How To Up Your Skin’s Barrier Function Game
If you have sensitive skin, your best defense isn’t to overload it with a gazillion products in an attempt to ‘cure’ your sensitivities. Instead, it’s all about going back to basics to strengthen and care for your skin’s barrier function.
It's a fact, the uppermost layer of your skin really gets put through the mill. From constant cleansing through to the daily grind of heat, cold, sun, wind, pollution and central heating (need we go on?), its job to protect and defend your body comes under so much stress it’s a wonder it copes.
But that’s the thing: oftentimes, it doesn’t. And this is when problems like inflammation and flare-ups set in.
So, let’s have a look at the skin barrier to see what we can do to keep it at its very best, shall we?
What Exactly Is The Skin Barrier?
Your skin consists of three main layers. At the lowest level is the hypodermis (also known as subcutaneous tissue) which keeps your skin attached to your bones and muscle, supplies it with blood, and pads and insulates your body. Next, you’ll find the dermis which is where you’ll find your hair follicles, sweat glands, blood vessels and connective tissues. And at the very top is the protective layer, the epidermis, which serves primarily as a barrier to things like water, pollution, infection and damage.
The epidermis is split into many more layers but the uppermost layer is the one we’re concerned about here: the stratum corneum. Why? Because when we talk about your skin’s barrier function, the stratum corneum is where it all happens.
The stratum corneum is your body’s first line of defense and it works super hard to protect you from the environment and everything it throws at you. It’s kind of like a brick wall, built from around 20 layers of cells – although this is different for everyone and varies in certain areas of the body. These layers are made primarily of keratin, held in place by lipids such as ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. Together with your skin’s NMF (natural moisturizing factor) these work to keep the skin soft, supple, healthy and moisturized.
What Happens When Your Barrier Function Is Compromised?
Simple: if your stratum corneum is thin and/or weakened it won’t work as efficiently as it should to retain moisture and block out irritants. Cue dryness, dehydration and sensitivities such as itching, inflammation, redness, rashes and so on. And that's not all. Skin disorders like eczema, psoriasis and rosacea are also thought to be exacerbated or even triggered by an impaired skin barrier.
But why do some people have a weaker barrier function than others? Well, everyone’s skin composition is different (hello genetics), but there are a few factors to take into consideration when determining how strong and healthy your personal barrier function is. For starters, pale skin generally has a thinner stratum corneum than darker skin types which means its barrier doesn’t function as well and it’s more prone to irritation. Oh, and guess what? Your skin barrier weakens as you age, so while your skin might have been super strong and resilient in your 20s, by the time you hit your 30s this might no longer be the case. Aging. Ruthless.
5 Ways To A Better Skin Barrier Function
The good news is there are plenty of ways to care for your barrier function, strengthen your skin and therefore reduce sensitivities. Here are five simple ways to do all of the above.
1. Ditch The Harsh Cleansers
One of the worst things you can do for your skin’s barrier is to strip away all of its natural oils when washing your face. Be kind as you cleanse by using lukewarm, never hot water and choose your ingredients wisely. Surfactants like sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) are often used in cleansers because they’re very good at cleaning the skin. But we think they’re a little too effective and this can end up leaving your barrier dry and compromised. This is why sulfates get a big no from us. Instead, look for gentler surfactants in your cleansers like disodium laureth sulfosuccinate and disodium 2-sulfolaurate. We use these in our cleansers as they’re known to be much kinder and way more skin-friendly than SLS and SLES.
2. Don’t Over-Exfoliate
As with the downsides of over-zealous cleansing, exfoliating your skin too much or too often can also damage your poor old stratum corneum. Skin cells have a life cycle of around 28 days in which time they form, mature and shed. This cycle often becomes sluggish and needs a little kick up the butt with things like exfoliation and chemical peels, but if you go too crazy you can end up causing more harm than good.
If you’re a fan of chemical peels, ask your derm to recommend the best frequency plan for your skin type and when it comes to at-home exfoliation? Replace super harsh scrubs that contain damaging particles like ground nut shells with gentle chemical exfoliators like lactic acid.
3. Embrace Antioxidants
Environmental stressors such as pollution and sun exposure are massive threats to the skin’s barrier function which is why we truly believe that protecting your skin is just as important as treating it well. Make sure you wear a daily, broad-spectrum sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or above and never underestimate the powers of a good antioxidant serum to help counteract the damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin E and niacinamide are great options because they help repair barrier function and are tolerable by most skin types.
