Everyone who reads my article knows that the editor often mentions repairing the skin barrier, so what exactly is the skin barrier? Is repairing the skin barrier an “IQ tax”? Today, I will talk to you about how important the skin barrier is.How to care skin naturally at home
1.What is the skin barrier
The skin barrier we usually refer to refers to the stratum corneum and the sebum membrane. As the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum has many functions. Its main functions are as follows:
1.Moisturizing function
The stratum corneum itself is the “reservoir” of the skin. It can lock in moisture and prevent water loss. Without the protection of the stratum corneum, our skin’s water loss will increase by more than 10 times.
2.Protection function
On the one hand, the stratum corneum can prevent some microorganisms and chemicals from invading the skin, which is why the skin is particularly prone to itching when it is dry. Because the protective function of the stratum corneum is lacking, external stimuli are more likely to invade the skin and cause itching reactions.
On the other hand, the stratum corneum can protect against a certain degree of mechanical stimulation such as extrusion and friction, such as grinding out calluses, which is the thickening of the stratum corneum due to repeated mechanical stimulation.
3.Interception function
The stratum corneum is also the “security guard” of our skin. It selects the things that want to enter and exit the skin, intercepts the substances that should not enter, and puts in the substances that should enter.
The sebum film refers to a layer of hydrolipidic film covering the surface of the stratum corneum, which is the first line of defense to protect the skin. Under normal circumstances, the sebum film can not only inhibit the reproduction of microorganisms on the skin surface, but also lock the skin moisture and prevent the loss of nutrients.
Or put it this way, the stratum corneum guards our skin like a city wall, and the sebum membrane is the moat outside the city wall.
2.Why is the skin barrier on the face damaged?
The skin barrier of the face is also very fragile, especially the following factors are particularly vulnerable to damage to the skin barrier.
1.Excessive cleaning
This is a common problem these days. Many people abuse powerful cleansing products, such as soap-based facial cleansers, or deep cleansers, etc. These products not only wash away deep dirt, but also take away lipids and proteins on the skin surface. This weakens the skin’s barrier function.
2.UV damage
Ultraviolet rays are the natural enemy of the skin. Exposure to ultraviolet rays for a long time can affect the thickness of the stratum corneum, increase the water loss rate of the epidermis, reduce the moisture content, and then damage the skin barrier.
3.Drug reasons
The use of the wrong skin care products, as well as the use of inappropriate drugs, such as topical drugs such as adapalene for acne, benzoyl peroxide, and oral drugs such as isotretinoin, will affect the skin barrier.
Therefore, it is not recommended that you buy medicines to remove acne by yourself, because many people do not know their skin conditions, and unauthorized use of medicines can easily lead to damage to the skin barrier.
Once the facial skin barrier is damaged, there will be obvious manifestations, such as burning, stinging, itching, scaling, telangiectasia, erythema, etc. Many people’s sensitive skin troubles are caused by the damaged skin barrier. Sensitive skin needs to repair the skin barrier first.
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