Skin Barrier Repair: The Ultimate Guide
It’s time to explore the steps you can take to protect and restore this vital defensive layer
First thing’s first, what is a skin barrier?
The skin is the biggest organ we have. Surely there are a lot of layers to it. The skin barrier is the outermost layer of your epidermis and is the outer layer of the two main layers of cells that make up your skin.
This may sound confusing but all you need to know is that a healthy skin barrier keeps irritants out, while locking natural oils and moisture in. You can tell that your skin barrier is damaged when it’s easily irritated, dry, red and tight as the acid mantle (a key component in your skin barrier) is out of balance.
The acid mantle plays a really important role in shielding your skin from bacteria, viruses and other potential contaminants. It is a slightly acidic film that protects your skin barrier from external threats by working with skin-natural ingredients like ceramides, cholesterol, enzymes, sweat and even our skin’s own oil.
What should I do to take care of my skin?
1. Get to know the ingredients that will benefit your skin
If you’re experiencing dry or itchy skin, your skin barrier may be damaged. There are several ingredients that you would want to look out for to treat your irritated skin. Ingredients that help with skin barrier restoration are Ceramides, Free Fatty Acids, Natural Moisturising Factors and Niacinamide. While water-retaining ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin and panthenol will support your skin’s ability to retain moisture.
At WonderLab, you may find a few products that are chock-full of these skin-saving ingredients! These products are the best beauty products that you can include in your skincare routine to continuously protect your skin barrier.
Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Essence
This product’s main ingredient is hyaluronic acid, a humectant that attracts and retains moisture in the skin – perfect for restoring moisture back to your damaged and dry skin.
WonderDewi Moonlight Glow Hydrogel Mask
Its star ingredient is niacinamide, a form of Vitamin B3 that helps build proteins in the skin and shield your skin against free radical damage.
WELL NATURE Moisture Seed Capsule Cream
As a brand that focuses on anti-pollution skincare, this WELL NATURE product consists of natural ingredients such as small sprouts germinated within 7 days and incorporates the patented Dust Mirror Base technology that will protect your skin from pollutants in the air.
2. Choosing the right products based on the pH level
The right products are vital to include in your skincare routine especially the products used first as they come closest in contact with your skin barrier. Think about your cleansers, toners, oils and moisturisers. They should have the right pH level so as not to disrupt your acid mantle. This is widely considered to be below a pH of 7.
Try out Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Toner , it’s a paraben-free skincare product and it’s one of the best toners to soothe and calm the skin including irritated skin, a sign of damaged skin barrier.
Also, consider the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Facial Oil, a product that is rich in antioxidants and will restore the natural oils that have been stripped away from your skin.
3. Provide protection from radical damage
As important it is for these products to go first, let’s not forget your skin barrier’s first line of defense against environmental hazards which is SPF. A good sunscreen such as the WELL NATURE Moisture Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA+++ can help to protect your skin against sun exposure, the leading cause of a damaged skin barrier as ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause collagen to break down more rapidly.
4. Boost your skin’s collagen production
On the topic of collagen, our body produces less collagen as we age. To aid its function of promoting cell renewal, try out the WonderDewi Moonlight Gravity Hydrogel Mask to pamper your skin and improve its barrier at the same time. The mask also contains peptide, an ingredient that helps to stimulate collagen-boosting processes and helps to heal skin.