4. Boost Your NMF With The Right Ingredients
Your skin’s natural moisturizing factor (NMF) is a clever and very efficient way for your skin to keep itself naturally hydrated and healthy – but as you get older and subject it to the daily grinds of life, it needs help with some choice moisturizing ingredients.
Most derms and skin experts will tell you that ceramides are some of the most important ingredients for helping to up your NMF and restore your skin’s barrier. Ceramides are lipids that hold everything together in the stratum corneum but they’re greatly reduced by aging and environmental damage, so it totally figures that adding extras into your skincare routine will be beneficial in the long-term.
Similarly, humectants like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, aloe and urea are great ways to draw water into the skin, while emollient or occlusive ingredients like jojoba oil and colloidal oatmeal will seal it all in to help your barrier heal and repair itself.
5. Eat Well, Sleep Well & Try Not To Stress
This may be easier said than done but leading a healthier lifestyle in which you keep stress to a minimum, get eight hours of sleep and eat a balanced diet will go a long way in protecting and repairing your skin’s barrier from the inside out. Stress and lack of sleep have both been proven to weaken the skin’s barrier by slowing down its healing process, so do everything you can to be more zen and get your zzzs on a regular basis. This is important stuff, OK?
When it comes to what you eat, avoid refined carbs and sugars which are the devil and introduce more healthy fats such as omega-3 into your diet. Omega-3 is vital for a top dollar barrier function, so up your quota by eating more fatty fish like salmon and mackerel.
Finally, if your skin is causing you real concerns, it probably needs more help than you can offer it at home, so never hesitate to seek advice from a skincare professional. It may be that you’ve become intolerant to a certain ingredient in a product or become allergic to a specific type of food. And these are not things you can easily diagnose at home. Trust us, we've been there...
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![How Your Favorite Comfort Foods Can Affect Your Skin]()
Did you know, some of your favorite comfort foods are doing your skin no favors? Like, no favors at all.
Let’s get one thing straight: when it comes to what you eat, a bar of chocolate here and a cheeseburger there is totally a-OK. What is it they say? Everything in moderation, right? And we agree. As long as you eat healthily for the most part and allow yourself treats when you want them you’re likely to be just fine.
However, when your meal and snack selections start to not only mess with your weight but also screw up your skin, it may be time to take a look at your diet choices. Because chocolate can’t give you acne, but it can definitely trigger your breakouts.
Whatever your comfort food weakness, read on for the biggest skin offenders that might be worth cutting back on. Of course, unless you have some kind of intolerance or a serious allergy, there’s no need to eliminate them entirely. Just know that if you want your skin to be its absolute best self, the old adage could not be more true – you are what you eat…
1. Cakes, Candy & Other Sweet Treats
OK, let’s start with arguably the biggest offender of them all: sugar. With zero nutritional value, sugar is the absolute devil when it comes to the health of your skin. How so? Well, in simple terms, sugar is an inflammatory which not only speeds up the rate at which your skin ages, but can trigger acne breakouts as well as flare-ups in existing skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis and eczema.
Research also shows that excess sugar leads to the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are harmful compounds produced by the skin through a process called glycation. AGEs are no fun at all as they not only attack your skin cells but they do a real number on important proteins such as collagen and elastin, causing them to stiffen, weaken and perform poorly. All this manifests itself at the surface of your skin in the form of fine lines, wrinkles, dryness, sagging, dullness and, well, you get the picture.
More often than not, sugar cravings are simply the result of habit because sweet ‘treats’ make you feel happy and uplifted by releasing the ‘feel good’ hormone, dopamine, into your system. Refined white sugar and corn syrup are the real bad boys in this picture so avoid these as much as possible, swapping them out for things like honey or natural sugars found in fruit to get your sweet fix.
2. White Carbs
There is little better than tucking into a chunk of warm, crusty white bread or a pile of spaghetti carbonara of a cold, wintry evening. However, these sit under the refined carbs umbrella. And, note to self, in this case ‘refined’ is most definitely not a positive.
Refined carbs like white bread, pasta and rice are basically carbohydrates that have been processed and therefore stripped of the vitamins, minerals and fiber that make complex carbs so much better for your health and skin. This manufacturing process makes refined carbs easier to digest and offers an instant source of energy. Which may sound great, but this burst of energy is very short-lived (making you want to eat more) and causes a quick rise in blood sugar.
