There has been plenty of chatter about skin barrier in the past several years in beauty, but you’d be forgiven for not really getting what it was all about. Interestingly, there are plenty of symptoms of a compromised barrier that are lesser-known, which may be delaying your skin’s healing, even if your skincare routine is top-notch.
Put simply, the skin barrier is the top, outermost layer of skin, which acts as your first line of defense against moisture loss. Scientifically, it's known as the stratum corneum and is often compared to a brick wall of sorts: the bricks are your skin cells, and the mortar in between these bricks are your lipids, including things like ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol. When your skin barrier is damaged, those bricks start to crumble, allowing hydration to escape and pollution, bacteria, and UV rays to get in. Your skin barrier also helps to regulate temperature and deliver key ingredients deeper into your skin. Basically, it's got a lot of responsibilities.
For this reason, a damaged or compromised barrier means unhealthy skin. You will most often experience dryness, dehydration, breakouts, rosacea or eczema if your barrier is struggling. But what about the more inconspicuous signs your barrier needs help? Let me explain first, then we'll get into what dermatologists say to watch out for.
Why does the skin barrier get damaged?
Plenty can disrupt the barrier and leave your skin vulnerable. Most commonly, and particularly these days as we have access to so much skincare, overuse of certain topicals is a key culprit. Product and ingredient overwhelm is particularly high right now; in fact, in Noli’s recent ‘Skinxiety’ report, the brand found that 92 percent of skincare shoppers experience it. This can ultimately lead to routine mistakes or adding in too much. For example, introducing an active too quickly, at a high strength or at the same time as another (think: AHAs and retinol together) can count as "overuse" and break down your skin’s outer layers.
Other factors include washing your face and showering with very hot water, sun damage (and other environmental aggressors, such as pollution or very cold weather) and abrasive textures like physical exfoliants or stripping cleansers that feel drying on the skin.
The subtle signs of compromise
Skin that feels very dry or stripped, or is suffering from sudden breakouts, redness, or inflammation (think: rosacea or eczema) may be experiencing barrier compromise. But what about the less obvious/known signs? These five should be considered, says experts:
1. Products you normally tolerate suddenly sting
Consultant dermatologist Sidra Khan, MD, notes that this is a tell-tale sign, but one you may not initially put together. “A compromised barrier allows increased penetration of irritants, so even gentle products can start to burn or tingle," says Dr. Khan. "This same mechanism can trigger inflammatory conditions like perioral dermatitis around the mouth, nose and eyes: a presentation many people don’t realise is linked to barrier damage.”
2. Perioral dermatitis
Speaking of perioral dermatitis, this tends to be a dead giveaway that you might have barrier issues. While acne, eczema, and rosacea are common side effects, this one may be less-known. Pamela Marshall, clinical aesthetician describes perioral dermatitis as: “Redness, itching, and possible stinging under the nose and around the outside of the mouth.” She notes that, “this condition can happen for numerous reasons, but an impaired barrier is the key one.”
3. Your skin looks unexpectedly dull, tight, or "deflated"
We all know that dryness is common with damaged skin barriers, but other symptoms such as these shouldn’t be ignored, says Dr. Khan, and can particularly come into play as we get older and our skin changes. “As we age, the arrangement of the fats in our skin barrier changes, becoming more disorganised and ultimately less efficient," he explains. "This results in increased transepidermal water loss and the skin struggles to retain hydration, which can contribute somewhat to loss of bounce and even fine lines appearing more prominent.”
4. Skin that peels or splits easily
While Marshall doesn’t recommend squeezing spots, if you do partake now and again (guilty), you may notice peeling or splitting, which is a telltale sign of barrier problems, she says.
5. Bumps appearing ‘out of nowhere’
Does your skin look red, bumpy, and generally unhappy? Dr. Khan says the first thing you should do is consider your barrier health: “Barrier disruption increases inflammation and alters the skin microbiome, which can lead to acne-like flares, papules, or redness.”
How to fix your skin barrier:
Skincare
While a damaged skin barrier can cause a bit of havoc, from dryness to acne symptoms, luckily, adjusting your skincare routine and adding in certain topicals can make all the difference in the healing process. In terms of what to remove, Marshall recommends pulling back on hydrophilic AHAs like glycolic, lactic, or citric acid that bind to the water in your skin. “These are great acids but generally shouldn't be used daily,” she says. “Mandelic acid is gentler as it's lipophilic, meaning they combine with your skin's lipids, but even then, I'd keep it to only a few times a week until the skin recovers.”
Instead, says Dr. Khan, you should focus on “keeping your routine simple and using gentle cleansers and barrier-supportive ingredients (like ceramides, fatty acids, glycerin, and centella).” Barrier creams are the easiest place to start, like La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume.
Lifestyle
A few lifestyle fixes can also come in handy for keeping your barrier strong. “Internally, make sure you're getting plenty of essential fatty acids in your diet and you're steering clear (as much as possible) of sugar, alcohol, and overly processed foods," says Marshall. "Keep the gut happy; probiotics can be quite helpful as well," she adds. Dr. Khan adds that using a humidifier in the winter, prioritising good sleep, and managing stress well can also lead you back onto the road to recovery.
