it is. You need to give your skin time and be consistent about it. Lifestyle changes and your skincare routine may need to be restructured.

Why Could My Skin Barrier Be Damaged?

Finding the root cause of damage to your skin barrier is always a great start. It is always faster and more effective to take a holistic approach to the repair process of the skin barrier by reviewing your lifestyle and the cleaning and care products you use. Just one product may not be enough to solve this problem. It is also important to check whether you are protected from the harmful external threats we mentioned above. For example, not using sunscreen can weaken the barrier function of the skin and cause many skin problems on its own.

How to Repair Your Skin Barrier

One or more of the signs such as dehydration, tightness and dryness on your skin, itching, redness, skin tone unevenness, excessive oiliness, acne, spots, increase in the appearance of capillaries, delayed healing of wounds and leaving dark marks, early signs of aging, decreased skin elasticity and allergic reactions. If you are observing a few of them on your skin, it is time to take some precautions.

An example roadmap that you should follow step by step to repair your skin barrier could be as follows.

• Protect from the Sun: If you don't use sunscreen, the first step is to add a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 30 to your skin care.
• Simplify your skin care: If you use a wide variety of products, simplify the amount of product; you need to continue skin care with a small but essential product that repairs the skin barrier. The products you need in the first place are cleansing, tonic and moisturizer. If you are experiencing extreme dryness, you can also add a balm (ointment-style oily heavy cream) to your routine.
• Review your facial cleansing habits: Cleanse your face once a day in the evening. Forget skin cleansers that are not suitable for skin pH, such as soaps, or skin cleansers, such as gels and foams, that peel and remove the skin's protective oil cover, sebum. Instead, use cleansers that are gentle on the skin, friendly to the sebum cover of the skin.
• Take a break from peeling and exfoliation for a while: Peeling and exfoliation are indispensable for healthy skin. However, it can cause irritation and irritation in people whose skin barrier is damaged. Taking a break from skin peelings with particles and serums containing AHA-BHA acids for at least 6 weeks will greatly support your repair process.
• Avoid all methods that will peel the skin suddenly and severely: Leave the wax strips, blackhead strips, and skin care masks that are used to get rid of unwanted hair on the skin, and skin care masks that freeze and peel off when applied to the face. In such products, the sebum, which provides the greatest support to the skin barrier on the skin, adversely affects the repair process as it removes the sebum from the skin surface uncontrollably.
• Increase your moisturizing frequency by using a moisturizer that supports the skin barrier: Don't be fooled by cheap and easily accessible moisturizers on the market shelves. Although they are not harmful for you, these moisturizers, which have no benefits other than softening the skin temporarily, cause you to waste time. With moisturizers containing ingredients that support the skin barrier, you both moisturize your skin and contribute to the repair of your skin barrier.
• Use products suitable for skin pH: One of the most important steps in repairing the skin barrier is a healthy and stable skin pH. Keeping the pH of the skin at a constant value is very important for the repair of the skin barrier, as the skin does not allow pathogenic microorganisms to settle on it by providing this acidity value.

pH is a unit of measurement that shows the acidity of the skin. The smaller the pH number, the higher the acidity, and the larger it becomes, the lower. The pH of water is 7 and it is called neutral, that is, it is not acidic. Anything with a pH below 7 starts to shift towards the acid side. The skin's natural and healthy pH is considered to be 5, so it's slightly acidic. Soaps have a pH of 9, which means they are incompatible with the pH of the skin. The pH of peeling solutions applied by professional salons or dermatologists is also around 3. The pH of the products you use in homemade products such as lemon and vinegar is around 2.5-3. In this respect, it is very important to choose products whose pH is compatible with your skin.

• Take a break from make-up for a while: If you have the opportunity, taking a break from skin make-up (foundation, powder, primer, blush, etc.) will support your skin's self-repairing process. Silicones, pigments and fragrance ingredients in make-up products can slow down the skin barrier repair process.

How Long Do I Repair My Skin Barrier?

Repair of the skin barrier takes between four and eight weeks. In addition, it will be in your best interest to consciously maintain your skin care throughout your life so that your skin barrier is not damaged again.

You need to give your skin time and be consistent about it. Since your skin barrier is not damaged in a day, it is best not to expect a very fast recovery. When you apply the right care and are stable, your skin will definitely give you answers that will make you happy.

What Skin Care Routine Should I Have to Repair My Skin Barrier?

Returning to basic skin care, a high factor sunscreen is sufficient in the first place.

1-Cleansing: peeling off the precious sebum layer of the skin like gel and foam; Be sure to leave out skin cleansing products that are not friendly to the pH of the skin, such as soap. Instead, you can clean your skin once a day with gentle cleansers that will not remove the existing sebum of the skin, and even support it if possible. Oil-based cleaners are the type of cleaner we recommend in this step.

The ingredients you need to pay attention to in the cleanser: Vegetable oils, vitamin E, Gentle surfactants, natural color and fragrance-free.

2-Tonic: Air pollution is one of the biggest external factors that the skin fights. In terms of preventing oxidative stress created by toxins, the tonic acts as a metabolic cleanser in daily skin care.

Ingredients you should pay attention to in the tonic: Ingredients such as flower waters, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin B3 (niacinamide), Vitamin B5 (panthenol) contribute to the repair of your skin barrier. It should be free of alcohol, perfume, colorants.

3-Moisturizing : During this period, moisturizer is of great importance, it is very important that your moisturizer also has a restorative feature. Many products on the shelves of beauty stores are not able to provide repair.

Ingredients you should pay attention to in a moisturizer: Ingredients such as natural oils, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin B3 (niacinamide), Vitamin B5 (panthenol), Glycerin, Ceramide, Urea, Aloe, Tiger Grass, Calendula, St. John's Wort contribute to the repair of your skin barrier. It should be free of alcohol, perfume, colorants.

4- Bam: Using balms (ointments) with a high oil content in very dry skin or during periods when your skin is extremely dry will help your skin retain water within itself.

Ingredients you should pay attention to in honey: Ingredients such as natural oils, vitamin E and natural waxes (beeswax, candelila wax, etc.) contribute to the repair of your skin barrier. It should be free of perfume and colorant.

5-Sunscreen: The most important of the protective measures is to be protected from the sun. The sun is highly damaging to the skin barrier. You should apply your sunscreen with a protection factor of at least thirty (higher is always better) every day, while going out for all four seasons. The sunscreen also contains broad-spectrum filters, protecting you from all harmful sun rays.

We recommend that you take a break from all other products you use during the skin barrier repair process. When your skin barrier returns to its former healthy state, you can start using serum by prioritizing a single skin problem at a time.

The secret of achieving a beautiful skin that shines with health is the right information about skin and skin care, with the right products, and stable skin care.

If you have more questions about the skin barrier, you can contact us via Instagram (@evolvy.skincare) or email ( info@evolvy.co ) and send your questions.