We have written extensively about the skin barrier since it plays a crucial role when it comes to the health, well-being and overall protection of our skin. It plays a pivotal and important role in keeping everything balanced when it comes to the health of our skin.
The skin barrier has been referred to also as a protective wall that protects the skin from harmful external organisms entering the skin and also preventing the loss of moisture from the skin. Essentially its job is to keep the bad things out of the skin and keeping the good things in the skin.
Once this protective wall which is our skin barrier has been damaged it loses its effectiveness. In many cases when our skin barrier gets damaged it is deprived of its functions and it no longer has the ability to do its job properly.
If you are not sure if your skin barrier has been damaged or not you can look for certain signs that can help you find out. Damaged skin barrier usually comes with certain symptoms such as dry skin, itchy or red skin. Other signs that may indicate skin barrier has been damaged are skin rashes or skin that is not smooth and is uneven.
How External Factors Damage our Skin Barrier
In many instances our skin barrier is damaged and is no longer able to do its job properly due to external factors and sources from outside. These external factors that can damage our skin barrier are varied and include elements such as too much exfoliation, harsh and rough chemicals, irritants, harmful UV rays from the sun and allergens to mention few of the most common causes.
In addition skincare and the proper use of skincare products correctly also need to be paid attention to carefully in order to avoid damage to the skin barrier. At times we may use certain skincare products or overdue skincare and be completely ignorant of their harmful effects on our skin barrier.
How Exfoliants & Acne Treatments Can Damage the Skin Barrier
The overuse of chemical exfoliants and certain acne treatments has been linked to contributing to the skin barrier being damaged. At times we may believe doing a certain skincare routine frequently can contribute positively to the health of our skin but the truth in contrary.
As with other things in life moderation is key when it comes to using acne treatments and exfoliants. If you already are suffering from damaged skin barrier it is better to stop applying acne treatments and exfoliating until the skin barrier has been healed.
How Retinoids Such as Retinol & Tretinoin Can Damage the Skin Barrier
Besides chemical exfoliants and acne treatments overuse of products that contain Retinoids such as Retinol and Tretinoin can also be harmful to the skin barrier. If the skincare products that you use has a very high concentration of these ingredients or if you are using them too much you could be putting your skin barrier at risk of being damaged.
