I posted an article previously that discuss my damaged skin barrier and how I fix it. This article I will unfold my skincare routine and I hope that this will help you to heal your skin barrier.
Skin Care Products for Damaged Skin Barrier
Using mild and effective skin care products are crucial in repairing your skin care barrier. Forget about brightening or blemish control skin care products as they won’t help to heal your skin. You can go back to your skin brightening or blemish control routine after your skin barrier is recovered. Just go back to basics for now. The simplest skin care routine is the one that will help your skin to heal in the shortest time. Provide your skin with plenty of hydration to help repair your skin.
Skip the skin care products that contain:
- retinol
- vitamin C
- salicylic acid
- sodium laureth sulfate
- alcohol
Focus on these skin care products instead.
- hydrating and moisturizing skin care products
- repairing skin care products
- anti-inflammatory & anti-bacterial skin care products
- skin soothing skin care products
Morning Routine
Let’s start with skincare routine for day time. I like to keep my skin feel clean and refresh throughout the day. So, I’ll use products that are lightweight yet moisturizing.
Cleansing
I normally don’t use a face cleanser in the morning. My skin is very dry and dehydrated, so I never wake up with a greasy face. I will just use plenty of water splash on my skin and wipe them off. Get a mild and gentle face cleanser that won’t strip off skin’s moisture, if you need to clean your face in the morning. Wash your face gently with a circular motion, then wash it off with plenty of water.
Toner
Next, I’ll continue with an anti-inflammatory toner like this one. This one does not contain alcohol and it’s natural soothing. Using an anti-inflammatory toner will reduce redness and soothe inflamed skin. You can pour on a cotton pad or into your palms and gently pat on your skin until it’s fully absorbed. Your skin is tone, feeling calm and healthy.
Serum
Third, apply some repairing serum on your skin. Repairing serum replenishes skin and aid skin to repair itself. Use one or two pumps and evenly distribute on your face and massage into your skin.
Eye Care
Follow up with a moisturizing eye cream, you can use any eye cream that works for your eyes. I personally love Kiehl’s one because it delivers all the results that the brand claimed. Moreover, it has a light-weight texture that makes my eye area feel supple and youthful.
Moisturizer
Then, apply your moisturizer to bind all the nutrients into your skin. Choose a moisturizer that is packed with moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acids, ceramides, and fatty acids. In addition, you can also use facial oil like argan oil and marula oil. These facial oils are effective emollients that seal all the moisture into your skin.
Sunscreen
Last but not least, don’t forget to protect your skin by applying some sunscreen on top of your skin. Sunscreen gives you basic protection from UV rays and prevents premature aging. Thus, you should never skip your sunscreen even you stay indoors or on a cloudy day. If your skin is feeling really sensitive and itchy, protect your skin with accessories like a hat, sunglasses, and umbrella.
Night Routine
Makeup Remover
It’s best not to apply any makeup when your skin barrier becomes impaired. If you really have to apply makeup, use cleansing milk or cleansing oil to remove your makeup. Both of these makeup removers have a rich and creamy texture allow you to remove your makeup gently without rubbing and tugging your skin too much.
Cleansing
Next, clean your face thoroughly with a mild and pH balanced cleanser. Using the right cleanser for your skin is extremely important when your skin barrier is damaged. A harsh soap-based cleanser will strip off your skin’s moisture and irritate your skin.
Toner
Then, apply a hydrating toner. We want our skin to be hydrated as much as it could be. Pour some toners into your palm and gently pat and press the toner into your skin. Repeat this step at least three times. As a result, your skin is feeling more hydrated and ready for your next skin care products.
Serum
After you tone your skin, apply two pumps of repairing serum on your face. Make sure it’s fully absorbed before you proceed to the next step.
Eye Care
I like to use an eye cream that will depuff and minimize dark circle at night. Use your ring finger and lightly dab the eye cream around your eye area and let it work its magic throughout the night. The skin around your eyes is very delicate, so make sure you apply your eye cream very gently.
Moisturizer
Finally, apply a thick layer of moisturizer to complete your night skincare routine. Yes, a generous amount of moisturizer. Let me tell you why. When your skin barrier’s function is compromised, it does not hold the moisture very well. Hence, your skin is constantly feeling dehydrated and dry. So, apply a thick layer of moisturizer will help protect and prevent moisture loss from your skin. Keep in mind to use a moisturizer that is rich in texture but not to clog your pores.
Can skin barrier be permanently damaged?
It’s very unlikely that your skin barrier to be damaged permanently. It takes a lot to damage your skin barrier as your skin cells will regenerate and heal themselves. The recovery speed for each individual might be different. But, as long as you take care and prevent further damage your skin, your skin will slowly heal.
Can you exfoliate your skin when your skin barrier is damaged?
It’s best not to scrub or exfoliate your skin when your skin is at the state of recovering. We know exfoliating your skin and get rid of dead skin cells is important to your skin. But it’s best to take a break from exfoliation and let your skin to heal and recover until your skin barrier is back to function again.
If you really think exfoliation is essential, we recommend you use a gentle chemical exfoliation than a mechanical one. Mechanical exfoliation can be harsh to the skin because it involves physical acts to remove dead skin cells such as face scrub and dry brushing. No matter you are using chemical or mechanical exfoliation, you should exfoliate your skin once weekly, not more than that.
Skin Care Tips to Heal Your Skin Barrier
Avoid Cleansing Brush
Ditch your expensive cleansing brush aside. A cleansing brush especially the one with rotating motion will hurt your skin. I’ve tried a couple of cleansing device for the past few years. I found out that a cleansing brush with a rotating motion always over cleanses my face. My face feels very smooth and soft whenever I use it. However, my skin will turn red and irritate if I use them continuously. The only cleansing device that’s gentle enough for me to use daily is Foreo Luna and my fingers.
Pat Your Face Dry
You should just use a towel and gently pat your face dry after you washed your face. Believe it or not, I don’t even pat or wipe my face with a towel. All I do is just place the towel on my face for a few secs, and let the towel absorb the excess water on my skin. As a result, you avoid rubbing and irritations on your skin.
Try not to use cotton pads
I don’t use cotton pads to avoid rubbing on my skin. I found that even with the high quality and soft cotton pads will cause redness and irritations to my damaged skin. With that being said, I also do not use makeup removers that require you to use a cotton pad. For example, micellar water. Cotton pads will not irritate your skin, but you have to be extremely cautious and gentle when you using one on your skin.
Bring an anti-inflammatory face mist with you
An anti-inflammatory toner will come in handy when your skin is feeling sensitive and itchy. It’s common to experience tight, itchy and redness on your skin when your skin barrier is damaged. Your skin defense system is offline, and you need to put on extra defense to protect your skin. Hence, an anti-inflammatory toner is your best friend. It will soothe your skin from inflammations and reduce redness. Just spray on your skin whenever you need it and blot off the excess with a tissue.
Stop Using Sheet Mask & Clay Mask
It’s best to stop using sheet mask and clay mask until your skin condition improved. Many sheet masks contain preservatives, alcohol, and fragrances that will trigger your skin and make your skin worse. On the other hand, clay masks are mostly used for deep clean and detox your skin which your skin does not need right now. We’d say unless you are sure about these masks are going to help improve your skin, or else it’s probably a good idea to stop using them for now.
