If you want to improve your skin, you have to improve your skin barrier. It’s that simple. But don’t worry if you haven’t heard much about it until now. Even most of the people I treat at The Acne & Eczema Clinic haven’t heard about it - yet, it’s the basis of their problems!
Our skin barriers are often overlooked in skin treatments, yet they’re possibly one of the most important parts of achieving a glowing, clear complexion.
Why is a healthy skin barrier so important? It plays a vital role in skin function and healing. Our skin barrier protects the surface + deeper skin layers from infection, as well as regulating sebum production for hydrated and nourished skin. It also helps keep the skin at a healthy pH which allows natural exfoliation to occur.
When we apply really strong and irritating items to the skin, the skin barrier suffers and a problem usually surfaces in its place over time as the damage becomes worse and worse.
One thing that I’ve heard more than once in my clinic is women using alcohol swabs on their face to control sebum and actives. Alcohol at the concentration that's in an alcohol swab is incredibly stripping, and also kills all the bacteria on our face (some of which is good and helpful), creating further irritation to already irritated skin. Alcohol is a problematic ingredient in many spot treatments, as it's in a high concentration to strip the oil from the problem area.
Others use spot treatments that don’t really help anything at all, and are full of ingredients that impair the barrier.
Protecting your barrier in the long-term means steering clear of harsh, stripping topical skincare products (ahem, acne-formulated products on the chemist shelves) and choosing natural, botanical-based products that gently nurture the skin.
That’s why I added all the hero ingredients in our Regulate range, designed for oily and blemish-prone skin, into one best-friend product for those still getting actives. It actually helps improve healing time, and minimises redness and hyperpigmentation, without compromising your barrier.
