The right way to support your skin barrier for strong, youthful skin.
If your skin feels sensitive, reactive, irritated, dry, flaky, itchy, or starting to feel “off,” you may have a compromised skin barrier. Skin barrier issues are common and can cause a lot of other issues for our skin, including accelerated signs of aging, loss of elasticity and breakouts. Supporting your skin barrier the right way is foundational to achieving your healthiest skin yet.
First, what exactly is the skin barrier?
The skin barrier is the outermost layer of the epidermis, and the foundation for healthy, resilient skin. Think of it as a protective fortress: it shields the deeper layers of skin and defends against external stressors like pollutants and harmful microbes. Much like the wall of a fortress, the skin barrier is comprised of “bricks,” dead skin cells (corneocytes), held together by “mortar,” our skin’s good fats, like cholesterol, ceramides, and fatty acids. Together, they protect skin, keeping good things like hydration and electrolytes in, and bad things like pollutants, toxins, and microbes out. When the skin barrier is thriving, skin looks healthy and calm. When weakened, it can lead to irritation, inflammation, and flakiness.
Expert tip:
While the structural and functional elements of the skin barrier are well defined, it’s not as commonly known that there are nuanced differences in the skin barrier based on race and skin tone. Considering these differences can be helpful to better understand and care for your skin:
- In observing TEWL (transepidermal water loss), African American skin showed greater TEWL than Caucasian skin(1) and was more prone to dryness.(2)
- However, African American skin is shown to have more corneocyte layers and a more compactly packed stratum corneum lending to higher skin barrier integrity.(3)
- Fitzpatrick skin type IV-V (darker skin tones) vs. skin type II-III (lighter skin tones) even across the same racial groups (Asians were in both II-III and IV-V groups, for example) showed stronger skin barrier integrity.(3)
- Asian skin showed the highest ceramide levels in skin. Then followed by Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American skin, from highest to lowest ceramide levels in skin.(4)
- Asian skin also showed the highest water content compared to Caucasian and African American skin.(4)
- However, Asians, notably in South Korea, have the highest percentage of sensitive skin.(5)
To account for these nuanced differences, the clinical study using instrumentation for our Rescue Party Skin Barrier collection has been conducted across the entire Fitzpatrick I-VI range, so you can rest assured that the clinical results accounted for all skin tones. We believe in skincare that’s formulated for all people.
What can compromise the skin barrier?
Many factors can lead to a compromised skin barrier, including harsh climates, stress, pollutants, environmental toxins, sun exposure, allergens, irritating skincare, and over-exfoliating skin. As we get older, our skin barrier also typically weakens. Chronic skin or health conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and diabetes are also associated with impaired skin barrier function.
How can you tell if your skin barrier is compromised?
Irritation from a compromised skin barrier can take on many faces. Skin can look and feel inflamed, pink or red, itchy, dry, shiny and scaly, or bumpy. You can also experience more breakouts and if you have chronic skin conditions, you may experience a flare-up. And when you apply skincare products, even a product that is typically considered gentle or suitable for your skin, you may experience stinging or even burning. Depending on the level of disruption, sometimes the signs might be much more subtle, such as slight pinkness and having a generally “off-skin day.”
Expert tip:
What’s the difference between a compromised skin barrier vs. inherently sensitive skin?
Sensitive skin causes can be complex driven by genetic, environmental, ethnic, occupational, and individual factors. Sensitive skin may occur in people with underlying skin conditions and in people without any of these conditions.
Fun fact: As mentioned above, South Korea has one of the highest rates of people who identify as having sensitive skin.(5) We work with leading Korean labs that deeply understand sensitive skin.
A leading hypothesis is that a compromised skin barrier leads to less protected nerve endings in the skin, heightening neurosensory responses from environmental circumstances or substances that normally do not cause irritation. Also, a compromised barrier leads to more TEWL, which manifests as dry skin; and dry skin is more commonly linked to sensitive skin. And studies link sensitive skin to an inherently thinner stratum corneum, poor lipid balance, and lower ceramides content, all elements associated with poor barrier function. In other words, studies highlight that sensitive skin is linked to sub-optimal barrier function.
Therefore, whether you’re experiencing sensitivity and irritation because of a compromised skin barrier or you feel that you inherently have sensitive skin, it’s a great idea to use barrier-enhancing ingredients. Our Rescue Party supports the skin barrier and is ideal for those with sensitive skin.
Who should be mindful of their skin barrier?
Those with sensitive skin, mature skin, dry skin, irritated skin, stressed skin, or chronic skin conditions linked to barrier issues. Also, those who have diabetes, exposure to harsh climates, are traveling frequently, exposure to pollutants, toxins, allergens, or microbes. And if you’re looking to start or increase use of potent active treatments, especially those that are acidic or exfoliating in nature.
