The Defense System
Your Skin Barrier Is A Brick Wall
Think of your skin barrier as a literal wall. Here is how to keep the bricks and mortar intact and what is actually knocking them down.
Your skin barrier is essentially a brick wall made of skin cells held together by a lipid matrix of ceramides and cholesterol. When this wall is solid, it keeps hydration in and irritants out. When it cracks, you get that tight, stinging, and dehydrated feeling.
What Damages It
- Over-cleansing with harsh surfactants.
- Using too many actives at once.
- Hot water and long, steamy showers.
- Environmental stress like pollution or low humidity.
It is easy to accidentally chip away at your own defenses by trying to do too much, too fast. If your skin feels sensitive to products that usually don't bother you, your wall is likely compromised and needs a break from the heavy hitters.
Protecting your barrier is more important than any single active ingredient.