And there we have it: that skin-ruining thing called sugar rises again, which leads to AGEs, inflammation and friends.
Complex carbs are way better than the refined stuff so try to include more oatmeal, sweet potatoes and fruit and veggies in your diet. Less of the white stuff, yes?
3. Salty Snacks
Sure, sugar is seriously bad news. But salt is just as bad where your skin is concerned. You see, salt promotes dehydration, weakening your skin’s barrier function and killing its chances of remaining soft, supple and strong. What’s more, your favorite salty chips or nuts can contain up to 170mg of salt. Eesh!
Truth is, most salt contains around 40 percent sodium. Sodium draws essential moisture from the skin’s cells into the bloodstream in a bid to balance out fluids. This is important business and helps your body to function properly. But too much sodium in your diet puts this clever balancing act out of whack, pulling excess moisture from the cells and resulting in dehydrated skin that can be itchy, puffy, irritated and flaky-looking.
There’s more. When the skin starts to become dry and dehydrated, it produces more oil to compensate for its lack of moisture. And this can be a killer on your skin if you’re prone to breakouts, blocking up your pores and triggering acne before you can say ‘pass the salt!’
It’s important to remember, however, that salt is crucial for your health so don’t avoid it completely. Just try to use less when cooking and give lower sodium savory snacks like unsalted nuts, crackers or veggie chips a go.
4. The Processed Meat Gang
Processed meats like bacon, sausages, salami and deli meats are all super-high in salt. So… see above. They also contain a ton of saturated fat and are often packed with preservatives called nitrites to preserve them and help them last longer. Fair enough. Actually, what if we told you that nitrites assist in the breakdown of collagen and elastin? Not so fair enough, after all.
Reminder: collagen and elastin are important proteins that work hard to keep your skin firm, strong and supple. As skin ages it loses vital collagen and elastin which is why it’s important to do everything you can to preserve them for as long as possible. Quality sleep, kick-ass sun protection, topical antioxidants, you know the score. But if you undo all this hard work by overloading your diet with collagen and elastin-killing preservatives like nitrites. Well, you can say goodbye to youthful-looking skin and hello there, premature aging.
5. Fried Food
It’s estimated that over a quarter of Americans consume fried food from fast food restaurants every single day. Scary right?
Fried foods like burgers, fries, hot dogs and chicken not only raise your bad cholesterol and lower your good cholesterol, but they also increase the number of AGEs in your skin. Remember AGEs ⬆️? Yes, they’re truly the bad guys in this picture. Fried foods, however, produce a whole different kind of AGE to sugar in that they’re not created inside your body, but form within the food when it's cooked at such extreme, dry temperatures.
Studies have shown that dry heat (basically any kind of heat that doesn’t include water) may increase the amount of AGEs in food by up to 100 times. Baking, broiling, roasting and barbecuing all cause AGEs to form in certain high fat/high protein foods (especially red meat), but frying is undoubtedly the worst. Get this: fried bacon contains around ten times the number of AGEs as microwaved bacon. We’re not going to get too technical on you but no, microwaving isn’t a form of dry heat cooking. It’s complicated. Just trust us on that one.
The moral of the story is if you’re worried that your diet is aging you up too fast, think about what you eat and get some balance in your life with more fresh fruit and veggies, unprocessed foods, white meat, fish and legumes.
A great skincare routine can also help to keep your collagen levels in check so why not try our awesome Longevity range which encourages healthy, rather than premature skin aging.
We like that.
How Your Favorite Comfort Foods Can Affect Your Skin
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![5 Unusual Things That Can Trigger Breakouts]()
No idea why you’re getting an influx of acne right now? Many lifestyle habits can trigger your breakouts – and sometimes they’re found in the most unsuspecting places.
As you know, acne is caused by one thing and one thing alone: an excess of sebum that causes your pores to become blocked with oil, dead skin cells, bacteria and other impurities. Eating too much chocolate doesn’t give you pimples. Neither does moisturizer. Sure, they can trigger breakouts if you’re genetically susceptible to them, but acne isn’t caused by uncleanliness, a poor diet or crummy skincare routine. It’s caused by blocked pores. End of.