Whether your skin barrier is starting to get weak and you want to nip this issue in the bud or you want to prevent skin barrier issues before they arise or your skin barrier feels out of control and your skin is very irritated, that’s where your Rescue Party comes in.
How should you support a compromised skin barrier in a more holistic manner?
First, it’s key to stop exfoliating, stop using active ingredients that resurface skin, and stop using irritating products, whether they’re products that are too acidic or too alkaline or products that your skin might be reacting to or allergic to, including common culprits like fragrances or heavier doses of essential oils.
Expert tip:
First, when it comes to exfoliating, chemical and physical exfoliators aren’t the only things to consider. Shaving also exfoliates, so be careful with shaving when you’re trying to recover from a compromised skin barrier.
Second, use restoring and repairing products to support your skin barrier.
Rescue Party considers 5 different elements when it comes to supporting your skin barrier for a more comprehensive approach:
1. When skin is irritated from a compromised skin barrier, skin will benefit from rapid relief. 0.8% colloidal oatmeal provides soothing relief. (In the Rescue Party Barrier Serum, oat extracts and oat oil also provide soothing relief)
2. It’s then helpful to actively calm skin to help quell signs of inflammation and irritation. Star ingredient, panthenol, and time-tested Korean botanicals, heartleaf and mugwort help calm skin. (In the Rescue Party Barrier Serum, allantoin also calms. In the Rescue Party Barrier Comfort Cream, cica and lactobacillus ferment also calm)
3. A compromised skin barrier also has increased TEWL and manifests in dehydrated, drier skin. Hyaluronic acid and squalane restore hydration. (In the Rescue Party Barrier Comfort Cream, jojoba seed oil also helps lock in moisture)
4. Of course, it’s essential to replenish the skin barrier with ceramides and good fats that naturally occur in the skin barrier. Rescue Party includes five different kinds of ceramides and fatty acids to visibly fortify skin. (In the Serum, phytosphingosine, a naturally occurring fat and also a precursor to ceramide, helps support the skin barrier, and ectoin, an extremolyte, helps hydrate, soothe, and support the barrier).
5. Importantly and uniquely, we go deeper to support the skin barrier. Stay ahead of the (calcium) curve. The Epidermal Calcium Gradient is a curve-shaped distribution of calcium ions linked to healthy skin barrier function.(6) A depleted calcium curve is associated with poor barrier function and signs of aging.(7) Our Calcium Complex supports the calcium curve to repair and protect the look and feel of your skin.(8,9)
Third, once your barrier feels recovered, don’t just dive into exfoliating and active treatments, but go slow and steady.
Is it one-off or do you need to constantly maintain your skin barrier?
It depends. For most people without underlying skin or health conditions, your skin barrier, especially with supportive ingredients, will recover. As we get older, it takes longer for your skin barrier to restore itself. However, it also depends on what your skin is exposed to. For example, if you live in a frigid and extremely dry climate, your skin is constantly exposed to a harsh environment that can continue disrupting the skin barrier. Or if your skin is consistently exposed to a lot of pollutants or toxins, your skin barrier can continuously be challenged. For some, it may be enough to include skin barrier-focused products whenever skin is feeling in need of an extra boost. For others, it is a good idea to stay ahead of the curve and consistently use skin barrier-focused products in a daily routine. Our Rescue Party is formulated to be both: it can deliver rapid results for when your barrier is calling for urgent help and it can also be a part of your everyday routine for consistent skin barrier-TLC.
(1) Wesley NO, Maibach HI. Racial (ethnic) differences in skin properties: the objective data. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2003;4(12):843-860.
(2) Reed JT, Ghadially R, Elias PM. Skin type, but neither race nor gender, influence epidermal permeability barrier function. Arch Dermatol. 1995;131(10):1134-1138.
(3) Reed JT, Ghadially R, Elias PM. Skin type, but neither race nor gender, influence epidermal permeability barrier function. Arch Dermatol. 1995;131(10):1134-1138
(4) Sugino K, Imokawa G, Maibach HI. Ethnic difference of varied stratum corneum function in relation to stratum corneum lipids. J Dermatol Sci. 1993;6(1):108.
(5) References include various national surveys.
(6) Celli, A. et al. (2021) J Invest Dermatol 141(11) : 2577– 86
(7) Streubel, M et al. (2018) Cosmetics 5(2)
(8) Ingredient-level study conducted by the ingredient supplier specializing active ingredients based on biochemistry research
(9) Measured by Corneometer, Tewameter (TEWL) instrumentation based on an independent clinical study conducted by expert clinical graders after applying the Rescue Party Barrier Serum and Rescue Party Comfort Cream
