Skin Barrier: What is it and How to Protect It?

This begs the question: Exactly what is a skin barrier referring to if your skin is already a barrier itself?

Essentially, the skin barrier refers to the outermost layer of your skin—and it does a lot more than protect your internal organs (and keep them internal). Keep reading to learn more about the ins and outs of the skin barrier, including what it is, what it does, and what you can do to keep yours in prime condition.

What Is Your Skin Barrier?

Before we dive into what the skin barrier is and how it functions, it’s important to understand the three distinct layers that make up your skin. These include [1]:

• The hypodermis – The bottom layer of skin is called the hypodermis. This fatty layer cushions the muscles and bones and helps to regulate your body temperature.
• The dermis – The middle layer of skin, the dermis, makes up 90% of your skin’s thickness. It’s composed of collagen, elastin, and nerves. The dermis helps your skin make sebum, a natural oil that keeps skin hydrated. It also creates sweat and supplies blood to the epidermis.
• The epidermis – Take a quick look at your hands. You’re glimpsing the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin and also the layer that comprises your skin barrier. The epidermis is made of keratin, a hard protein found inside your skin cells. In addition to acting as a barrier between your internal organs and the rest of the world (hence the name), the epidermis also makes new skin and provides your skin with its unique color.

Every layer of skin is made of multiple sub-layers, and each sub-layer has an important job to do. Although the skin barrier is part of the epidermis, it belongs more formally to the outermost sub-layer of the epidermis called the stratum corneum. [2]

In short, the stratum corneum consists of 15 to 25 layers of dead skin cells called corneocytes. Its main role is—you guessed it—protecting your body from outside threats. [3]

What Does The Skin Barrier Do?

Think of your skin barrier like the protective brick exterior of a house—it keeps everything inside the house safe and sound while ensuring that the dangers outside don’t wreak havoc on the interior. 

Similar to a brick wall, your skin barrier acts as the forcefield between your insides and a world filled with potential threats. To that end, let’s explore some of the skin barrier’s essential functions below.

Protecting Against External Threats

Imagine if we didn’t have our body’s natural brick facade to keep external obstacles at bay. We’d be much more susceptible to viruses, chemicals (like pesticides), allergens, and environmental aggressors. [4]

In fact, environmental aggressors are factors that often contribute to skin damage [5]. In today’s modern world, you come into contact with several environmental aggressors daily, including [6]:

• UV rays from sunlight
• Pollutants
• Cigarette smoke

These everyday environmental aggressors trigger free radicals (harmful molecules) that can damage our skin cells. With prolonged exposure, damage caused by free radicals may result in: 

• Photo-aging in the form of fine lines and wrinkles
• Skin that loses its elasticity and firmness

Free radicals are also a contributing factor to some instances of skin cancer. [8]

Keeping You Hydrated

Your skin barrier also plays an important role in keeping your skin (and the rest of your body) thoroughly hydrated. In fact, your skin barrier’s ability to remain hydrated is the fundamental reason your skin retains moisture and doesn’t become dry and cracked. [9]

And this is true even when environmental factors, like warm weather, cause you to sweat. For instance, during the hottest months of the year, we often sweat throughout the day to regulate our body temperatures. [10] Despite losing this small amount of water through sweat, our skin barrier remains vigilant in retaining its natural oils and enough water to keep our skin feeling smooth and moisturized.

However, you can help your skin barrier do its job and prevent skin dryness by keeping yourself adequately hydrated [11]. While there’s no one-size-fits-all amount, you can aim to drink at least eight cups of water a day to ensure proper hydration, and increase the amount as needed.

Symptoms Of A Damaged Skin Barrier

While your very own suit of armor (a.ka., your skin barrier) keeps you safe from external forces, it is possible to come across the occasional chink in that armor.

A damaged skin barrier is usually caused by the very same factors it works to keep you safe from. In addition to pollutants and the sun’s UV rays, the skin barrier may also become damaged if you develop a certain medical condition, if you over-exfoliate, or if you’re predisposed to specific genetic conditions [12].

