Will The Skin Barrier Repair Itself

What is it? How do I know if I've damaged it? How do I treat a damaged moisture barrier? All questions that have slid into my DM's in the last few weeks since I couldn't shut up about destroying mine with the Drunk Elephant's Baby Facial.

What is the "moisture barrier"?

When I talk about the moisture barrier, I'm really just referring to the stratum corneum – PAUSE, does anyone here know Latin? No? Ok, well stratum corneum is Latin for Horny Layer sooo yeah, let's call it that.

The horny layer is the outer most layer of the skin, the one effected by exfoliation, and is made up of a lipid matrix. Think of it as a flattened grid of dead skin cells, natural lipids, cholesterol, and fatty acids making up a barrier.

The horny layer is SUPER important because it's function is to keep bacteria out and moisture in. We want moisture.

However, sometimes the buildup of oil and dead skin cells is too much and causes closed comedones or breakouts. That's when people typically reach for the face scrub or acid exfoliants. The thing here though, is that the exfoliation needs to essentially be done pretty perfectly… too little and you're still going to suffer from dull/lackluster skin, closed comedones, breakouts, etc. But too much and you're going to destroy the horny layer and your ability to retain moisture! And that's what we're going to talk about.

So I think I destroyed my moisture barrier… but how do I know?

Many years ago before I began my skincare journey, I had every kind of salicylic acid product ever made on planet earth. I used Neutrogena's Pink Grapefruit Wash, a spot treatment, and even my moisturizer has salicylic acid in it…. let us take a moment of silence for my 2008 moisture barrier. RIP.

My skin was tight AF. And not in a good way. It literally felt so tight and so stretched out after washing that I swear it could have ripped if I smiled too hard. It was also absurdly oily and ALSO flakey. WTF. I was also constantly breaking out. So, what'd I do? Apply more acid.

These are all signs of a compromised moisture barrier:

tight feeling skin after cleansing- your skin should always feel clean and bouncy after washing, if it's tight whatsoever, your cleanser is too harsh and likely too acidic
sensitive to products that you normally wouldn't be sensitive to
unusual redness
more than normal breakouts
an increase in oiliness – the lipids in the horny layer are diverting from their normal structure, and your body is trying to overcompensate for the loss. This is a top reason why you're probably breaking out more than usual.
constant dry/dehydrated/tight feeling- a compromised moisture barrier increases Trans Epidermal Water Loss
flaking skin

Destroying your moisture barrier can happen through either chemical or physical exfoliation. Over the years I have learned that my skin is so sensitive almost all physical exfoliation will destroy me, so I typically stick to only gentle chemical exfoliants.

Ok, I definitely destroyed my barrier. How do I fix it?

wrecked horny layer

This is almost sadder than destroying the barrier itself… There are three things you must do in order to repair the barrier.

The first step is to ditch all and everything exfoliating. Put down the acids. Skip the face scrub. In order to repair the horny layer, you must give it the things it needs to thrive: natural lipids and dead skin cells. You can't expect it to repair itself if you are still taking away the things it needs.I know it's hard to just skip parts of a routine, but it's necessary.
The next step is to also ditch products that are causing irritation to your skin. If you find that, for example, a toner you are using is causing a little sting to your face after washing. Ditch that too. You want to give your skin the most gentlest routine. I always highly recommend and oil cleanser, but now it's more important than ever. If you aren't using an oil cleanser that's totally ok, just make sure it's gentle, pH balanced, and does not include any sort of actives or irritants (harsh fragrance, scrubbing beads, essential oils, etc.)
Lastly, you should try to add as much moisture back in as you can. Trans Epidermal Water Loss is no joke. Here are some things that can help:

Drink adequate water, no drinking water alone will not fix all of your problems, but it will certainly help dehydration
Add in a humectant:
- Hyaluronic acid- can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water
- Glycerin- sticky as shit, but works great adding a few drops into your favorite moisturizer
- Squalane- derived from olives or sharks has barrier replensighing properties
- Niacinamide- has barrier replenishing properties
A humidifier- is AMAZING and extremely helpful for sleeping
A nightly occlusive- wrap up the end of your PM routine with something that is going to help keep moisture in, a facial oil, a sleeping mask, Vaseline, etc.

One last thing… If you are suffering from a compromised moisture barrier, now it is more important than ever to wear sunscreen! You should always wear sunscreen, but you are at greater risk for damage now.

your skin should always feel bouncy, never tight

There can be many culprits to destroying the moisture barrier, most commonly, and obviously, overuse of acids or physical exfoliates. Less obviously, an un (pH) balanced facial wash, or just generally too harsh of a facial wash, and heat! If you stand in blazing hot showers for long periods of time (me! Try applying facial oil before your shower and wait until the very end before you get out to wash your face, and make sure to turn the water way down to a luke warm temp!

Any more recommendations? Drop them below! Happy hump-day skincare lovers!