Damaged Skin Barrier? Signs, Causes and a Simple Repair Plan

Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of the skin — dead cells held together by fats such as ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. When it works well, it keeps water in and irritants out. When it is damaged, almost everything you put on your face can sting.

Signs your barrier is struggling

• Products you have used for months suddenly sting or burn.
• Skin feels tight soon after washing.
• Patches of flaking, roughness or redness.
• Breakouts and dryness at the same time.

Common causes

• Over-cleansing with foaming or very hot water.
• Too much exfoliation — acids, scrubs, brushes or retinoids stacked together.
• Cold, windy weather and central heating, which pull moisture from the skin.
• Ageing and hormonal changes, as the skin produces less of its own lipids.

A simple two-week reset

1. Cleanse gently, once a day with a non-foaming cream or milk cleanser and lukewarm water. In the morning, a splash of water is enough.
2. Moisturise while skin is damp with a fragrance-free moisturiser. Ingredients such as glycerin, ceramides and petrolatum help skin hold water and reduce water loss.¹
3. Protect with a broad-spectrum sunscreen each morning.
4. Pause all actives — exfoliating acids, retinoids, vitamin C, scrubs — for around two weeks.
5. Reintroduce slowly, one active at a time, a few nights a week.

Dermatologists also recommend shorter, warm rather than hot showers and using a humidifier in dry indoor air.²

When your skin is angry, the most effective routine is often the most boring one.

When to see a doctor

If redness, itching or scaling does not improve after a couple of weeks of a gentle routine, or if your skin is cracked, weeping or very itchy, see a doctor or pharmacist. Conditions such as eczema, rosacea and contact dermatitis need different treatment, and emollients prescribed for eczema are a medical treatment in their own right.³