We all go through the same ritual: endless scrolling through TikToks, reels, facebook
videos to try the hundreds of skincare trends that we absolutely just know will be the
final trend to transform our skin.
The entire world was taken by storm with the K-beauty trend of ‘glass skin’ and from
there emerged other trends like the “glazed donut” look or the latest Jell-O skin trend.
All these delicious terms boil down to the same meaning: healthy, smooth, luminous,
dewy, glass-like complexion and that is certainly one ‘trend’ that will never go.
And the first and most significant step to achieving this is to building and maintaining
your skin barrier.
What is your skin barrier?
Your skin barrier is your Personal Secret Service shielding your skin from potential
outside issues and protecting what lies within. This shield is what determines how your
skin looks and feels. It keeps all the good stuff(MOISTURE!) in and the bad stuff out like
environmental stressors, irritation and pathogens out.
What’s the science-y fancy word for it?
The skin barrier is the outermost superficial layer of the epidermis and is called the
stratum corneum. It’s like a brick wall essentially with the bricks being strong skin cells
called corneocytes bound by mortar-like acting lipids.
What happens if we didn’t have our skin barrier?
All the water inside our body would escape and evaporate, leaving us completely
dehydrated.
What impacts our skin barrier?
From environmental factors such as pollution, sun exposure, to use of harsh products
and over-exfoliation to age, stress and psychological distress, sadly, there’s a lot that
can affect our skin barrier.
How do I tell if my skin barrier is damaged?
If you have dry/ itchy/inflamed/sensitive skin or are dealing with rashes or skin that
burns or tingles, your skin barrier is damaged.
Will it heal itself?
With a healing time of few weeks(depends on the damage) coupled with a proper skin
care routine that involves a temporary suspension of exfoliation, you can heal it.
So, what do I do?
A hydrating skincare routine is your answer.
A gentle non-drying face wash. Then layer on the liquids(the toners and the hydrating
serums). Then the star of the show- moisturiser!! Moisturise religiously. Then apply
SPF. Never skip on it even when you’re indoors at home!
Avoid exfoliation till your skin barrier has repaired.
Tip: Make sure your moisturiser has ceramides and humectants (humectants are
ingredients that draw moisture from the dermis to the epidermis which is the skin’s
surface and retains water while ceramides are common emollients. Emollients repair the
cracks in the skin barrier and soften and smooth the skin).
Skin still feels dry? Layer on an occlusive. If you’re using a chemical sunscreen apply
before occlusive and if you use a mineral sunscreen apply a few minutes after the
occlusive. (Occlusives such as petrolatum, silicones, lanolins etc create a final seal on
top to retain moisture!).
What else can I do besides a skin care routine?
Get the Rabson care Hydrafacial! Targeted skin solutions are delivered to address
particular skin concerns and quench skin leaving you with a glow for days that you can
maintain with your skincare routine!
Buy a barrier cream!
You must be thinking “Wait, aren’t barrier creams the same as moisturisers? “
Not really. Barrier creams repair damaged skin, allow the skin to heal itself while
moisturises hydrate the skin.
Eat a proper diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, omegas and drink lots of water as it’s
about making every cell in your body healthier.
Finally, de-stress. You need to build your skin from the inside out too. Poor stress
management will leave your skin barrier constantly weak.
You’ll know that your barrier is on the mend because your skin will have less of the
issues it used to have and will resemble more of your favorite K-Pop star’s glow!
Written by Faizah Chowdhury.