The good news is, even if your skin barrier is compromised or weak, all is not lost. The skin barrier can repair itself over time naturally (if the damage is mild, it can return to a balanced state within a few hours; it can take longer if the symptoms are more severe).
Generally, the skin barrier can start to show improvement in as little as a few days, but full repair typically takes between two weeks to a month. Implementing a gentle skincare routine, avoiding irritants and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are key strategies to promote skin barrier repair.
However, to help it repair, you need to give it time to heal. Avoid following the same routine that led to the damaged skin barrier. Instead, switch to a gentle and simpler routine and load up on moisturizers while avoiding any kinds of exfoliators, irritants, and active ingredients.
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.
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.
Using too many products or harsh ingredients can damage the skin barrier and lead to dryness, irritation, and inflammation. Stick to a simple routine that includes a gentle cleanser, a hydrating moisturizer, and sunscreen. If you have a skin condition, follow your treatment plan as directed by your doctor.
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.
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.
Dehydrated skin is always a temporary condition that can be reversed with appropriate products. It is an alteration in the superficial layer of the epidermis that lacks water. This lack of hydration disturbs the skin's barrier function and leads to discomfort.
Another study showed that coconut oil extract could improve the barrier function of the skin and reduce inflammation due to UVB rays. Research on coconut oil has also suggested that the oil may have antibacterial properties, even when people use it on the skin.
When the skin barrier is damaged, it calls out for soothing, moisturizing ingredients just like the ones you'll spot in a tub or tube of Aquaphor. Certainly, TikTokers are using Aquaphor's Healing Ointment to protect sore skin and to smooth over flaky patches.
Hyaluronic acid regenerates the lipids in the skin's barrier, which helps the skin hold water more effectively. The skin's barrier, thus, works best by helping keep the cells in balance. Hyaluronic acid also protects the skin from free radicals and other external toxins.
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.
Hydration is key to repairing a damaged skin barrier. Look for a hydrating serum or essence that contains certain moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or ceramides. All these ingredients greatly help attract and retain moisture, hydrating the skin from within.
This will help keep the wound moist and allow it to heal faster with less scarring. Continue applying the petroleum jelly until the wound has fully healed. Open wounds heal more slowly. A large wound can take 4 weeks or more to heal.
In addition, secreted sweat mixed with sebum on the skin surface forms a moisturizing lipid layer (Shelmire, 1956). We hypothesized that sweat may play an important part in mediating skin barrier function.
Craythorne recommends La Roche-Posay's Cicplast Baume B5, Cetaphil's Rich Night Cream, and SkinCeuticals's Epidermal Repair—all will help restore the skin barrier to its former self. As well as hyaluronic acid, “seek out barrier-building ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide, and fatty acids,” recommends Dr.
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.
How long does it take for skin barrier to heal? The good news is: a broken skin barrier can be repaired, but it does take a little time and effort. Depending on the extent of the damage, it can take anywhere from a couple of weeks up to 6 months to get it back to its protective best.
In addition to vitamin C's ability to promote collagen synthesis [73,79], there is evidence to suggest that vitamin C increases proliferation and migration of dermal fibroblasts [78,82,102], functions vital for effective wound healing, although the underlying mechanisms driving this activity are not yet known [78].