You may have heard the phrase “damaged skin barrier” coming up alot on social media lately. But what exactly does it mean? And how do you know if you have one? Your skin has an outermost layer which protects it from free radicals called the “stratum corneum” according to WebMD. The cells that make it up act as little bricks that are bound together by structures like ceramides and fatty acids.
This barrier becomes damaged through the repeated use of harsh skincare products and other forms of irritation. Our skin is left dehydrated and vulnerable to many forms of bacteria!
So… think you damaged your skin barrier? Here are five signs that you need to look out for and what to do about each one.
1. Your skin feels dry, tight, and uncomfortable.
Ever noticed after you use your cleanser you are rushing to find a hydrating product because you feel like you’re getting sucked dry? This is a big indicator that you have a damaged skin barrier or are using a cleanser that is too harsh for your skin. Try swap it out for something more gentler but still effective at removing makeup, like Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser.
2. Your experiencing frequent breakouts that are slow to heal
Acne popping up a little more and sticking around longer than usual? With a damaged skin barrier, bacteria has very easy access to our skin. Mix this with increased inflammation and irritation and you have a perfect breeding ground for breakouts. On top of that, you may be experiencing flaking skin from acne treatments, which can also work towards damaging your skin barrier if you're not cautious with it. When we have breakouts with a damaged skin barrier, our skin’s ability to heal is drastically impaired too which leads us to our next big sign…
3. You experience post inflammatory erythema (red post acne marks)
This happens when blood flow stops due to inflammation at an acne breakout. This inflammation and dilation of blood vessels causes those pesky red marks that linger around even after your pimple has gone away. Worst part? These can last for months. Don’t make the mistake of trying to slather acne products on these spots to reduce their colour. This can cause the skin to thin and make it worse! Instead focus on repairing your skin barrier. A great product option for this that includes barrier repairing ingredients like ceramides is JUMPSTART Barrier Repair Ceramide Spray by ANZY. Incorporate a high quality, non irritating serum after your cleanser.
4. Your skin is dehydrated and flaking but also oily
We often can get confused on what products to use when our skin is flaking but is also giving us oil grief. If this sounds familiar, it might be time to dig into your skin barrier health. If we use products made for oily skin on skin that needs some barrier love, we only add to the problem! Emphasize adding hydration back into your skin with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, sodium hyaluronate, and panthenol to help counteract this problem (pssst.. these are also in the JUMPSTART Barrier Repair Ceramide Spray!)
5. You are very sensitive and react easily to skincare products.
Have you tried to exfoliate your skin recently and noticed increased irritation, redness, or itching and burning? This means the ingredients in the product you are using are too much for your skin right now. I know… it can be tempting to exfoliate when your skin is flaking. Do so with caution! We recommend using a warm (NOT HOT!) washcloth rather than a chemical exfoliant if you are experiencing flaking but itching or burning with chemical exfoliators. Chill out on the AHA's (chemical exfoliants) while you work on repairing your skin barrier.
Have more questions? We love to answer these types of questions on our Tik Tok and Instagram. Spread the word about the importance of skin barrier repair!