Are you unknowingly damaging your skin barrier? Here are the signs to look out for and 8 ways to repair it

Throwback to when you were piling on skincare products and trying out everything you could get your hands on but still not achieving your desired outcome of “the perfect skin”.

We didn’t realise it then, but we were doing more to damage our skin barrier than we were to replenish it to its healthiest state! For the longest time, we were splurging on what’s viral instead of what our skin actually needs (and some of us are guilty of still doing it!).

A couple of years back, the average person didn’t know what the skin barrier was. Now, especially with the help of TikTok and Gen Z beauty consumers, the raging topic of skin barriers has become mainstream and a norm.

The hashtag #skinbarrier has 117.5 million views on TikTok, while #skinbarrierrepair has 129.5 million views. So, what are the signs and how can we manoeuvre around healing our skin barriers?

Why is the skin barrier important?

Often described as a brick wall, an “acid mantle”, or a “moisture barrier”, the skin barrier is the outermost layer of the skin (a.k.a the epidermis).

It’s like a guard or bouncer at the door, ensuring that only those who are approved may enter the space. The skin barrier keeps all the good stuff we want in and protects the internal body by keeping out the bad stuff (like pollution, harmful chemicals, and ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure).

And like how the waiters or bartenders ensure our glasses are never empty, the skin barrier holds onto natural moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss.

When your skin barrier lacks water, your skin loses its elasticity and ends up looking dry, rough, and flaky. Without enough hydration, the skin barrier won’t be intact and much like holes in a brick wall, your skin will be left vulnerable to all sorts of external or environmental damage.

The secret to healthy, glowing, functioning skin, if you haven’t guessed yet, is a healthy skin barrier!

Signs you’re damaging your skin barrier

If you notice how you’re experiencing issues with your skin, it’s likely that your skin barrier has been compromised and isn’t functioning properly.

Some telltale signs include acne, itchiness, infections, irritation, inflammation, dullness, hyperpigmentation, rough patches, tenderness or sensitivity, dry and scaly or flaky skin, stinging when applying skincare products, and skin conditions like rosacea and eczema worsening.

At times, the things you do or don’t do can also result in a damaged skin barrier, such as not moisturising, over-washing, over-exfoliating, or using harsh chemicals or soaps.

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hang in there dry skin friends!! #skincare #dryskin #damagedskinbarrier

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Using the right skincare product matters gravely too, as you may not be aware of how your cleanser is stripping your skin barrier of its natural necessary oils.

Other factors that contribute to a damaged skin barrier are stress, smoking, pollution, UV radiation, lack of sleep, and a nutrient-light diet.

How to achieve a healthy skin barrier

The Moisturizers Co.: skincare made to repair your skin barrier

Amidst all the buzz of barrier-repairing solutions, especially tons of TikTok videos giving tips and advice on healing skin barriers, is homegrown skincare brand The Moisturizers Co.

With a number of award-winning products in its skincare repertoire, this vegan and cruelty-free brand offers products that target the root cause of compromised, sensitised skin.

This is done through ingenious, sophisticated formulations that accelerate the repair of damaged skin without over-moisturising.

That means, instead of ending up with breakouts, oily skin, and clogged pores, you get bottles of soothing, luscious, and clinically-proven skin treats that nourish your skin barrier!

If you’re a busy, modern woman who faces trouble in keeping up with calm and healthy skin, this brand’s range of barrier-restoring products is the perfect tool you need to effortlessly get the best version of your skin.

After all, the key essentials to achieving healthy, functioning skin for any skin type are high-grade, barrier-restoring ingredients which The Moisturizers Co. provides.

Thereafter, once your skin functions optimally, it becomes increasingly efficient at absorbing all of your skincare products.

So with a healthy skin barrier, nothing will ever go to waste and you’ll really get a bang for your buck from investing in countless skincare products.

Prevent cell damage with the Glow Renew Soothing Toner

Sure, some toners clear our faces of excess sebum, but they also end up drying our skin out or causing inflammation. That’s not the case with The Moisturizers Co.’s toner!

This multi-targeted formula prevents cell damage, provides intense hydration, and helps to soothe redness and irritation with beta-glucans which is proven in studies to be 20% more hydrating than hyaluronic acid at the same concentration.

The Glow Renew Soothing Toner also prevents moisture loss and comedones (small ‘bumps’) while plumping and firming fine lines and wrinkles. You’ll be left with a clearer, smoother, and well-conditioned complexion.

After cleansing your face, the best way to use the toner is with a cotton pad and when it’s wiped on the entire face and neck.

The Moisturizers Co. Glow Renew Soothing Toner retails for S$45 at Shopee.

Give your skin a needed boost with the PURE+ Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Another way to fix your skin barrier is to give your compromised skin a boost by quickly increasing the skin’s moisture levels with high-grade hyaluronic acid.

This best-selling product lends you all-day hydration without over-moisturising and is supercharged with proprietary skin-boosting technology — assisting your skin in fully absorbing and maximising the moisturisers that follow after.

With a lightweight and refreshing gel texture, the PURE+ Hyaluronic Acid Serum is also further fortified with six barrier-restoring ingredients like soothing aloe, healing bulgarian rose extracts, anti-inflammatory centella asiatica, and more.

These key ingredients can help to strengthen your skin barrier by binding water to collagen and trapping it within the skin, resulting in a dewier, plumper-looking, and more hydrated visage!

The Moisturizers Co. PURE+ Hyaluronic Acid Serum retails for S$85 at Shopee.

Achieve an even, radiant complexion with the ⁣⁣Alpha Arbutin Resurfacing Moisturizer

This oil-free hydrator is made with stabilised vitamin C, natural fruit acids, and the remarkable skin brightener alpha arbutin.

