Camille Styles: Acaderma The Oasis seum strengthens the skin barrier and immediately reduces irritation.1
What is your skin barrier?
Dr. Hu gave me the medical what and why behind the skin barrier. According to her, “The outermost layer of your skin, or Stratum Corneum, serves as a protective shield that protects you from environmental stressors, irritation, and inflammation.”
She broke it down even further. “Think of your skin like a brick wall. Your skin is made up of ‘bricks’—the proteins from your skin cells—and is held together by ‘mortar’ which are lipids and fats that create a strong, healthy barrier.” To protect the foundation of our skin, we have to keep this lipid barrier healthy.
As a beauty founder, protecting the skin barrier is a big part of Gargiulo’s work. Her products work in tandem to support skin health, which starts at the skin barrier.
As she put it, the skin barrier is “there to do two things. To protect and to defend—keeping aggressors out, and defending your skin against things that could cause irritation. And then it is there to protect what is in your skin—mostly hydration. And so you need both sides of the coin to achieve your healthiest skin.”
Why is the skin barrier important?
For that coveted dewy glow, a healthy skin barrier is crucial. It’s your line of defense against dehydration and damage. According to Dr. Hu, “it is important to have a healthy skin barrier as its main function is to protect your skin and body from external aggressors such as toxins, chemicals, and allergens while simultaneously regulating and maintaining your body’s water levels. Without the skin barrier, your body would not be able to retain any water and you would be in a constant state of dehydration.”
How do you identify a damaged skin barrier?
But how do you know if your skin barrier is healthy? How can you tell if you have a damaged skin barrier?
Symptoms such as dryness, itching, and inflammation can be signs that there is a disturbance in your skin barrier. Beyond self-inflicted, exfoliation-related beauty faux pas, Dr. Hu lists of common causes, including:
- oxidative stress (free radicals)
- environmental factors such as UV radiation and pollution
- overexposure to blue light
But even the best skin barrier repair products can’t help if the problem is your lifestyle. According to Dr. Hu, these harmful lifestyle factors can include:
- high-sugar diets
- stress
- lack of quality sleep
- frequent use of harsh products and ingredients
- over-cleansing with solvents, detergents, perfumes, and other irritating chemicals
How do you heal a damaged skin barrier?
Ceramides (thick proteins in your skin) are the best of the best when it comes to superstar skin healers. “Ingredients like ceramides are essential and widely used to repair skin barriers by ‘filling’ gaps in your brick wall of cells,” recommends Dr. Hu.
Acaderma Oasis Barrier Booster
Acaderma’s soothing serum strengthens the skin barrier and immediately reduces irritation with immune-boosting beta-glucans that also help protect against oxidative stress.
