How To Heal & Protect A Damaged Skin Moisture Barrier

If you’ve tried countless products for flaky, dry, or sensitive skin and just can’t seem to find a solution, there’s a possibility you’re dealing with a damaged skin moisture barrier. There’s been a lot of talk on the internet lately about the skin’s moisture barrier – but just what is it, and what does it mean for your skin’s condition and complexion if it’s damaged?

Read on to find out more about the moisture barrier, common signs of a damaged skin moisture barrier. and what can help protect and restore it.

What is the Skin Moisture Barrier and how does it get damaged?

The moisture barrier refers to the outermost layer of your skin. It’s meant to protect your face from harmful agents as well as retain beneficial ingredients such as vitamins, nutrients, and hydration. This includes external factors such as:

• Environmental toxins or pollutants
• Extreme climate or weather changes
• Unprotected exposure to sunlight
• Physical damage such as over-exfoliation or overuse of harsh products

Stress, genetics, lifestyle choices (e.g. lack of sleep or improper diet), and certain medical conditions or medications can affect and damage the moisture barrier as well.

While your skin’s barrier does have some natural healing abilities, overexposure to harmful agents can cause damage faster than your skin can restore itself. This results in a damaged skin moisture barrier as your skin lacks the proper balance of hydration it needs to protect itself from irritants and stressors.

Common symptoms of a damaged moisture barrier include:

• Dry and/or flaky skin
• Dullness and lowered elasticity
• Rashes or itchiness
• Sensitive, irritated, burning, or ‘tingly’ skin
• Flare-ups of conditions such as eczema or rosacea
• Acne breakouts

How to restore your Skin’s Moisture Barrier

As its name suggests, restoring your skin’s damaged moisture barrier comes down to restoring the hydration levels in your skin. Some basic tips for helping repair your skin’s moisture barrier are:

• Stick with simple skincare: Harsher skincare products such as exfoliants, retinoids, and acid peels might be too harsh on your skin. Dial back your skincare routine and focus on the basics, such as moisturisers, antioxidants, and sun protection. Avoid products with fragrances, acids, astringents, or other ingredients that could irritate your skin.

• Modify your skincare accordingly: When simplifying your skincare routine, you still need to take seasonal or one-off changes into consideration. For example if you’re travelling a lot (which can often dry out the skin), add extra hydration into your skincare. Or if you’re going to be out in the sun more often, don’t skimp on the sunblock.

• Practice healthy lifestyle habits: Get enough sleep, drink enough water, eat nutritious meals, and lower your stress levels. This gives your skin the time and energy it needs to rest and recharge after a long day, and you’ll begin to see positive results over time.

• Visit an aesthetic clinic: Sometimes you might need a little extra help to repair your skin’s moisture barrier. Visiting an aesthetic clinic can help you address specific concerns such as lowered skin elasticity and hydration, fine lines, or dull skin. The Thermage FLX Treatment is one such treatment that uses radiofrequency (RF) to induce skin tightness and treat skincare concerns on the eyes, face, neck, and body. This treatment uses RF technology to uniformly deliver heat into the target area, renewing collagen levels and resulting in skin tightening. Other options of dermal fillers are available Profhilo 100% Hyaluronic Acid fillers for increased skin hydration, or medifacials which can target specific skin concerns. We now also offer Polylactic Acid Fillers(Aesthefill,Sculptra, Ellanse) AestheFill at our clinic in Singapore, which utilises polylactic acid fillers to strengthens fibroblast production and encourage collagen formation. This results in tightened and contoured skin for a rejuvenated and youthful look.

Shiro Aesthetic Clinic is an aesthetic clinic in Singapore that offers a range of treatments to help you improve your skin texture, skin appearance, and more. Our cosmetic doctors conduct a thorough consult with you before any treatment is suggested so that you are aware of all the options available for your specific concerns.

Book a consultation with us today to find out more. You can also seek out resources on our blog such as what are the treatments for eyebag removal and whether HIFU treatment can help with fine lines and wrinkles.