Moisture Barrier 101

So… I’m setting an intention as I go into this post to keep it short and sweet lol, because once I get started on the importance of a healthy moisture barrier, I can go on for years. I began doing my own skincare research after a chemical peel series gone wrong, and quickly realized that the key to healthy skin was a healthy barrier (aka acid mantle, aka hydro-lipid film). Now, this can get a little technical, so I’m gonna try to break it down as clearly as I can.

Anatomy of the Skin

Okay, a lil science. The skin is composed of three main layers.

The hypodermis, or the fatty subcutaneous layer, is the deepest.

Next is the dermis, or the core of the skin. This is where blood vessels, hair follicles, sweat and oil glands, and nerves live. This layer also houses the fibroblasts that produce our beloved collagen and elastin.

Last is the epidermis, the most superficial layer of the skin. It consists of four to five epithelial layers of its own. The moisture barrier is located in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer. It consists of corneocytes, or flattened skin cells, natural moisturizing factors (NMFs), ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. (Ooooh. Aaaaah.)

Function of the Moisture Barrier

Essentially, the moisture barrier’s role is to retain water effectively, maintain an optimal pH, and protect the skin from harmful aggressors such as bacteria, UV radiation, and environmental stressors. The lipids in the stratum corneum (ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids) act as the glue that holds the good stuff in, and keeps the bad stuff out. Think of it as a semi-permeable brick wall… the corneocytes are the bricks, and the lipids are the mortar.

Natural moisturizing factors are the humectant substances that naturally occur in our skin. They draw moisture from the air to keep our skin hydrated. A decrease in NMFs leads to — you guessed it — dryness and dehydration.

As we age, NMF production decreases, which is why mature skin tends to be drier. Other factors that can contribute to a decrease in NMFs are UV exposure (wear your sunscreen, y’all!) and environmental factors, such as cold, dry air.

Luckily, we can replenish NMFs topically via the right skincare products.

How Do I Know if My Moisture Barrier is Damaged?

Trying to treat a skin concern without first treating your moisture barrier is like putting a band-aid over a leaky faucet. Nine times out of ten, your skin woes are the symptoms of an impaired barrier — excess breakouts, hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, redness and sensitivity, dryness, flakiness, and itchiness — and if your damaged barrier isn’t the cause itself, it is for sure making it worse.

A quick test to determine if your moisture barrier is impaired is to wash your face with a gentle, non-stripping cleanser, pat dry, and wait about 15 minutes. If your skin feels tight or dry, it’s dehydrated. In other words, it’s unable to keep moisture in, because the barrier is damaged.

Increased redness, irritation, and sensitivity.

Does your skin sting when you apply products that don’t have any actives (i.e. exfoliating acids, retinol, vitamin C)? Your moisturizer shouldn’t burn when it’s applied — if it does, an impaired barrier may be to blame.

Excessive oiliness.

There are oily-skinned folk, then there are folk with a damaged moisture barrier, whose skin is producing extra sebum to compensate for a lack of moisture. While your natural instinct may be to strip the skin of these excess oils, please refrain! Chances are, harsh products will further damage your skin, perpetuating this tricky cycle.

The huge giveaway for me was how my skin, almost overnight, went from relatively clear to a complete shitshow of inflamed acne. I kid you not, my skin was the worst it had ever been.

I figured that the redness and perpetual flakiness was due to the peels, and at first, thought nothing of it. It took months before the dry patches went away, even after I buckled down on my reparative routine. Turns out, my moisture barrier was fried. The frequent application of clinical strength chemical peels was too much for my skin to handle, which left it unable to protect itself against bacteria, pollution, and inflammation. If you want the scoop on that roller coaster of a journey, click here.

Well, What Can I Do to Fix It?

An intact, well-functioning moisture barrier is the foundation of healthy skin. That being said, until your barrier is at 100%, any other skin-correcting treatments are a waste of time. I repeat… if you’re using products to treat a particular skin concern, but your barrier is damaged, you’re wasting your beloved skincare products. This, friends, is a hill I’ll die on any day.

Scaling Back Your Routine

Step one is to stop any and all potentially sensitizing actives. That means your vitamin C serum, your exfoliating acids, your retinol, your benzoyl peroxide. How long you omit these from your routine depends on how damaged your skin is. It may take a week, or it may take a month. Listen to your skin.

This was the toughest part for me, because I felt that if I stopped using my actives, my skin would go haywire and I’d have no protection against breakouts. Meanwhile, overusing these very ingredients was part of the reason my skin was suffering in the first place.

Hydration is Queen!

Then, you want to build a hydration-based routine. Look for humectant ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin and urea. Use a gentle, non-foaming cleanser, followed by a hydrating toner to reset your skin’s pH (the skin’s optimal pH is around 5.5). Immediately after you tone, while your skin is still damp, opt for a hydrating serum or essence. Two of my favorites are The Inkey List’s Hyaluronic Acid serum and COSRX’s Snail Mucin.

Another power player in my skin-repairing arsenal is CeraVe’s Healing Ointment, an occlusive with barrier-loving ingredients such as ceramides, cholesterol, and hyaluronic acid. Vaseline and Aquaphor work just as well, but I prefer Cerave for its additional beneficial ingredients. I applied this as the last step in my nighttime routine, to really seal in the hydration.

Of course, sunscreen is always a must during the day, but it’s especially important while your skin is in a vulnerable state.

Re-incorporating Your Actives

When your barrier is fully healed, you can begin to slowly reintroduce actives into your routine. Start by gently exfoliating once per week, working your way up as needed as your skin builds tolerance. This goes for your benzoyl peroxide and retinol, as well.

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This wasn’t quite as short a post as I’d hoped, but if you read through, accept my air hug lol. I love you, for loving your skin 🙂 Are you struggling with a damaged moisture barrier? If so, what are you doing to repair it? Let’s talk!