Social media can have a significant impact on people’s skincare habits, and not necessarily in an effective way. Our feeds are constantly flooded with the latest skincare hacks.
From skin-fluencers, dermatologists, to every-day people with a large following, it seems there is a new sense of ‘FOMO’ to jump on and try the newest skincare hack to either;
(a) have your own content to post about your experience with said hack OR,
(b) in the hopes of creating the healthiest skin of your life.
In reality, we should all know by now that healthy skin is not a trend. Healthy skin is about caring for and nourishing your skins barrier. Healthy skin is about a consistent, simple and gentle skincare regime, with the right products for your skin type and concern. Layered in with an overall holistic approach.
Here are examples with how social media can be contributing to your compromised skin barrier.
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Over-Exfoliating: Many skincare enthusiasts promote frequent use of exfoliating acids, scrubs, and devices.
Over-exfoliation strips away the skin's natural oils and weakens the protective barrier, leading to irritation, dryness, redness, and increased sensitivity. -
Overuse of Active Ingredients: Social media often glorifies the use of potent active ingredients like retinoids, high-strength AHAs/BHAs, and strong vitamin C serums, with little regard for skin type or tolerance levels.
Excessive use of these ingredients can disrupt the skin barrier, causing peeling, burning, and chronic irritation. -
Unverified Skincare Hacks and DIY Remedies for Sensitive Skin Concerns: TikTok and Instagram are rife with DIY skincare hacks, such as using lemon juice, baking soda, apple cider vinegar, Head and Shoulder as a cleanser or toothpaste as spot treatments. These ingredients are often too harsh and can disrupt the skin’s pH and barrier function.
These methods can lead to chemical burns, irritation, and long-term damage to the skin barrier. -
Layering Too Many Products: 10-Step routines glamourised by celebrities can influence people to layer multiple products on their skin without understanding how they interact with each other.
Overloading the skin with products can lead to an ingredient-cocktail incompatibility, clogging pores, and compromising your skin barrier. -
Hyping Up the Latest Viral Skincare Product
Social media creates a sense of urgency to try the latest skincare products, even if they are not suitable for an individual's skin type or concern.
Everyone’s skin is different. What works for someone may be the worst thing to apply to someone else’s skin.
As a rule of thumb, if it sounds too good to be true, your instinct is most likely right. By being mindful of these social media skincare trends and hacks, you could be saving your skin from slipping into a long term compromised skin barrier function or a skin condition that is worse off than before.
Worse still, you may create a new sensitive skin concern you have never experienced before.
Why It Is Important to Care for Your Skin Barrier?
Focusing on nourishing and strengthening your skin barrier is crucial for overall skin health because the skin barrier plays a significant role in maintaining the skin's integrity, hydration, and resilience against environmental stressors.
By prioritising the health of your skin barrier, you lay the foundation for overall skin health, ensuring that your skin remains hydrated, protected, and resilient.
- Barrier Function: The skin barrier acts as a shield, protecting the skin from harmful external factors like pollution, UV radiation, bacteria, and toxins. A healthy barrier prevents these aggressors from penetrating the skin, reducing the risk of infections, inflammation, and premature aging.
- Hydration Maintenance: The skin barrier helps retain moisture by preventing trans epidermal water loss. When the barrier is intact, the skin stays hydrated, soft, and supple. An impaired barrier, on the other hand, leads to dryness, flakiness, and irritation.
- Calms and Soothes: A strong skin barrier minimizes the likelihood of sensitivity and irritation by keeping potential irritants out. This is especially important for individuals with conditions like eczema, rosacea, or acne, where barrier dysfunction can exacerbate symptoms.
- Foundation for Resilience and Healing: Many skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, and dermatitis, are linked to a compromised barrier. Focusing on barrier repair can enhance the skin's ability to respond to treatments, reduce inflammation, and speed up the healing process.
- Better Absorption: A healthy barrier allows skincare products to work more effectively. When the barrier is compromised, active ingredients may either penetrate too deeply and cause irritation or fail to absorb properly, reducing their effectiveness.
- Anti-Aging Benefits: A compromised barrier can lead to increased exposure to environmental stressors like UV rays and pollutants, which accelerate the breakdown of collagen and elastin. By maintaining a strong barrier, you can help protect your skin from these aging factors, preserving its youthful appearance.
How to Protect Your Skin Barrier
- Simplify Your Routine: Stick to a basic routine that includes cleansing, moisturising, and sunscreen, with the occasional use of targeted treatments as needed.
- Use Gentle Cleansers: Avoid harsh cleansers that strip the skin of its natural oils. Opt for gentle, hydrating cleansers that maintain the skin’s pH balance.
- Incorporate Barrier-Repair Ingredients: Look for products containing ceramides, fatty acids, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid, which are all known for their barrier-strengthening properties.
- Avoid Over-Exfoliation: Limit over-exfoliation to avoid damaging the skin barrier. Choose mild exfoliants and use them sparingly.
- Moisturise Regularly: Daily moisturising is essential for maintaining your skin barrier, especially after cleansing and exfoliation.
- Protect with Sunscreen: Always use sunscreen to protect your skin barrier from UV damage, which can compromise its function.
- Be Critical of Trends: Evaluate skincare trends critically and consider whether they are appropriate for your skin type and needs.
- Listen to Your Skin: Pay attention to how your skin reacts to products and adjust your routine accordingly.
- Consult Professionals: Seek advice from certified skincare professionals rather than relying solely on social media for guidance.
Ingredients that Strengthen Your Skin Barrier
Repairing and balancing your skin's barrier is crucial for maintaining healthy skin, especially when dealing with conditions like perioral dermatitis. Here are the best ingredients that can help restore and strengthen your skin’s barrier:
- Ceramides: They help to lock in moisture improving skin hydration and protect the skin from environmental damage and irritants.
- Niacinamide (Vitamin B3): Niacinamide helps to strengthen the skin barrier, reduce inflammation, and improve the skin's ability to retain moisture. It also helps regulate oil production and can improve the appearance of enlarged pores.
- Hyaluronic Acid: Hyaluronic acid is a powerful humectant that attracts and retains moisture in the skin, which is vital for maintaining a healthy barrier. It can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, making it incredibly effective at hydrating the skin.
- Glycerine: Glycerine is a humectant that attracts water to the skin, helping to maintain hydration and strengthen the skin barrier.
- Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5): Panthenol is a moisturising and soothing agent that helps to repair and protect the skin barrier. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that can calm irritated skin.
- Allantoin: Allantoin is a soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredient that promotes skin healing and barrier repair. It helps to soften and protect the skin while improving hydration.
- Oat Extract (Colloidal Oatmeal): Oat extract is known for its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to calm irritated skin, repair the skin barrier, and provide moisture.
- Topical Probiotics: Topical probiotics (the hero ingredient in AMPERNA®'s skincare range) help balance the skin microbiome, reduce inflammation, enhance skin hydration, reduce sensitivity and strengthen the skins protective layer.
By incorporating these ingredients into your skincare routine, you can help repair and maintain a healthy skin barrier, leading to a more resilient and balanced complexion.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Before introducing new skincare products, perform a patch test to ensure they do not irritate your skin.
Patience and consistency is key. Healthy skin does not happen overnight. Stick to a regular skincare routine to see the best results over time.
You can reach out to the AMPERNA® team for information about our range at info@amperna.com
