WELL+GOOD posted "4 Dermatologist-backed Ways To Keep Your Skin Barrier Healthy (And Honestly They’re So Easy)" featuring Dr. Purvisha Patel and Visha Skincare .
The article includes Dr. Patel's expert commentary on the barrier around your skin and how it protects you from the environment.
Your skin barrier is like your very own zone defense. All around the clock, it’s keeping you protected from skin enemies like pollution, UV rays, dust, gunk—the list goes on. And yet, for the skin barrier to become an MVP, it needs some tender-loving care of its own.
“Your skin barrier is the protective layer that guards you from the environment and stops your skin from losing fluids,” explains Purvisha Patel, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare. “It’s made up of lipids and cells.” When it’s not functioning at its best, it can’t do its job at an optimal level, which means your skin can get damaged.
1.Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Keeping your skin moisturized is essential for happy skin, and it’s also a key part of maintaining your barrier. “Ceramides, glycerin, and other lipophilic agents act like cement and help heal the cracks to restore moisture,” says Dr. Patel, who stresses that you should moisturize your skin daily with these ingredients.
2. Don’t overdo it with your products
Less is more when we’re talking about your skin’s barrier, so try to keep your active ingredients in check and don’t strip skin of its natural oils. “Overly exfoliating with products that use strong acids or harsh ingredients can strip the skin barrier and make your skin worse,” says Dr. Patel. Too much stimulation will just make your skin angry, so it’s all about being gentle and giving your skin room to do its own healing (which it’s totally capable of, BTW).