How to Improve your Protective Barrier Function

Does your skin flare up irregularly? Does it respond badly to any skin care product? Are you riddled with dry skin AND breakouts?

It may be that you have a poor barrier function. This can occur from a whole host of skin issues. Going back to basics slightly, our skin is made up of many different components and the protective barrier found on the epidermis (Stratum Corneum) is made up of sebum (made in the sebaceous glands) and intercellular lipids (made in stratum granulosum, by the lamellar bodies).

This two components  work to build a cement-like wall to protect the skin from water/moisture leaving the skin and from bacteria entering into the skin. When this ‘cement’ gets damaged, it can lead to damaged skin and ultimately lead to an increased sensitivity to the skin. It can get damaged from using improper (harsh, abrasive ingredients), very hot and regular showers, medication and illnesses too.

Here are a few tips on how to protect your skins protective barrier from becoming damaged.

1. Avoid toners, astringents and spinning facial brushes. We see many people using abrasive tools and towels/cloths that can strip the skin of the protective barrier and then begins the damaged irritated skin
2. Avoid having very hot showers – it leads to trans-epidermal water loss or TEWL. TEWL occurs due to the hot water stripping the skin of essential oils and leading to damaged and irritated skin ultimately causing breakouts and dryness.
3. Use of an SPF will help HUGELY to protect the skin from harsh weathering and pollution. Using a mineral SPF is better because it has minimal irritation to the skin in oppose to chemical SPFs.
4. LED light therapy can help to fortify and strengthen the skin from a cellular level. Blue light can help to kill bacteria and therefore inhibit breakouts, the red LED can help to stimulate fibroblasts that will regenerate collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid leading to an increase in hydration.
5. Using the Plumping Peptide Mask once a week in the evening to implement a surge of moisture to the skin. It can be pushed into the skin using the Lumipro Facial Toning. This will ensure the skin is hydrated during the week.

Remember we are mainly made up of water – 70+% therefore ensuring moisture is locked into the skin is important. The older we get the more we loose hyaluronic acid naturally and generally the skin becomes much thinner and fragile – making the skin susceptible to sensitivity and irritation, possibly redness on the skin. We believe in a less is more, progressive not aggressive approach to skin. Whenever you over-do it with the products or treatments, you may notice your skin is breaking out more and thats because your protective barrier is breaking down.

For example, if you were to have many peels close together without the healing power of LED and then go home and use harsh exfoliation and toners, then you are risk of a damaged protective barrier function.