Skin Burns After Skincare? It May Be a Damaged Skin Barrier!

How to repair a damaged skin barrier | The Ultimate Guide (from someone who has had to repair their skin barrier multiple times)

Skin irritations and allergies are never fun, but a damaged skin barrier is a whole new level of hell. The good news, is that our skin is a resilient organ and can heal relatively quickly. The not-so-good news is that you'll need to peel back all your fancy skincare for the time being, get consistent with a simple routine, and resist putting any active ingredients on your skin until it heals. You can do it, let's get into it!

What is a skin barrier?

When it comes down to it, the basic function of our skin is to protect our body from external factors. And our skin barrier, which sits on the outermost layer of our skin, is like an additional layer of protection. The barrier is made up of skin cells as well as fat cells (lipids) that keep the skin moisturised and plump. This is important to know, because fixing a broken barrier effectively usually involves a lot of lipid-replenishing ingredients (like ceramide balms and oils).

What does a damaged skin barrier look like?

Irritation, allergy, acne or broken skin barrier? Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell. And more than often, they go hand-in-hand. But the most dead giveaway of a damaged skin barrier is an uncomfortable burning feeling when you apply your moisturiser, or any kind of skincare. A really banged up skin barrier can even burn just with water! Healthy skin should never experience that burning sensation, so that is your clear sign that your routine needs to change. Other signs of a damaged skin barrier include:

• Tiny little red bumps that appear when you apply your skincare;
• Flushing and redness accompanying the burning feeling;
• Breakouts worse than usual;
• Incredibly tight, dry skin that feels like it needs a big drink of water;
• Itchiness and increased allergies.

What does a severely damaged skin barrier look like? Pretty much all of the above, amplified. If you're concerned and not seeing any improvement with skincare, always consult your dermatologist.

Why is a broken skin barrier so bad?

Apart from feeling super uncomfortable, it also makes your skin so much worse. Think about it: its main protective defence is down. More external baddies are able to penetrate your skin, including pore-clogging dirt and pollution, allergens, free radicals and antigens. This is why acne usually gets worse, dry skin even drier and the likelihood of inflammation and allergies increase. It ain't fun!

What causes a damaged skin barrier?

Anything that depletes or attacks our external skin/fat cell layer can compromise our skin barrier. Over-exfoliating, using strong anti-acne skincare that overly dries the skin, mask friction, sun damage, laser facials, chemotherapy, acid exfoliants and using too many active ingredients are common factors. Sadly, our skin naturally thins as we age - so aging can also make our skin barrier more vulnerable to depletion.  

How to fix a damaged skin barrier

The good news is that our skin is a regenerative organ and has the propensity to heal - with a little help from the right skincare! There are 3 basic things to remember:

1. Use the right ingredients;
2. Avoid active ingredients, exfoliants and any potentially irritating ingredients; and
3. Keep it simple.

Let me elaborate. 

Ingredients to use: 

The best way to help your skin barrier heal is to apply occlusive, moisture-rich skincare, with lots of fatty acids. Examples of some great ingredients are shea butter, ceramides, sunflower seed oil, marula oil and squalane. This type of skincare helps mimic a healthy skin barrier, allowing your skin to heal underneath (much like applying a band-aid can help a wound heal). It can be daunting for those of us who stay away from these type of skincare products because we usually have oily or acne-prone skin, but stay the course! 

The other side to it is using anti-inflammatory ingredients. We're talking panthenol (vitamin B5), cica (centella asiatica), allantoin and oatmeal. This helps calm redness and quells any potential irritations (and also helps with acne). Lastly, ALWAYS apply an SPF. Sun damage makes it all worse and could even be the reason why your barrier was depleted in the first place.