Signs of skin barrier damage include flare-ups of acne, rosacea, or eczema [13]. Symptoms commonly associated with those skin conditions include [14]:

• Pimples, pustules, nodules, or other forms of acne
• Dry or scaly skin
• Inflammation or redness of the skin
• Irritation
• Rough patches
• Discomfort or stinging when you apply skincare products
• General tenderness

How to Repair Skin Barrier In 3 Ways

Thankfully, the relationship you have with your skin barrier is symbiotic—you both benefit from helping each other out. If you take proactive steps to protect it (or take steps to repair the damaged barrier, it’ll offer you effective protection in the future.

With the following tips, you’ll be walking down the path to a hydrated, supple, ready-for-anything skin barrier in no time.

Simplify Your Skincare Routine

If you notice a few unexpected pimples or a rough patch of skin that seems to be growing larger, your brain might go into overdrive to correct the issue. Buy more products. Cleanse for longer. Exfoliate with microbeads.

First things first: Take a breath, and step away from adding to your routine.

One way to deal with these signs of damage to your skin barrier is by establishing a skincare routine that’s simple but effective—and you don’t need a bunch of bells and whistles to do it.

PROVEN Skincare offers an easy three-step system that’s formulated for your skin’s unique needs. So, instead of using half a dozen (or more) products twice a day, you can treat, nourish, and protect your skin barrier with only a few essential elements:

• Gentle facial cleanser
• Hydrating moisturizer with SPF
• Night cream

  Use with a Gentle Cleanser

  Cleansers help remove dirt, oil, and makeup [15] from your face after a hard day’s work (or even a relaxing day spent sipping coffee and reading a good book in bed). But cleansers that contain too many active ingredients can damage your skin barrier. In fact, people are usually unaware of the side effects of using certain ingredients alongside one another. You may come to your board-certified dermatologist asking, “Can you use benzoyl peroxide with retinol” or “Can you use niacinamide with retinol?” These are valid questions to explore. 

  PROVEN’s cleanser is not only gentle on sensitive skin, it also offers a built-in exfoliator and toner to keep your skincare routine deliciously efficient, yet effective.

  Apply Sunscreen Everyday

  To help your skin combat the sun’s ultraviolet rays, it’s essential to apply a daily sunscreen that contains a minimum of 30 SPF [16]. With your skin protected from UV rays, you’re less likely to notice the negative effects of too much sun exposure, like [17]:

  • Sunburn
  • Fine lines and wrinkles
  • Dark spots
  • Less firm (and possibly even sagging) skin

  And what’s better than an SPF that protects your skin from the sun? Luckily, we offer a daily moisturizer with SPF that also keeps your skin barrier from drying out with ingredients tailored to your skin’s needs.

  Choose Products that Contain Moisturizing Ingredients

  In addition to moisturizing during the day, it’s also important to apply a moisturizing cream before bed to help your skin maintain optimal hydration. 

  Depending on your skin’s unique needs, your PROVEN night cream formula may include hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, green tea extract, or squalene to nourish and maintain a healthy skin barrier that retains its firmness and suppleness.

  Incorporate a Day and Night Routine

  Once you have your products in hand, you’re ready to establish a quick, twice-a-day routine that’ll set you up for skincare success. In the morning, you’ll only need a few minutes to complete these simple steps:

  • Step 1: Rinse your face with lukewarm water.
  • Step 2: Apply your customized SPF moisturizer.

  Voila—your skin barrier is ready to conquer the day. And your nighttime routine is just as easy:

  • Step 1: Gently wash your face with your custom cleanser.
  • Step 2: Pat your face dry with a soft towel.
  • Step 3: Apply your personalized night cream.

  PROVEN: Remove the Barrier Keeping You From Healthy Skin

  Your skin barrier is a precious part of you, and it should be treated as such. 

  No matter your skin type; whether you’re prone to dry skin or oily skin, you’re experiencing a rosacea flare-up, or you’re facing another skincare concern altogether, PROVEN Skincare uses advanced technology and science-backed ingredients to develop skincare products meant specifically for your skin health. 

  Take our 3-minute skin quiz to discover your perfect formula today.

  Get your formula