Skin Healthification | Defending against an impaired barrier

There was a time, even after the pandemic, when we didn’t go a day without talking about COVID. While we, for the most part, have moved on from this time of our lives - have you ever stopped to think about the enduring impact on your skin health?

As we navigated through prolonged mask-wearing, increased use of sanitisers, and heightened stress levels, at the time many noticed a shift in their skin’s behaviour. Two years on, how is the health of your skin?

When our skin's protective barrier is healthy, it protects us from external threats such as pathogens, allergens and toxins. It can repair itself from trauma, and regulate our body temperature. It also alerts us to both pleasure and pain. When skin becomes sensitised it is trying to send us a message that all is not well. 

The health crisis underscored the importance of preventative care in consumers' beauty routines, helping us to see the skin as a preventive organism. You may have even heard the term 'Healthification' which refers to a focus on preserving and protecting the skin. Holistic wellbeing, preventative skincare (think antioxidants and sun protection), barrier strengthening and gentle formulations are key. 

If your skin is more sensitive than it used to be, it may be that your barrier is impaired and your skincare regime (and lifestyle) should be altered to address this.

How do you know if your barrier is impaired? And what is causing this?So what causes sensitivity?

Long-term stress, unhealthy diets and lifestyles make it harder for our bodies to cope and we start seeing the impact, quite often, in our skin first. This can show up as reactions such as redness, dryness, burning and itching. It may also show up as acne, but that is a topic for another time. If you are suffering any of these conditions, there is every chance your barrier is impaired. 

The pandemic had a role to play here; the wearing of face masks and increased stress from isolation and fear of the unknown all contributed. Face masks caused lots of problems to those who had to wear them on a daily basis for longer periods. The additional heat and humidity from breathing into a face mask changes the microbiome of the skin (yes we have bugs on our skin that keep it healthy just like in our gut). Increased sebum production and the pressure and friction from the mask cause irritation. If worn occasionally for short periods, masks shouldn't cause any problems, however, the demands from the pandemic where our frontline workers had to wear them all day, every day, caused many to seek help for sensitised skin conditions.

Additionally, those kept in lockdown for long periods of time were sheltering their skin from many environmental impacts. Once restrictions eased our skin, having been shielded for so long, was again face-to-face with a variety of environmental factors. This sudden change again may have disrupted our skin’s microbiome, leading to impaired barriers and heightened sensitivity. 

Covid is not solely to blame. Diet, lifestyle, stress and medications all impact the health of your skin's barrier. Stress levels seem to be rising on a daily basis, which stimulates cortisol, our stress hormone. Long-term increased levels of cortisol negatively affect the skin through increased sebum (oil) production, breaks down collagen and elastin and increases blood flow which causes redness in the skin (sensitivity). Our diets are now made up of more processed meals, and medication and recreational drug use has also increased. 

 

What does our skin barrier do?

Our skin barrier as previously mentioned, is vital for human life, protecting us from external threats. When this protective barrier becomes impaired, our skin becomes reactive. This barrier impairment can be caused by environmental factors, overuse of aggressive products, dehydration, or an underlying health condition. This barrier also keeps us from losing too much water. You may have seen the term TEWL which means Transepidermal Water Loss. Skin care formulations often use ingredients to prevent TEWL, thus keeping our skin hydrated and protected. This is especially important in environments that cause dehydration like air-conditioning (both heat and cool) and flying.

This diagram is a visual way to see how a skin with a defective skin barrier is open to allergens. Skin with an impaired barrier has cells that are not as compact and also suffer more TEWL (transepidermal water loss). Resulting in the skin being more fragile, irritated, dehydrated, unbalanced & unhealthy, and may also display more visible signs of ageing. 

  

Some more skin barrier facts

Our skin is made up of layers, each of which performs important functions in protecting your body. The outermost layer called the stratum corneum, which is often described as a brick wall. It consists of tough skin cells called corneocytes that are bound together by mortar-like lipids. This is your skin barrier.

Inside the skin cells, or “bricks,” you’ll find keratin and natural moisturizers. The lipid (oil or fat) layer contains:

• cholesterol
• fatty acids
• ceramides

This amazingly thin brick wall is literally keeping you alive. In addition to protecting you from outside attacks ( pathogens etc), without your skin barrier, the water inside your body would escape and evaporate, leaving you completely dehydrated. Your skin barrier is essential for your overall health and therefore it is vital that we keep it healthy.

Your skin defends against a barrage of threats daily, many of which come from outside your body, and a few that come from within. Some of the external and internal factors that can affect your skin barrier include:

• too humid or too dry environment
• allergens, irritants, and pollutants
• too much sun exposure
• alkaline detergents and soaps
• exposure to harsh chemicals
• over-exfoliation and over-washing
• steroids
• psychological distress
• genetic factors that may make you more prone to certain skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis

Any skin condition that becomes inflamed or painful such as Rosacea, Eczema, Psoriasis and Dermatitis should be seen by a medical practitioner so that they can be accurately diagnosed, as some may require medical treatment, depending on the severity.

How do we keep our skin barrier healthy?

1. Keep stress to a healthy level (not all stress is bad for us, some drive us to succeed). If it does get out of control please seek help if you feel you need to.
2. Eat a healthy balanced diet
3. Drink adequate good quality water every day
4. Good quality sleep is important for a body to function well
5. Use organic skin care that supports the skin barrier (see a skin therapist to get the best regime for you)
6. Regular skin treatments with an experienced therapist will keep you on top of any changes in your skin before they become a problem
7. Controlled sun exposure - the light first thing in the morning (10 to 20 minutes) not only helps regulate our circadian rhythms but also helps maintain healthy Vitamin D levels. 
8. Use mineral based sun protection when exposed during peak UV times. Did you know organicspa's beautybalm contains zinc oxide? This beautiful lightweight balm some protection and gives your skin a beautiful glow.