 Ingredients/skincare to avoid: 

These aren't bad or incorrect ingredients, mind you, but just not right for the time being. Without a functioning skin barrier, they could overly-irritate your skin while it's already in a vulnerable position. Avoid;

• Active ingredients (retinol, peptides, acids, vitamin C etc);
• Niacinamide above 2% (niacinamide or vitamin B3 can be soothing, but concentrations above 2% can irritate sensitised skin);
• Exfoliants (both chemical/acid exfoliants and physical scrubs);
• Serums and ampoules as they are usually highly concentrated;
• Added fragrances and essential oils - these don't damage the skin, but healing a barrier is all about sticking to only the very necessary ingredients and avoiding the fillers; and
• Drying alcohols.

 Keeping it simple with a basic routine: 

Cleanse, tone, moisturise and during the day, SPF! Rinse and repeat. After a month and if it feels safe, you can introduce a serum or an essence. Remember:

• Cleanser: Use a simple, low-pH (5.5) cleanser. Dilute it with water and just apply to your skin for around 10 seconds without rubbing before gently rinsing off in lukewarm water. This will ensure your skin doesn't dry out unnecessarily. Some top shelf gentle cleansers include Some By Mi's Beta Panthenol Repair Gel Cleanser (for aged, sunburnt or persistently dry skin), AXIS-Y's Quinoa One-Step Balanced Gel Cleanser (for dehydrated skin), the COSRX Low pH Good Morning Cleanser (for acne-prone skin) or the SVR Topialyse Body Cleanser for a reliable (and good value) all-rounder. Avoid using hot water on your skin, or rubbing your face excessively! And most importantly, don't dry your face bone dry with a towel afterwards; leave it damp for your toner.
• Toner: A simple, hydrating and cica/panthenol-packed toner to soothe and fix some of the water loss in your skin is key here. Just pat it on with clean fingers, wait until it's almost dry and apply another layer. Apply about 4-7 layers in total (yes, really). This really helps with dehydration and redness. Part of the challenge with a compromised skin barrier is that your skin can't trap in water like it used to, making it look more sallow and less plump. This layering step goes a long way to improving on this. When i've been lazy and only applied 1-2 layers, it either takes a lot longer for my skin to heal, or the irritation just doesn't cease. My absolute favourite (tried, tested and proven) is the TIA'M Vita B5 Toner. But the Purito Centella Unscented Toner, Klairs' Supple Preparation Tonerand the Anua Heartleaf 77 Toner are all excellent as well.
• Moisturiser: Your moisturiser should have enough ceramides and fatty acids to mimic a healthy skin barrier, allowing your skin to help heal underneath. This is important. Some solid options are SVR's Barrier Cream, Purito's Dermide Cica Barrier Sleeping Pack, the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream, Rovectin's Anti-irritant Barrier Repair Ultra Cream (specifically developed for skin undergoing chemo) and Etude House's Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream. If you feel like your skin is still dry after a moisturiser, you can always apply a facial oil on top like a Marula Oilor Squalane, to lock in your moisturiser. If you don't like the greasy feeling of an oil, a skin balm does the same job! 

And finally...apply your SPF. Re-apply until you die, that's the motto! UV exposure not only causes skin barrier damage, but your skin is more vulnerable to burns and UV damage while your barrier is compromised. 

How long does it take for a damaged skin barrier to heal?

Depending on what state its in and how consistent you are with treatment, a damaged skin barrier can heal in as little as 2 months. If your barrier is damaged in one spot (after a big cystic pimple pushed through), it can heal even faster. But even after your skin feels good, keep applying your good, honest and basic skincare for a good month afterwards before introducing more active ingredients, just to make sure it has healed properly. Times can vary, obviously. After doing an 8 hour hike in the sun after a laser facial (what was wrong with me), my skin barrier was so destroyed, it took around 6 months of gentle care to get it back on track! Not to mention my skin was acne-prone and I couldn't ever remember a time when i HADN'T used ingredients like high-strength niacinamide or salicylic acid in my routine. But they were all kept on the back burner for a long time, until my skin felt conclusively better. Through the journey (and yes, it is a journey), I also learned that there are some ingredients that my skin just doesn't rock with as I've gotten older. Benzoyl peroxide, laser facials, AHAs and abrasive scrubs are the quickest way to send me back to red-and-bumpy land. And that's coming from someone that used to LOVE a good AHA peel! It'll be different for everyone. On the flip side, I've discovered that my skin absolutely shines with centella and panthenol - and can handle retinol way better than I thought. Ultimately, be kind to your skin, and feed it the ingredients that it wants - none that it doesn't.

