For many of us, skincare can seem extremely complicated. There are cleansers, toners, moisturizers, exfoliants, masks, serums, eye creams, and many more products out there that are designed to help us keep our skin healthy and glowing. Don’t get us wrong, as your body’s largest organ your skin deserves all the extra love and care you can give it while it works hard to serve its purpose—protect you from being harmed by contaminants, pollutants, and pathogens all while still retaining that healthy glow.
During the winter months, the stakes are even higher as the cold temperatures and lack of humidity are sure to impact your skin. But before you run out and buy new products to add to your skincare routine, it’s important to know exactly what your skin needs during these colder months. To understand that, you need to know about the skin barrier.
What Is The Skin Barrier?
In simple terms, the skin barrier, which is also known as the stratum corneum, is the outermost layer of skin that serves as a protective shield. It helps protect the remaining layers of your skin from being damaged by environmental aggressors while also locking in moisture. This barrier has three main components that help it serve its important function.
1. The Skin Microbiome
Similar to your gut, your skin has its own microbiome that is made up of trillions of microorganisms, including 1,000 different species of bacteria and around 80 species of fungi. Just like the microbes that reside in your gut, the ones on your skin play several important roles, including assisting with wound healing, communicating with the immune system, and working to protect the rest of your body from harmful intruders that could cause irritation. Everyone’s skin microbiome is unique, and it even varies from place to place on your body.
2. The Acid Mantle
While the term ‘acid mantle’ first popped up in the 1920s, it is only in recent years that it has begun gaining popularity outside of the science community. In case you haven’t heard about it yet, the acid mantle is a thin, slightly acidic film that exists on the top of your skin. It is made up of lipids (fats) from your oil glands and amino acids from your sweat, and it acts as a barrier of defense against intruders like bacteria, viruses, pollutants, toxins, and more. In addition to being a barrier, the acid mantle also helps to promote the health of your skin microbiome and locks moisture into your skin.
3. The Lipid Barrier
Directly underneath the acid mantle is the lipid barrier. This is the first layer of the stratum corneum where there are skin cells, and those cells are bound together by a matrix of lipids, which are fats composed of fatty acids. It’s often easiest to understand this part of the skin barrier by thinking of it as a brick wall—the skin cells are the bricks and the lipids are the cement that holds those bricks together. Just like the other two parts of the stratum corneum, the lipid barrier works as a physical shield that keeps environmental stressors out and moisture in.
Threats to the Skin Barrier
While it’s easy to think of the skin barrier as a brick wall, the truth is that it is a lot more fragile than that image implies. Many different factors can break down this barrier, which can lead to your skin becoming dry, flaky, irritated, tingly, sensitive, or itchy. Some of these factors are outside of your control, such as genetics, age, and medical conditions; however, many of them are completely controllable.
More often than not, these controllable factors cause damage by stripping your skin of its natural oils. For example, using soaps or cleansers that contain harsh chemicals is one of the most common culprits of skin barrier damage. Other habits like taking showers that are too hot or exposing your skin to acidic products can also minimize the amount of natural oil on your skin.
Other factors that may cause your skin barrier to become damaged include:
- Over-exfoliating
- Using harsh, gritty physical exfoliants
- Exposure to UV rays
- Stress
- Lack of sleep
- Pollution
- Harsh weather conditions
- Lack of nutrients in your diet
Nourishing the Skin Barrier
To ensure that your skin barrier is as strong and healthy as possible, you’ll want to take steps to nourish and support it both internally and externally.
Supporting the skin barrier internally all boils down to nutrition. Given that the barrier is largely composed of lipids and amino acids, a skin-nourishing diet includes meals that are rich in lean proteins and healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, foods that are rich in minerals or contain antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E are great for nourishing all of the layers of your skin, including the stratum corneum.
When it comes to taking care of your skin barrier externally, the most important thing you can do is be thoughtful about your skincare routine. For starters, it’s best to pare down your routine so that it only includes a small handful of products. Usually, a gentle cleanser, hydrating moisturizer, and sunscreen are enough. It’s also important to consider what kind of products you are choosing to use. You’ll want to ensure that your cleanser doesn’t contain harsh soaps or chemicals that will strip oil from your skin, and you should choose a moisturizer that is designed to lock in moisture and nourish your skin with an infusion of lipids and other skin-loving nutrients.
Nourish Your Skin Barrier with Nutrabeautiful™
If you’re on the hunt for a new skin-barrier-friendly moisturizer, look no further than Nutrabeautiful from New Earth.
This gentle, hydrating, and lightweight moisturizer is mildly citrus-scented and filled with vitamins, antioxidants, and lipids to promote soft and supple skin. Unlike many other topicals, Nutrabeautiful is a true supplement for your skin! It is composed of highly nutritious ingredients including soothing aloe vera, moisturizing coconut oil, protecting jojoba oil, restoring rose, cleansing witch hazel, nourishing organic Wild Microalgae™, balancing rosemary, and rejuvenating neem.
The best part? You can put it to the test risk-free with our 60-day money-back guarantee.