The outermost layer of the skin (the stratum corneum) that acts as a protective shield.
The body's primary defence that keeps essential moisture and nutrients in, while preventing external stressors, pollutants, allergens, and harmful microorganisms from entering.
The term can be used interchangeably with moisture barrier or lipid barrier.
Skin Barrier is a term that gets thrown around a lot… But what are we really talking about here? Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin. It lives at the top of your epidermis and is composed of the corneocytes (dead skin cells) and supporting lipids (what holds the cells together). We like to imagine our skin barrier as a brick wall.
As such, it functions as your frontline defence. Its duty as the outer wall is to keep moisture in, irritants out, and maintain a healthy balance of microorganisms. But when this barrier is compromised by harsh treatments, the environment, or sometimes worst of all, stress, you might experience tightness, redness, dry flakiness, sensitivity, and even breakouts.
Making Repairs Brick by Brick
Repairing our beloved skin barrier isn’t just about slapping on thick creams or layering on the serums. It’s a strategic process with these 4 goals in mind:
Reduce irritation and inflammation
Restore pH and maintain balance
Reinforce moisture
Overall protection and maintenance
By fortifying these key pillars, you'll be able to support barrier repair while enhancing skin health for the long term.
It Starts with Your Cleanser
The first and most important step addresses all four goals. You want to use a mild, non-stripping cleanser (reinforce moisture) to remove dirt and residual product (reduce irritants) without disrupting your barrier further (overall protection).
The skin barrier is also naturally acidic to protect us against microbes; therefore, you'll want to keep it that way (restore pH). Our Miracle 10 Cleansers are formulated with barrier protection in mind. They’re hydrating, enriched with exfoliating acids, gentle on sensitive skin, and pH corrected.
Next up: Restoration
Once you have a clean canvas to work with, the next step is choosing products with targeted ingredients. Here are some of our faves for barrier repair (remember our four goals!).
Alastin HA Immerse Serum and other products containing niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, like our Stem Cell Serum, are exceptional for hydrating the skin while improving skin-renewing processes.
Alastin Skin Nectar contains antioxidants like vitamin E and plant extracts, which address irritation. Skin Nectar and our neurobalm Revive are also great post-treatment products to maintain skin strength and tackle inflammation.
If you really want to double down on barrier repair, you can add in a more intensive product like CO2Lift’s Carboxy Gel Mask. This pick-me-up treatment includes a slew of beneficial ingredients and chemical reactions that calm, restore, moisturize, and protect the skin.
Seal It All In
While slapping on thick creams isn’t the entire formula, it is part of the equation. In order to maintain the benefits of active ingredients, you want to find a trusted daily moisturizer to keep the good stuff locked in and the not-so-great stuff out. Think of it as your skin barrier’s sidekick, supporting your body in the roles it already plays.
For recommendations, take a peek at our Miracle 10 Moisturizers. You can tag team with both a lightweight daytime option and a heavy-duty nighttime go-to. If you prefer just one daily moisturizer for your routine, we have a variety of versatile options, like our Veil for those with acne-prone skin types, or Moisture that's safe for most skin types. These moisturizers work to seal in hydration day in and night out.
Whatever your preference, remember that it's not about how much you're doing but how well you're doing it. Consistency is key, no matter if you're following a comprehensive 10-step routine or a solid 3-step regimen. By sticking to the four key pillars of healthy skin, you’ll be well on your way to a stronger, fortified skin barrier 🗝️