FAQs

Q: Should I stop using retinol if my skin barrier is damaged?

A: You should stop using retinol if your skin barrier is damaged. Retinol is an active ingredient, and works by speeding up skin cell turnover. When your skin barrier is compromised, retinol is more likely to trigger redness, dryness, inflammation and irritation - offsetting its benefits. Retinol, just like any other active ingredient, yields the best results on a healthy skin barrier.

Q: Can a damaged skin barrier repair itself?

A: Our skin is a resilient organ. A damaged skin barrier can repair itself over time, especially if the damage is mild. But moderate to severe cases usually need some help with the right skincare, to allow the skin to heal. It's like a band-aid - most scratches heal on their own, but our skin heals faster with a plaster on top preventing infection and further damage!

Q: Should I stop exfoliating if my skin barrier is damaged?

A: If there's one thing you shouldn't do when your skin barrier is damaged it's exfoliate. Give the exfoliation a break while your skin barrier heals, otherwise you risk exfoliating the skin and lipid cells that make up your barrier! Cue more inflammation and delayed healing.

Q: What products repair skin barriers?

A: More than what products repair skin barriers, it's really about the ingredients in these products. We go through some of them above, like panthenol, cica and ceramides, including which products do a stellar job on various skin types. Other great ingredients worth a try are green tea, propolis (which is also anti-microbial an anti-bacterial for acne-prone skin), snail mucin and heartleaf.

Q: Why won't my skin barrier heal?

A: Are you being consistent with your barrier-repairing routine? Does your skin need more hydration, or more occlusive skincare? Are you spending too much time in the sun? Or are you trying active ingredients too soon? Normally, it takes just a bit of tweaking of your skincare routine, and finding the right products/ingredients to help speed up the repair.

Some people find that good old hyaluronic acid and anti-inflammatory tea-tree (usually two ingredients that are good for a comprised barrier) can set them off when their skin is feeling vulnerable. Environmental factors can also interfere with healing: dry and air conditioned climates tend to evaporate moisture on the skin faster. Try a dehumidifier, and a satin/silk pillowcase to minimise friction. Avoid rubbing or tugging at your skin while washing your face, and use lukewarm/cool water.

Q: Can a skin barrier be permanently damaged?

A: Our skin is a living, breathing organ that is programmed to repair itself. So the good news is, that it is pretty difficult to permanently damage your skin barrier. It can also make a great recovery after prolonged chemotherapy, and heal wonderfully following wounds and surgical incisions. Sometimes a hidden allergy or a certain medication can maintain a skin barrier in a compromised state: if you have concerns, consult your GP or dermatologist.

Q: Does skin barrier get worse before better?

A: It isn't a rule that the skin barrier gets worse before it gets better, but any kind of recovery is never linear, and it may well appear that way sometimes. Deeper breakouts and redness when you start your recovery routine may be indicative of something that was already bubbling beneath your skin's surface anyway. Just be consistent with your routine, and switch out any ingredients that could potentially be making your skin worse in its delicate state. You should feel the improvement week-on-week (rather than minute-on-minute!).

Q: How do I know if my skin barrier is purging or damaged?

A: Honestly, it can be hard to know if your skin barrier is damaged, if you are reacting/purging to something because your skin barrier is damaged, or if you're just getting a good old breakout/reaction. It all kind of looks the same. But a damaged skin barrier will quickly make itself known by becoming quickly dry, red, irritated, and intolerable of skincare products it previously loved.