In fact, using too many actives and combining ingredients that shouldn't be mixed are some of the most common culprits of skin barrier damage. Skip retinoids, exfoliating acids and vitamin C for at least a month. Seek out barrier-building vitamin B (or niacinamide) while your skin is in the recovery stage.
Harsh cleansers can strip away the essential moisturising and nourishing substances that keep your skin barrier healthy. Do not use abrasive scrubs as they can cause micro-tears to the skin's surface. Instead, use a gentle, leave-on exfoliant. Use fragrance-free skincare products.
Vitamin C can soothe sunburns and wounds
If your skin does incur sun damage and you end up with a burn, vitamin C might help soothe it. Vitamin C does this by encouraging the production of healthy new cells to replace damaged and dead cells. For this same reason, it is also useful in healing skin wounds.
When your barrier is weak because you don't have enough lipids in your skin, Vaseline acts as a substitute for these lipids. Remember the brick-and-mortar analogy? Vaseline fills in the cracks in your skin's “mortar” so that your barrier starts to act in a healthy way again.
Skin barrier aggressors are everywhere, but the most overwhelmingly common reason for impairment in consultant dermatologist Dr. Anjali Mahto's clinic is “the overuse of actives and using too many products all at once,” she says. “The skin becomes overwhelmed, and, as a result, the barrier becomes compromised.”
Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, support the skin's barrier function by enhancing the production of barrier lipids (remember, a damaged skin barrier happens when too many lipids are broken down). Antioxidants also have natural healing properties to reduce inflammation and protect against water loss.
To minimize aggravation if you have more sensitive skin, you can avoid applying it directly before or after other products that contain exfoliating ingredients including retinol, AHAs (such as glycolic acid and lactic acid), BHAs (i.e. salicylic acid) and benzoyl peroxide.
High vitamin C levels in the skin greatly assists wound healing and minimizes raised scar formation. This has been demonstrated in numerous clinical studies in humans and animals.
A classic sign of a broken skin barrier is an inability to hold on to moisture. Skin that's dry and flaky despite your best efforts is one example of how this might manifest. Your skin might also peel away or look patchy.
A damaged skin barrier can usually heal itself within two weeks, depending on the damage, but only if you stop all exfoliators (even acids and retinoids) and switch to gentle, soothing products instead, says Dr. Tomassian.
Benefits of Snail Mucin for Skin
Moisturizes the skin: According to Dr. Lain, snail mucin contains moisturizing agents that work to repair the barrier function of the skin, both locking out irritants from the environment while also simultaneously locking in moisture.
Products To Help Strengthen the Skin's Barrier
Hyaluronic acid and three essential ceramides are found naturally within the skin, and are effective ingredients that help restore the moisture barrier.
I wouldn't recommend it for sensitive skin as it can strip off the skin's moisture and potentially make it drier, flakier and duller.” If double cleansing is something you do want to add into your routine, Dr Lokhande advises approaching it with caution and opting for products that are gentle and non-irritating: “Look ...
A simple routine will constitute 'gentle cleansing, toning and moisturising' with the addition of skin ingredients such as ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin, vitamins and squalane which help nourish and support the skin barrier. Avoiding harsh or irritating ingredients will also speed up repair.
Yes. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that has fantastic skin hydration benefits. It is also an antioxidant that, with consistent use, brightens the skin, improves its texture, and makes it look smooth and supple effortlessly.
While Vitamin C serum is generally well-tolerated, some individuals may experience skin irritation, especially if they have sensitive skin. Symptoms of irritation can include redness, itching, and a burning sensation.
In other cases, mixing can destabilize or cancel out the benefits of the antioxidant. Here are some ingredients to never mix with vitamin C: Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs): Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid.
Although it is true that in some cases vitamin C can cause breakouts, it usually occurs with first time users starting with the wrong concentration or in the wrong formulation. Proper usage and selecting the right product will minimise the risk of this happening.
For now, take out all retinols, acids and active ingredients from your routine. Go back to basics. Revert back to a simple, nourishing cleanser, serum, oil and/or moisturiser. Up the hydration and skin barrier-loving ingredients.
Fortunately, the secret to repairing your skin barrier is fairly simple: moisture. Our skin barrier is made of a thin layer of actively shedding skin cells held together with beneficial lipids and ceramides. It seals in hydration so that it can't evaporate into the environment, causing dehydration.
Petrolatum isn't just an occlusive moisturiser, it is also an emollient. It moves into the spaces around skin cells within the stratum corneum to take the place of lost lipids in dry and/or damaged skin, immediately improving the skin's barrier function1, as well as the skin's smoothness and softness.
Signs of Skin Barrier Damage
Dry, Flaky Skin: A healthy skin barrier retains moisture and maintains a balanced hydration level. Damage can lead to moisture loss, resulting in skin that appears dry, flaky, and sometimes peels, revealing an inability to retain water.