How to Prevent Damage to Your Skin Barrier

Looking for ways to enhance your skincare routine? Learning the structure of the skin barrier is crucial to understanding the best ways of treatment. In this blog post, we are going to talk about how to protect that barrier and how to know if you are damaging it unintentionally.

What is the Skin Barrier?

Your skin is made up of layers, and each performs different functions to protect your body. The outermost layer is sometimes called the skin barrier, as it is the first line of defense against the outside world. Also called the stratum corneum, the skin barrier is made up of corneocytes, which are tough skin cells bound together by lipids. Those skin cells are then made up of keratin and lipids which contain cholesterol, fatty acids, ceramides. The lipids, when healthily intact, prevent breakouts and keep your skin feeling soft and supple. The barrier helps defend against harmful toxins, external irritants, and unwanted bacteria from penetrating through and causing sensitive reactions.

How is the skin barrier damaged?

Small cracks form in the barrier of your skin when it is damaged, allowing moisture to escape and irritants to enter more easily. Your damaged skin will appear dry, discolored, and irritated. But what causes this damage? Exfoliating too frequently is one of the most common causes of damaged skin. Other causes include not adequately protecting your skin from the sun, using harsh cleansing products or topical prescription acne medications that your skin is sensitive to.

How do we prevent damage to your skin barrier?

Picking out a moisturizer that contains ingredients that mimic the natural lipids found naturally in your skin is extremely beneficial to prevent and reverse damage to your skin barrier. Ingredients to look out for are ceramides and niacinamide.

What products do we recommend?

The KD Diamond Line Refine was specifically created to enhance the turnover rate of skin to diminish signs of aging and reduce spots and acne breakouts. Wearing sunscreen is another extremely important component to protecting your skin. The biggest environmental damager to the skin is the sun. We recommend a mineral sunscreen, specifically the KD Clear Sheer Sunscreen, which is rich in antioxidants and delivers high levels of evenly distributed sheer zinc oxide to enhance your natural skin barrier. Avoiding skincare products that are highly fragranced and cutting back on exfoliation are other ways to prevent damage.

The skin is the body’s largest organ, so it’s especially important to take extra care of it. Heal your dry, cracked, or irritated skin with our products at KD skin!