There is a reason why your skin is considered the first line of defence against the environment’s harmful effects. No matter the season, environmental stressors like heat, humidity, UV exposure, pollutants and other allergens can harm your skin. And the only thing standing between you and these irritants and harmful pathogens is your skin’s barrier. Especially the lipid barrier, which is made up of compounds like cholesterol, fatty acids and ceramides. It plays a significant role in keeping your skin healthy and youthful-looking. The lipid barrier inhibits moisture loss and helps maintain your skin’s pH level to keep it infection-free. This is why it is so essential to maintain it. Here are some tips to help you with that…
- 01. First up, check your skincare routine
- 02. Botanical oils help
- 03. Maintain your skin’s pH
- 04. Use barrier-strengthening ingredients
- 05. Supplement your diet with fatty acids
01. First up, check your skincare routine
Before you start adding steps to strengthen your skin’s lipid barrier, you need to eliminate the current actions that might be destroying it. Habits like over-exfoliation with chemical exfoliators or relying on homemade skin essentials are among the leading causes of barrier destruction. Be mindful while practising your skincare routine to avoid damaging your skin’s barrier.
02. Botanical oils help
Face oils formulated with botanical ingredients are an excellent way to replenish your skin’s barrier. They also have antioxidant properties to help fight free radical damage caused by environmental aggressors. Some of the botanical oils you can opt for are jojoba, camellia seed, rosehip, sunflower, and argan oils. Opt for diluted formulation over pure ones to avoid over-sensitising your skin.
BB picks: Dermalogica Phyto Replenishing Oil
03. Maintain your skin’s pH
Your skin is slightly acidic in nature; it helps your body fight external allergens. This is why it is recommended to use products, especially cleansers, toners and scrubs, that do not disrupt your skin’s natural pH value. This means staying away from baddies like alcohols, abrasive physical exfoliators or artificial fragrances and dyes. Pick a gentle formula like the Lakmé Absolute Pore Fix Toner, it is suitable for all skin types and helps re-energise stressed skin at the end of a long day.
04. Use barrier-strengthening ingredients
Certain ingredients work wonders to build your skin’s barriers from the outside. Hyaluronic acid, petrolatum, glycerin and ceramides are some of the ingredients that, when included in your daily skincare routine, helps boost barrier strength against environmental aggressors.
BB picks: Lakmé Absolute Hydra Pro Gel Crème
05. Supplement your diet with fatty acids
Apart from taking care of the exterior, your skin needs help from the inside as well. Fatty acids like Omega 3 or primrose oil extracts can help improve our skin’s barrier health from within. They can also help curb skin inflammation and keep issues like acne and rosacea flare-ups at bay.
Written by Sumona Bose on Mar 17, 2021
Sumona Bose is a writer, skincare junkie and a self-professed makeup connoisseur. Equipped with a Master's degree in Fashion Management and over 3 years of experience writing in the beauty and fashion space, her passion for learning new things has no bounds. Working closely with dermatologists, beauty excerpts, makeup artists and hairstylists, she brings you the best of all things beauty. From trending skincare ingredients to makeup looks that help you slay, she manages to bring something new (and vital!) to our readers every single time. Her hobbies include home workouts, watching foreign films and binge-watching makeover shows!