If your skin feels and looks dry, red, itchy, flaky, or rough you may have damaged your skin barrier. In such instances when we have damaged our skin barrier our usual go to body lotion or moisturizer may not be good enough. When we need to repair our skin barrier due to damaged skin, we need to use a skin damage cream that repairs and supports the skin barrier.
Our skin barrier can be damaged due to everything that it goes through on a daily basis. For example, our skin barrier can be damaged due to time spent in the sun and makeup just to mention a few of the things that can damage it.
When we need to repair our skin barrier, we need to provide it with what it needs to return to its natural and healthy state. To be more precise when it comes to repairing the skin barrier, we need to restore the lipids which are essential for a healthy skin and at the same time increase the water hydration.
Due to these requirements our skin needs when the skin barrier has been damaged our typical creams or lotions are not good enough. In such instances we need barrier repair creams which are capable to do more than provide hydration and moisture to the skin. We need creams that are capable to heal the barrier and at the same time protect our skin against water loss. Furthermore, a good barrier cream in addition should be able to protect the skin against allergens and irritants which can harm the skin barrier further.
Ways to protect the skin barrier when washing and exfoliating
As we have mentioned in previous articles as with many other skin conditions prevention is the best option when it comes to keeping your skin healthy. We can follow certain steps to make sure our skin is not damaged. For example, when washing your skin try using cool water and avoid using scrubs to wash your skin.
If you really need to exfoliate there are certain ways, you can exfoliate without doing harm to your skin. After having exfoliated the skin, make sure to moisturize the skin. Moisturizers that contain lactic acid are very good since they do not dehydrate the skin.
Avoid scrubbing dry skin
Many people tend to want to scrub their skin when they have dry and flaky skin. Scrubbing dry and flaky skin is not a wise thing to do. This is because when you scrub your skin you can irritate it further. This further irritation of the skin happens because when the moisture barrier is damaged scrubbing it and damages it further.
Rather than scrubbing the skin use a gentle cleanser. Gentle cleansers that have ingredients such as amino acid can penetrate deep into the skin. By penetrating deep into the skin, they are capable of cleansing the pores from dirt and makeup without causing any damage to the moisture barrier.
How to select a right skin barrier cream?
So, as we have explained when we need to repair the skin barrier the cream, we choose should be able to fulfil certain requirements that help to repair the skin barrier. Therefor we need to pay special attention to the ingredients that go into the cream we use.
We need to select creams that have a right combination of emollients, occlusives and humectants. We need to use creams that are composed of ingredients that can target the skin barrier by replenishing it and repairing it at the same time. One of the ingredients that is very good at accomplishing these tasks is ceramides. Being a type of emollient ceramides is also a foundation in the skin barrier itself and is commonly found in many skin barrier creams.
Another factor that plays a part in the skin barrier creams we decide to use is its density. Some creams are thick while others are more lightweight. When it comes to selecting thick versus thin creams, we need to consider our skin type and environment. For those who suffer from dry skin and live in cold environments a thicker cream maybe more suitable. In contrast if you live in a warmer climate and have oiler skin using a cream which is more lightweight is better.
