Barrier Security
Our skin ages as we age. Right? Experts tell us that in order to understand the skin ageing process, we need to look at the outermost layer - the stratum corneum - the vital front-line defence that guards and protects our skin. Much like a personal security guard, when working effectively the barrier prevents potential toxins from entering the skin cell, while also protecting what lies within.
If our skin is dull and weak then chemicals can penetrate more easily causing possible inflammation resulting in skin sensitivity and other issues. What’s more, now that masks have become a staple in our daily life, the job of our skin barrier has become ever more difficult.
Weakened Barrier
I have written about the importance of protecting our skin barrier many times and also included specific barrier boosting advice in my latest book GLOW: Your Complete Four Week Plan for Healthy Radiant Skin (available from leading bookstores and on line) but as the world of skincare is progressing so rapidly, here’s a brief update on skin-barrier boosting ingredients.
According to pharmacist Shabir Daya at my online resource Victoria Health, “when we’re younger the outer layers of skin are replaced roughly every 40 days, but by the time we reach our fifties, it takes roughly 50 percent longer. To make matters worse, the amount of ceramides and other lipids that hold the skin’s barrier in place and prevent moisture loss and damage is reduced. This results in the loss of moisture and the weakened barrier can affect the deeper layers where collagen and elastin production occur.”
Hydration
Murad’s Vit C barrier security
“Ultimately it’s about hydration,” adds Dr Howard Murad, Board Certified Dermatologist and founder of Murad Skincare explains. “We’re born with a body composed of 75% water, yet die with closer to 0%; we dry up as we get older. Plus generally, the whiter or paler the skin, the thinner the barrier, which means you're more prone to rashes, redness and irritation."
This said, we also know that when the skin barrier is working well, it retains water more effectively, maintaining better hydration balance, resilience and overall radiance. As this delicate defence thins overnight, it can lead to increased water evaporation while we sleep and skin feeling parched on rising. Hence the benefits of using a night cream or nourishing face oil that locks moisture into the skin through the night. Acutely aware of just how precious our skin’s barrier is Murad has a few suitable products including the Vita-C Glycolic Brightening Serum and the Retinol Youth Renewal System.
Lecithin
Otherwise known as phosphatidylcholine, lecithin is a phospholipid molecule essential for healthy cell membranes throughout the body. Lecithin helps maintain a healthy active skin barrier that locks water in to hydrate the deeper layers of the skin. Put simply, sufficient lecithin can make the difference between soft, plump skin and skin that is dull and lifeless. The majority of nutrients found in lecithin are stored in the form of choline (a softening and soothing agent), which the body can only produce in limited quantities, so must be topped up through our diet. Choline is often added to products designed for mature, dry or overworked skin, but is best availed of when taken through food.
I have long advocated the benefits of eggs in a healthy skincentric diet and egg yolks are amongst the best sources of lecithin. Some experts attest that washing your face with egg yolk can help stimulate skin turnover. To do this, simply apply lightly beaten egg yolk over the face with a cotton pad (after removing make up), avoiding the eye area. Leave in place for about 5 minutes before rinsing off with tepid water.
Edamame beans and pomegranate seeds (both of which feature extensively in my GLOW book recipe section) are rich in choline as is sunflower lecithin which is widely available in health food stores. With no harsh aftertaste and extracted more naturally than other varieties, it can be added to juices and smoothies without affecting the flavour.
Linoleic acid, an essential omega 6 fatty acid found in safflower and sunflower oil amongst other sources also helps repair barrier function and is an effective moisturising agent too.
Niacinamide
GOW’s barrier protecting & skin loving Niacinamide Serum
Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, is converted into niacinamide which helps in the manufacture of enzymes that release cellular energy and break down fats in the body.
Niacinamide also boosts ceramide production in the skin thereby improving lipid barrier function and the skin’s ability to protect itself. Daya recommends the Garden of Wisdom Niacinamide Serum, a lightweight serum designed to penetrate skin effectively to soften and regulate sebum (oil) activity in the skin, while also enhancing the skin’s barrier function.
Some added advice……
Keep it simple
These words have become my skincare mantra as so many of us try too hard, using far too many products and steps, to achieve that elusive GLOW. Just cull unnecessary steps and products - I have written extensively on this both in my book and on this blog.
Be Kind
Irene Forte’s divine Almond Face Scrub
My other mantra - both for my skin and my life in general! Unless you want to erase your skin barrier completely (that is what many of the harsher products on the market will do) reduce physical exfoliation and harsh aggressive scrubs and exfoliants NOW. This is a real bug bearer for me as so many well intentioned people are inadvertently destroying their skin by over zealous exfoliating and scrubbing, and the older I grow, the more I realise that being kind to my skin is what truly brings on the glow (see here for more).
I’m a fan of a good skin clean, but I now use gentler and kinder products. I love what Irene Forte is doing with her eponymous skincare range (review here), inspired by the long held benefits of the Mediterranean Diet with many of the ingredients sourced from the family farm in Verdura, Sicily (if not there the elsewhere on the Med from what I gather). One of my favourites from the range is the gentle, yet super refreshing, Almond Face Scrub, overflowing with fine almond and hazelnut granules to gently remove dead skin cells, omega-rich olive oil, avocado and shea to protect and condition the natural barrier and Aloe Leaf Juice and Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate and soothe.
Just try it!
Cool down
Using very hot water to rinse the skin can burn and strip the skin. Always use tepid water.
Stress Less
Stress has been shown to affect the skin’s ability to heal itself and to impair barrier recovery. Reducing daily stress is easier said than done in our pandemic world but there are so much advice and guidance on hand now. In my experience it’s about slowing doing, resting more and finding some joy in our lives – seems a little alien to many of us on always-on mode (myself included but I am trying!). Let’s hope the past few months have taught us something about what really matters in life.
Nurture your microbiome
In essence, all of the above is about nurturing and protecting our skin’s microbiome, home to millions of microorganisms that act as the body’s primary defence from the outside world. The key to skin health (and our health at large) lies in nourishing these good bacteria so they continue to thrive and outnumber those not-so-great varieties. My GLOW book is packed with advice and simple recipes to help your microbiome thrive.