Is Your Skin Vulnerable to Danger?
Having a healthy barrier layer is essential to having clear, healthy skin. But did you know that 9 out of 10 people have a compromised barrier, and they don’t even know it. Instead, they are walking around in the world with their defenses down. So it’s no surprise that their skin isn’t reflecting back vibrant, healthy skin when they look in the mirror.
When your barrier is compromised, your skin is vulnerable to the elements. The barrier is what protects you from bacteria, toxins, infections, harmful UV rays and pollutants. When this layer isn’t functioning at its peak, all of these negative forces are free to penetrate the surface of your skin and cause damage on a deeper level.
The reason that you have a barrier layer to begin with is a lot like why you lock the doors to your house. You want to keep the bad stuff out. Without the lock, your home is susceptible to anything. It’s unfortunate but not unsurprising when your house eventually gets robbed. When your barrier layer is impaired, you are allowing all of these negative forces access to your deepest skin layers. So it’s not surprising to us that many of our clients’ issues stem from a compromised barrier layer.
If your skin is dry, flaky, sensitive, red, itchy or inflamed, these could be signs that your barrier is broken down. And the irony is that when your skin starts to act out in these ways, we usually seek out harsher chemicals, cleansers and treatments to try to repair the problem because that’s what the typical advertisements tell us to do. But in fact, those harsh cleansers are probably just making things worse.
Over-exfoliation, harsh topical products and even hot showers can contribute to a diminished barrier. Many medications have side effects that could compromise the barrier, but it’s not often pointed out by doctors. Also taking things like Accutane and antihistamines could have an effect on our barriers ability to protect us. Then there are the external elements that play a role without our knowledge. Windburn, cold weather, sunburn, certain detergents, perfumes and abrasive materials are all forces that can damage this barrier layer leaving us and our skin susceptible.
So what can be done? It sounds like we’re not safe anywhere, and we might as well put a mask on and stay inside. The solution lies in knowledge. Knowing the right ingredients to put on our faces and understanding the proper ways to heal, strengthen and hydrate our skin are the keys to ensuring that our barrier, and therefore our complexion stays healthy and nourished.
The products and treatments that we offer at Beauty Journey do exactly this. Stick with us, and we’ll steer you in the right direction. Two great products for healthier, clear skin are our Enlighten Serum and our Restore Cream.
Interested in learning the state of your barrier layer and what you can do to strengthen it?
Schedule an initial consultant or contact us at (714) 726 - 0503.