Ciao -
Skin care used to be one of the things that I dreaded the absolute most - so much time, so much effort, so many products with confusing labels and ingredients that didn't seem to work, and acne prone skin I could never seem to get ahead of. Dry skin, oily skin, broken out, unhappy skin. Think, ‘When you do your skin care but your skin doesn’t care’ kind of vibes.
I tried every product under the sun, wiped out every drugstore, used prescription creams from dermatologists, and even took oral antibiotics for (way too many) years. After little to no longterm success I finally sat myself down and dug deep into the internet to find root causes of my acne and skin issues (ps - dairy is NOT my friend).
Here’s the most valuable trick I learned that would have saved me so much effort not only for acne, but for every problematic skin issue - you must protect your skin barrier. Our skin is set up in a strategic layer system that allows each layer to preform different functions to keep itself healthy and happy. The outermost layer of skin is called the stratum corneum - which works as a barrier both internally and externally. The outer layer of skin works hard internally to keep the good stuff in and preventing trans epidermal water loss. This outer layer also protects from environmental toxins such as chemicals, bacteria, dirty air, allergens, etc.
A good example of our skin barrier is to use the analogy of oil over a smooth surface, such as olive oil on a skillet. The olive oil acts as a protectant and a lubrication on the skillet that prevents the skillet from being scratched and damaged. Rub too hard, use harsh soap, or scrub the oil away, and the skillet is left bare to be easily damaged.
Our skin is the same. Harsh, stripping face wash, overuse of exfoliants, harsh rubbing and skin pulling, lack of moisture and oils, and the skin barrier is damaged. Signs of a damaged skin barrier: very dry, cracked skin, OR especially endlessly oily but not moisturized, redness, skin that feels tight when you move your eyebrows or smile, products burning when you apply them.
A damaged skin barrier is not happy skin that heals and protects, it is skin that becomes the definition of acne and issue prone. Then, the cycle often continues, as it did for me. Acne = the use of acne prone face wash, acne prone products, spot treatments, oil free moisturizers, oil free this, oil free that, drying, drying, drying. Products geared for acne prone skin cannot help the acne if the skin barrier is damaged, and if the skin barrier is damaged, products for acne prone skin will more likely than not perpetuate the damaged skin barrier, never letting it heal.
Don’t worry - there’s hope. Our bodies are incredibly resilient, and if your skin barrier is damaged, it can’t wait to get to back to full health. (Mine was in rough shape for years). Everyone’s genetics and skin is different, but the best place to start is to stop using all of those harsh, drying products and start moisturizing, even if your skin is very oily. Use a gentle cleanser, use warm, soft water, pat your skin dry, and moisturize. Letting your skin barrier heal is the first and most important step in the journey to healthier and happier skin, and it will heal on its own if it is given the chance too.
Once the skin barrier is healed, it will work diligently to keep your skin glowing, hydrated, and fight acne or any other issue naturally much more effectively. Your healed skin barrier will also allow your products that target problematics to work better, as your skin and your products are meant to be a team.
Moral of the story - whether you struggle with acne or not, your skin barrier is important and needs to be taken care of for comfort, skin health, and skin longevity. Skin care is not just about acne, but rather, it is about self care, and setting yourself up for success, a higher quality of life, and healthy skin.
Food for thought,
Lai