We hear the term skin barrier a lot when it comes to skincare, and we hear about its importance, but we often don’t know exactly what it is, so let’s take a look at what it is and how to manage it.
The composition of the skin
The skin is composed of two main parts: the epidermis and the dermis.
The epidermis is again composed of stratum corneum, stratum lucidum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum, and stratum basale.
We’re talking about the stratum corneum when we talk about the skin barrier.
The skin barrier is composed of proteins, water, and lipids. Think of proteins as the bricks, and lipids as the cement that holds them together.
Why the skin barrier (stratum corneum) is important
Our skin becomes thinner as it is exposed to irritants, and this thinning is a major contributor to the aging process.
The first line of defense against these irritants is the skin barrier.
It’s also responsible for keeping electrolytes and water below the skin barrier from escaping, so we can’t talk about skin health without talking about the skin barrier.
How to keep your skin barrier healthy
By now you know that the skin’s barrier is the stratum corneum.
We sometimes intentionally remove this layer. The most common way to do this is with a face scrub.
The stratum corneum sheds naturally, but when it doesn’t, or when we need to remove old dead skin cells, we use a scrub.
Many skincare-conscious people cleanse with oil and wipe their faces with toner every day.
What we don’t realize is that these actions are actually damaging our skin barrier.
There is one more type of skincare that is damaging to the skin barrier: sheet masks.
Sheet masks are basically designed to weaken the skin’s barrier, allowing nutrients to better penetrate the skin.
The stratum corneum will vary depending on your skin type and age, but if you’re a healthy young person, it usually takes three days to fully recover.
So, if you exfoliate every single day, even if you’re young and healthy, your stratum corneum will never be able to fully recover and do its job of protecting your skin.
However, all of this can change depending on your individual skin type.
I look all around me and see people who have beautiful, healthy skin despite doing a daily face mask and cleansing with oil every day.
But if your skin is dry and sensitive, you may want to consider cutting back on skincare steps rather than adding them.