Introducing You to Your Barrier.
The term skin barrier has become more and more well known & I think our skin overall is healthier because of it, but there are still so many gaps! This has encouraged me to share with you what I know & have learned about barrier health because it has influenced so many decisions that have been made with Illuminate, including products & protocols that are used. It is also worth sharing so that so you can all get a little more intimate with understanding your barrier :) So let’s dive in.
Our skin barrier (aka acid mantle) is a combination of lipids, oils, essential fatty acids, sweat, & water that live on the top layer of our skin, the stratum corneum. Its function is specific to the protection of our overall skin health and wellness.
It has a pH of around 5.5 which stimulates healthy enzymatic function and also prevents bacteria and pathogens from invading
The oil component of our barrier prevents water from escaping the deeper layers of our skin and allows us to maintain hydration
When our barrier is intact and healthy, it allows for our skin to heal itself from trauma (acne, open lesions, sun damage, etc.)
Prevents premature aging
Protects us from our external environment like UV rays & pollution
While our barrier is busy protecting us & keeping us hydrated, it also has an important job of a process called desquamation. Desquamation is the shedding of our old skin cells. The old cells are replaced with new cells that come from the deeper layers of our epidermis and when this happens, we call it the cell turnover rate. Healthy desquamation is directly related to the health of our skin barrier & is what stimulates proper function of our cell turnover rate.
Finding the balance between maintaining protection & moisture retention with healthy desquamation and encouraging new growth is all in a day's work. It is also where it gets really fun with what we can do in the treatment room & what you can continue to do at home! But we’ll get to that in a minute!
First, I want us to understand that there are a LOT of different things that go into our skin’s barrier health.
Over exposure to harsh environments
Mis-use of products
Over exfoliation
Diet, lifestyle, & hormones are a handful of things that can bring about imbalance.
When our barrier is out of balance we will know because we will see erythema (redness), feel uneven texture, have an overstimulation of sensitivities, or are constantly struggling with breakouts or irritations. Skin conditions can be extremely complex but giving our barrier what it needs to heal and function properly is often when we will see and feel improvement!
Focusing on barrier health is the cornerstone when determining a treatment plan and deciding what products to be using. So what can we do in the treatment room to support your optimal skin health?! This will be so unique to the specific individual! Playing with hydrating and exfoliating cleansers, enzyme masks, alpha/beta hydroxy masks, jelly masks, corrective & restoring serums. SO many ways to play.
Sorella Apothecary (the products that me and my clients use) makes it really easy and fun because every single one of their products (we’re talking cleansers to chemical peels and everything in between) is balanced with quality ingredients to foster results AND provide support so your barrier isn’t left stripped.
What I want you to take away from this is that a BALANCE is required to have your skin look and feel its best!
One side of the coin is exfoliation and it plays a part in your barrier health for its ability to encourage new cell renewal and allow for better absorption of products. The other side of the coin is protecting and hydrating your skin by infusing proteins, essential fatty acids, humectants, nutrients, and antioxidants…which are all more available to your skin after exfoliation….you see where I’m going with this? 🙂
With all of this being said, it is important to also understand that the skin WANTS to heal itself and KNOWS how to! Oftentimes, you just need support & guidance to quality products, a little education about what is hurting/helping depending on your particular circumstance, & access to professional services that can stimulate & encourage healthy function. With our skin being our biggest organ & working hard every single day to maintain our health & adjust to ANY circumstance we put it through, always remember that skincare is part of a holistic & balanced lifestyle 🙂
Never stop loving your barrier because it loves you! <3
