
DAMAGED SKIN BARRIER SKIN
With these lipids melted away, your barrier becomes compromised and skin will become more easily dehydrated. "The old analogy was sort of like the mortar between the bricks because the intercellular lipids go between the keratinocytes and that helps seal water in your skin," Lupo shared. All of those things that are naturally in your skin that form what’s called the lipid barrier," she explained. "Anytime you use hot water, you are going to literally melt these lipids that are in the skin, the natural lipids fatty acids, cholesterol, triglycerides ceramides. Lupo emphasized the importance of avoiding hot water while washing your face or body. "There’s less moisture in the air, the wind and everything that’s coming with that, and then not being sensitive to that with how you treat your skin what you treat it with," Hirsch said. A lot of them say things like, 'Oh, use me twice a day!' and that’s like, don’t do that!" Environmental conditionsĮnvironmental conditions like low air humidity or too much sun exposure can also damage the skin's barrier, according to Jaliman.Īside from regular seasonal environmental changes, harsh stretches winter can be especially rough on the skin.

"A lot of reasons for that, not perhaps the least of which, is that a lot of the products that are sold for exfoliation are not particularly well labeled. "People tend to come to this place after they discover exfoliation," said Hirsch. Debra Jaliman, agree that over-exfoliation is one way to damage the skin's barrier. Hirsch, along with board-certified dermatologists Dr. Shop These K-Beauty sheet masks transformed my skin - and they're only $3 each What damages the skin barrier? Over-exfoliation Physical, the barrier serves to protect against external threats like allergens, infectious agents and chemicals. Internally, the barrier serves to maintain homeostasis and protects from excess water loss from the body. The barrier has both internal and physical functions, according to the Indian Journal of Medical Research. It’s not a physical bit of damage so much as you’re interfering with a function that it serves." I say that because a lot of times people think, 'I’ve damaged my barrier' is kind of like chipping the corner of a table. "The barrier is a function that is being described. The skin barrier (also called the lipid barrier) isn't so much a thing as it is a function, board-certified dermatologist Dr.
DAMAGED SKIN BARRIER HOW TO
Shop TODAY spoke to a few dermatologists about what exactly the skin barrier is, how we can avoid damage and, if the damage has already occurred, how to repair it.

It's no surprise that there are effects we can't see, particularly when it comes to skin barrier damage. Between wearing makeup, being outside in extreme temperatures, donning face masks and everything in between, we put our skin through a lot.