OK, so this begs the question: why bother trying to cure them if your breakouts are totally out of your control? Well, here’s the thing. You can’t change your genes, that’s for certain. However, what you can do is keep acne-triggering factors under control to help lessen the blow. Sleeping well, reducing emotional stress and eating a healthy, well-balanced diet; all these things are important for maintaining balanced sebum and therefore reducing the likelihood of you breaking out week after week.
But there are also some less obvious reasons why you face might be suffering with regular breakouts. So if you’ve already dispensed with things like smoking, poor cleansing and too much exfoliation, but you’re still getting pimples on the reg, it might be time to look at some of the more unexpected areas of your life.
On that note, read on for five slightly more unusual causes for your breakouts.
1. Your Pillowcase
Getting enough beauty sleep is crucial for the health of your skin, but if you’re sleeping on a dirty pillowcase for a solid eight hours every night dirt and bacteria is inevitably going to build up and irritate your pores. This is especially true if you sleep on a synthetic pillowcase because man-made fibers don’t absorb sweat as effectively as natural fibres like cotton or linen.
The answer? Go natural all the way, for starters. Also, cleanse and moisturize your skin before bed to reduce the amount of grime getting on your pillowcase. Tea Tree Super Cleanser+ is a great acne-fighting cleanser that balances and clarifies your pores. Follow this with Retinol Moisturizer to lightly hydrate and moisturize your skin while boosting cellular turnover to keep your pores free of dead skin cells.
Finally, wash your pillowcase every three or four days. And ditto, your face towel. Old, dirty towels that are used by the whole family for drying their hands and who-knows-what-else are another breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Do you really want to be swiping this all over your freshly cleansed skin? Thought not. So, invest in a couple of cotton face towels for you and you alone and wash them every other day.
2. Your Makeup & Hair Products
Your skincare routine might be spot on, but what about your makeup and hair products? Rich hair conditioners, for example, are notorious for containing heavy ingredients like cocoa butter and coconut oil which, granted, are incredible for moisturizing your precious locks, but are not so great for acne-prone skin. Of course, we know you’re not smothering your face with conditioner but still, it can settle on your face when you rinse your hair so always cleanse your skin after, never before conditioning.
Makeup can similarly clog up your pores, especially if you use formulations that contain oil. So don’t do that. Instead, look out for noncomedogenic products (this means they’re less likely to block pores) and use powder rather than liquid formulations whenever possible.
3. Your Workout Routine
Do you love to get a good sweat on when you’re working out? High fives to you. However, allow all that sweat and grime to sit on your skin and your pores are going to clog up quicker than your instructor can say ‘hit the floor for ten push-ups.’
Cleanse your skin thoroughly and swiftly after exercising (the longer you leave your skin doused in sweat and grimy workout gear, the more bacteria is likely to breed), and always use a mild but effective cleanser that helps to detoxify your skin without drying it out. Our Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser is a goodie as it harnesses the powers of coconut-derived activated charcoal which destroys skin-smothering impurities to offer a deep, gently purifying clean every time.
4. Your Winter Cover-Ups
Any fabric that rubs against your skin can lead to unwanted issues in the long-term. Remember how face masks were causing ‘maskne’ back in the pandemic? This was all due to friction from the mask combining with the obvious culprits of sweat, dirt, oil, bacteria and humidity which caused dryness, irritation and pimples.
Thankfully, for most of us, the days of having to wear a mask 24/7 are over. However, if you spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter and like to wrap yourself up in woollen hats and thick, heavy scarves, these can cause similar problems, trapping sweat and increasing friction around your chin, jaw, neck and forehead.
To help reduce breakouts caused by beanies, scarves (and even turtleneck sweaters), avoid synthetic fabrics and launder your winter cover-ups regularly. Weekly, at least.
5. Your Laundry Detergent
Speaking of laundry, your choice of detergent is also imperative. Just like your beauty routine, certain ingredients in your laundry detergent can be super irritating – especially if you have extremely sensitive or acne-prone skin. Fragrance, for example, can be a real Debbie Downer, as can harsh dyes, essentials oils, strong surfactants and preservatives.
To reduce the likelihood of your laundry detergent triggering those pesky breakouts, first up, choose liquid over powder detergents. Why? Because these leave behind less residue on your clothes and fabrics (who knew?!). Also, never use more detergent than is recommended on the label, avoid fabric softeners and try double rinsing your laundry after washing to remove as much residue as possible.
5 Unusual Things That Can Trigger Breakouts
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