How Long To Repair Moisture Barrier

What is it? How do I know if I've damaged it? How practice I treat a damaged wet bulwark? All questions that have slid into my DM's in the last few weeks since I couldn't close up about destroying mine with the Drunk Elephant'southward Baby Facial.

What is the "wet barrier"?

When I talk about the wet barrier, I'one thousand actually just referring to the stratum corneum – PAUSE, does anyone here know Latin? No? Ok, well stratum corneum is Latin for Horny Layer sooo yeah, let's call it that.

The horny layer is the outer most layer of the skin, the one effected by exfoliation, and is made up of a lipid matrix. Retrieve of information technology as a flattened grid of dead peel cells, natural lipids, cholesterol, and fatty acids making up a bulwark.

The horny layer is SUPER important because it's function is to keep bacteria out and moisture in. Nosotros want moisture.

However, sometimes the buildup of oil and dead peel cells is too much and causes closed comedones or breakouts. That'southward when people typically achieve for the face up scrub or acid exfoliants. The thing here though, is that the exfoliation needs to essentially be done pretty perfectly… as well little and you're still going to suffer from dull/lackluster peel, closed comedones, breakouts, etc. Merely too much and you're going to destroy the horny layer and your power to retain wet! And that's what we're going to talk virtually.

Then I think I destroyed my moisture barrier… just how do I know?

Many years ago earlier I began my skincare journey, I had every kind of salicylic acrid production always made on planet earth. I used Neutrogena's Pink Grapefruit Wash, a spot treatment, and fifty-fifty my moisturizer has salicylic acid in it…. permit us accept a moment of silence for my 2008 moisture barrier. RIP.

My skin was tight AF. And not in a good fashion. Information technology literally felt then tight and then stretched out after washing that I swear it could have ripped if I smiled as well hard. It was likewise absurdly oily and ALSO flakey. WTF. I was besides constantly breaking out. Then, what'd I do? Apply more acrid.

These are all signs of a compromised moisture barrier:

tight feeling skin afterward cleansing- your skin should ever feel clean and bouncy after washing, if it's tight whatsoever, your cleanser is too harsh and probable too acidic
sensitive to products that you normally wouldn't be sensitive to
unusual redness
more than normal breakouts
an increase in oiliness – the lipids in the horny layer are diverting from their normal structure, and your body is trying to overcompensate for the loss. This is a top reason why you're probably breaking out more than usual.
abiding dry/dehydrated/tight feeling- a compromised wet bulwark increases Trans Epidermal Water Loss
flaking skin

Destroying your moisture barrier can happen through either chemic or physical exfoliation. Over the years I have learned that my skin is so sensitive near all concrete exfoliation will destroy me, and then I typically stick to only gentle chemical exfoliants.

Ok, I definitely destroyed my barrier. How practice I set up it?

wrecked horny layer

This is near sadder than destroying the bulwark itself… In that location are three things you must practise in lodge to repair the barrier.

The commencement step is to ditch all and everything exfoliating. Put downwards the acids. Skip the face scrub. In order to repair the horny layer, you must give it the things it needs to thrive: natural lipids and expressionless pare cells. You can't wait information technology to repair itself if yous are nevertheless taking away the things information technology needs.I know it'southward hard to just skip parts of a routine, only it's necessary.
The adjacent footstep is to also ditch products that are causing irritation to your skin. If you detect that, for example, a toner y'all are using is causing a petty sting to your confront later washing. Ditch that too. You lot want to requite your peel the most gentlest routine. I e'er highly recommend and oil cleanser, but now information technology'due south more important than always. If yous aren't using an oil cleanser that'southward totally ok, just make certain it'southward gentle, pH balanced, and does not include any sort of actives or irritants (harsh fragrance, scrubbing beads, essential oils, etc.)
Lastly, y'all should try to add together as much moisture back in as you can. Trans Epidermal H2o Loss is no joke. Here are some things that can help:

Drink adequate water, no drinking h2o alone will not fix all of your problems, but it will certainly help dehydration
Add together in a humectant:
- Hyaluronic acrid- can concord up to m times its weight in h2o
- Glycerin- sticky as shit, but works great adding a few drops into your favorite moisturizer
- Squalane- derived from olives or sharks has bulwark replensighing properties
- Niacinamide- has bulwark replenishing properties
A humidifier- is Astonishing and extremely helpful for sleeping
A nightly occlusive- wrap upwardly the stop of your PM routine with something that is going to help keep moisture in, a facial oil, a sleeping mask, Vaseline, etc.

One concluding matter… If you are suffering from a compromised wet barrier, at present it is more than important than always to wear sunscreen! You should always wear sunscreen, but you are at greater gamble for damage now.

your skin should e'er feel bouncy, never tight

At that place tin be many culprits to destroying the moisture bulwark, almost commonly, and obviously, overuse of acids or physical exfoliates. Less obviously, an un (pH) counterbalanced facial wash, or just generally too harsh of a facial wash, and estrus! If you stand up in blazing hot showers for long periods of time (me! Try applying facial oil earlier your shower and look until the very terminate before you leave to wash your face, and make sure to plow the water way downwardly to a luke warm temp!

Any more recommendations? Driblet them beneath! Happy hump-twenty-four hour period skincare lovers!