All of these antioxidants help to resurface your skin texture, amplify collagen production, and fade scars and pigmentation left behind by breakouts or sun damage.

The vitamin C, which is stabilised to enhance its efficacy, offers additional anti-ageing, skin-plumping, and smoothing hydration for radiant and youthful-looking skin.

It also contains powerful barrier-restoring ingredients that are known to enhance the production of your skin’s barrier lipids (natural oils) and reduce dryness. Some of these ingredients are cucumber, chamomile, glycerin, sodium PCA, and hyaluronic acid.

Also super lightweight and almost with a serum’s texture, this moisturiser is easily absorbed into the skin and is non-acnegenic, which means it’s specially designed to not cause breakouts for acne-prone skin.

The Moisturizers Co. Alpha Arbutin Resurfacing Moisturizer retails for S$75 at Shopee.

Calm and repair sensitised skin with the Ultra Moisturizing Repair Gel

Also known as The Moisturizers Co.’s best-selling moisturiser, this gentle moisturiser is free from fragrance and common skin irritants. It’s also specifically made with hydrating and soothing ingredients that can also provide anti-ageing benefits.

To help soothe irritated skin, the Ultra Moisturizing Repair Gel is supported by five impressive ingredients: calendula from English Marigold with skin regenerative properties; soothing and hydrating chamomile flower extracts; vitamin K to repair dry, damaged skin; burdock root to improve irritated skin conditions; and moisture replenishing allantoin.

The powerhouse allantoin also aids in increasing cells’ water content which results in supple skin and promotes cell healing and longevity.

The Moisturizers Co. Ultra Moisturizing Repair Gel retails for S$55 at Shopee.

Activate your skin’s ability to self-repair with the Lipid Renew Recovery Cream

Formulated with a concentration of lipids, ceramides, and ceramide precursors, this water-based gel cream has a unique complex that plays a crucial role in strengthening the structure and lipid barrier of the skin.

Additionally, the Lipid Renew Recovery Cream also prevents moisture loss, promotes natural cell repair, and protects the skin from irritants and environmental stressors.

Highly recommended for ultra-sensitive skin or skin with rosacea, this recovery cream is free from 14 skin stressors such as retinol, alcohol, parabens, silicones, GMO, sulfates, harsh exfoliants, beta-hydroxy acids, soy, wheat, gluten, tree nuts, fragrances, and essential oils.

This product is also a favourite of both models and entrepreneurs Wishlyn Wong and Vahbiz Chinoy. Wishlyn, who has been named one of the ‘Top 10 Face of Asia’, says her skin “now glows with radiance”. Meanwhile, Vahbiz noted how the cream melts beautifully into her skin and gives her “soft and supple” skin.

With this barrier-repairing cream in hand, your skin’s innate ability to self-repair and renew will be stimulated to provide you with firmer, smoother, and younger skin!

The Moisturizers Co. Lipid Renew Recovery Cream retails for S$65 at Shopee.

Stimulate your collagen levels with the Cell Renewal Collagen Enhancing Cream

The Cell Renewal Collagen Enhancing Cream is The Moisturizers Co.’s second-best-selling moisturiser.

It’s composed of black mulberry (resveratrol), which is a renowned and powerful antioxidant to prevent the first signs of ageing by stimulating and enhancing collagen overnight.

Similar to the Lipid Renew Recovery Cream, this cream also activates your skin’s inherent capability to self-renew.

The Moisturizers Co. Cell Renewal Collagen Enhancing Cream retails for S$60 at Shopee.

Improve your skin texture with the Ultra Pore Refining Anti-Blemish Cream

This cleverly formulated cream contains superior, tried-and-true ingredients to tighten pores, prevent blemishes, and boost collagen production.

This milky, non-greasy, and gel-based moisturiser also has barrier-restoring niacinamide which controls oil production to prevent clogged and enlarged pores while boosting the skin’s lipid barrier.

The Ultra Pore Refining Anti-Blemish Cream will restore your damaged skin barrier and increase its resiliency with the help of ingredients like lecithin, glycerin, and squalane by creating a barrier on your skin to effectively seal moisture in.

The Moisturizers Co. Ultra Pore Refining Anti-Blemish Cream retails for S$55 at Shopee.

Illuminate your eyes with the Restorative Eye Therapy with Peptides Complex

When it comes to a healthy skin barrier, the area under your eyes can’t be neglected either! The Moisturizers Co.’s all-rounder eye cream is clinically proven to combat dark circles, eye bags, and loss of volume.

Plus, it’s free from occlusive ingredients. That means your delicate eye contour will stay moisturised and your pores won’t be clogged which can lead to milia seeds around the eyes.

The Restorative Eye Therapy with Peptides Complex’s formula is also reinforced with barrier-restoring ingredients such as glycerin, squalane, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid.

These aid in softening the skin, attracting moisture in skin cells, and protecting the skin’s collagen for plumper and enlightened eyes.

Where to buy the best skincare products from The Moisturizers Co.

All of The Moisturizers Co.’s barrier-repairing skincare products feature extremely delicate and lightweight textures that are safe for sensitive skin types.

Jam-packed with soothing, barrier-repairing ingredients, their range of expertly formulated skincare will help treat every compromised skin need while allowing your skin to stay calm and recharged at the end of a long, hectic day.

The Moisturizers Co.’s single product prices retail from S$45 to S$88 at themoisturizers.co and Shopee. There are also Skin Booster Sets and Multi-Moisturizing Skin Sets to indulge in.

This article is brought to you by The Moisturizers Co.

Feature image credit: @themoisturizersco/Instagram, @hkjennylee/TikTok