If you’re a skincare junkie like we are, then you know that talking about and supporting the skin barrier is all the rage in natural beauty circles. Maintaining a healthy skin barrier is the foundation of healthy, balanced skin and creating products that nourish and protect it is something we’ve been passionate about from the beginning.
If you’ve never heard of the skin barrier, then this post is for you! We break down exactly what the skin barrier is, how it functions, signs that your skin barrier may be disrupted, products and habits to avoid, and our three favourite products to soothe your skin barrier for a glowing complexion.
Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin and functions as the protective barrier between you and the outside world. There are three components to the skin barrier: the microbiome (read our deep dives here and here!), the acid mantle, and the lipid barrier. These three layers work together synergistically to support a healthy, glowing complexion.
While the skin barrier is tasked with keeping toxins and other damaging elements out of your body and skin, it also helps to support balanced skin hydration. Remember that hydrated skin is skin that is healthy, happy, and plump, making supporting your skin barrier a crucial element of any skincare routine.
The skin’s moisture barrier, also called the stratum corneum for any of your sciencey types, is the outermost layer of the skin, or epidermis. While not a barrier in the strictest sense, it does allow certain compounds to penetrate deeper into your skin. This is where a nifty little lipids called ceramides and fatty acids come into play. Both not only help shuttle active ingredients into the skin cells, they can also help regulate the normal, healthy shedding of the skin.
If the integrity of your skin barrier is compromised, you will likely experience some symptoms, which are an indicator that it’s time to take steps to repair your skin. Certain products can easily damage the skin barrier, since it is made up of such a delicate balance of beneficial bacteria, skin cells, lipids, and ceramides. To protect your skin barrier ensure that you avoid using products that contain drying alcohols, harsh cleansers that strip the skin, or alkaline bar soaps. You’ll also want to avoid washing your face with water that is too warm or too cold and always make sure you practice safe sun and environmental protection when you’re outside!
Some signs your skin barrier isn’t functioning optimally include:
Not only is our Fresh Face Cleanser loaded with anti-inflammatory phytonutrients from organic comfrey root and chamomile extract, it’s also gentle, yet effective at removing excess oil, makeup, dirt and pollution. The base of our soothing cleanser is made from organic vegetable glycerin that’s derived from coconut. While most cleansers use water as a base (hello fillers!) and contain harsh foaming agents or detergents, our glycerin is a functional ingredient that provides a soothing carrier for the botanical ingredients.
Glycerin is a humectant, which means it attracts water and helps keep the skin hydrated, which is a key element in skin barrier function. After each use your skin will feel soft, supple, and velvety smooth–not stripped, dry, or irritated!
But we didn’t stop there. In order to create a product that was truly magical and healing for the skin, we also added organic golden jojoba. This oil is non-comedogenic, meaning it doesn’t clog pores, and is antioxidant rich. It helps to seal in moisture, remove excess oil and protect the skin’s precious barrier. Jojoba oil is so similar to the oil (sebum) your body naturally produces that it can help control sebum production, meaning you need to use less harsh cleansers or toners to remove excess oil. Your skin barrier will love it!
Our Hella Hydrating Serum might just be the crown jewel of our product line. It has been our number one bestseller since its launch and for good reason! Made with two simple ingredients, organic cold-pressed rosehip oil and hyaluronic acid that work synergistically to support optimal skin barrier function, without irritation. We’ve written a great deep dive on all the beauty-boosting benefits of hyaluronic acid, but we want to highlight especially why it’s so beneficial for the skin barrier.
When you apply a product that contains hyaluronic acid it actually helps create a moisture barrier by trapping and holding water on the surface of your skin since it is a natural humectant. Having a healthy moisture barrier on the skin is an important component to a vibrant glow since it is an integral part of the overall skin barrier.
Supporting a strong moisture barrier can also help protect your skin from environmental toxins, chemicals, and other skin irritants you come into contact with throughout your day. When combined with the anti-inflammatory, nourishing, and moisturizing fatty acids in the organic rosehip oil, the power of this duo for promoting a healthy glow is truly unmatched!
You can see how our Hella Hydrating Serum stacks up against an expensive luxury brand serum here!
Lest you think the skin barrier is only important when it comes to your face, we wanted to make sure to include another of our incredible best selling products: Ultra-Moisturizing Body Butter. This luxurious body butter is crafted from a rich blend of organic plant-based butters and oils including organic cocoa butter and shea. The fats found in these butters help to create a soothing, protective barrier on the surface of your skin that helps to retain moisture and prevent your skin from drying out, while still letting your skin breathe.
These nourishing butters are also rich in vitamins A, E & K, and a variety of fatty acids that deeply moisturize and soothe dry skin, which can prevent cracking and damage to the skin barrier. They also absorb beautifully, with no greasy residue, leaving your skin feeling soft, supple, and smooth. In addition to these soothing butters, we added anti-inflammatory, skin-healing extracts from Canadian sourced chaga and propolis to help nourish, repair & protect the skin, while improving skin regeneration and elasticity.
Want more tips on how to use this versatile butter? You can unlock the beauty benefits of our BB here!
We hope this post has taught you a little about the importance of supporting your skin barrier, along with some simple tips and products that you can incorporate into your routine to support healthy skin from head-to-toe!
