What is a skin barrier?
According to Dr. Shashi Kiran AR, consultant dermatologist, cosmetic, and dermat surgeon, Kauvery Hospital (India), the skin barrier is the outermost layer of the skin, responsible for maintaining moisture and preventing harmful elements from entering the environment. This layer helps retain water in the skin, reduce moisture loss and limit dryness, irritation or inflammation.
When the skin barrier is balanced, the skin is often smooth, moist and healthy. Conversely, if damaged, the skin can become dry, flaky, red, more prone to acne and sensitive. Here are some common habits that can weaken the skin barrier and how to fix it to maintain stable, healthy skin.
Excessive cleaning or using strong cleaning products
Washing your face is an important step, but if you wash your face too often or choose a cleanser containing alcohol, sulfur or strong fragrance, you are accidentally taking away the natural oils to help your skin stay moist. This causes an imbalance of pH, making the skin dry and irritated.
How to fix it:
Wash your face up to twice a day with a mild, balanced pH.
Avoid hot water and do not rub your skin tightly.
Prioritize products containing ceramide, glycerin, hyaluronic acid to support moisture.
Excessive exfoliation
Exfoliation helps smooth the skin, but if overused too often or combined with many strong products at the same time (such as AHA, BHA, retinol), the skin will lose its natural protective layer, becoming weak and sensitive.
How to fix it:
Limit exfoliation to 1-2 times a week.
Do not combine many strong active ingredients at the same time.
After removing, always add a moisturizer to recover.
Skipping moisturizer
Even oily skin needs moisturizing. When not hydrated, the skin will self-produc more oil, easily leading to acne and imbalance of the protective barrier.
How to fix it:
Use a cream that contains ceramide, squalane or niacinamide.
Apply immediately after washing your face to lock in moisture.
Abusing many active ingredients at the same time
Using too many Serums or treatment products at the same time can cause skin irritation. Incorrect combinations of active ingredients such as retinol, AHA, vitamin C can cause peeling, redness and weaken the skin's protective barrier.
How to fix it:
Keep your skincare routine simple.
Start with each product, use at a different time.
Check your skin reaction before using your face.
Forget about sunscreen every day
UV rays are one of the main causes of premature skin aging and weakening the protective barrier. Even if only exposed to light sunlight, the skin can still suffer damage.
How to fix it:
Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of 30 or more per day, even indoors.
Reapply every 2-3 hours if doing outdoor activities.
Unhealthy lifestyle
Stress, lack of sleep, smoking, drinking less water or eating more sugar all affect skin health. These factors reduce self-healing and cause skin to age faster.
How to fix it:
Drink enough water, eat plenty of green vegetables, fruits and foods rich in antioxidants.
Maintain adequate sleep and limit stimulants.
