What Is Your Skin Barrier, and How Do You Protect It? An Expert Explains

Your skin barrier is like the bouncer at a VIP party — it keeps the good stuff (like moisture) in and kicks the bad stuff (like toxins and irritants) out. But your skin barrier isn’t an iron fortress. Harsh skin care ingredients, sun exposure, and stress can damage it over time. A damaged skin barrier can lead to skin redness, inflammation, premature aging, and infections.

The good news? You can repair your skin barrier. Using the right skin care ingredients and making some lifestyle changes can help keep your skin barrier healthy.

What is the skin barrier?

Your skin has three layers. The epidermis is the outermost layer. The skin barrier is the outermost layer of the epidermis, also called the stratum corneum. 

The skin barrier has two major jobs:

1. To keep harmful substances out: It blocks toxins, harmful chemicals, and allergens from entering your body through the skin.

2. To lock moisture in the body: It prevents dehydration and helps maintain homeostasis, keeping your body’s internal environment stable.

The easiest way to visualize the skin barrier is to think of it like a brick-and-mortar wall. Your skin cells stack up like bricks. And holding the bricks together is a mortar made up of lipids and fatty acids. This wall forms a physical barrier on the outside of your skin.

But your skin barrier is permeable. This means some substances can pass through it. When it’s healthy, your skin barrier is very selective about what it lets in. 

A healthy skin barrier lets in helpful substances like water, nutrients from skin care products, and medications. It keeps larger molecules like bacteria, pollutants, and irritants out.

When your skin barrier is damaged, the mortar (lipids and fatty acids) starts to come apart. This creates gaps between the bricks (skin cells). These gaps allow larger molecules to pass through and damage your skin. 

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Many things can cause these gaps, including: 

• Air pollution and irritants

• Exposure to harmful chemicals (including chemicals in your skin care products)

• Excessive sun exposure

• Very cold or very hot temperatures

• Dry climates

• Over-cleansing 

• Too much exfoliation

• Chronic stress

• Skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis

What are signs of a damaged skin barrier?

When your skin barrier is damaged, your skin loses moisture more easily. This makes your skin vulnerable to all kinds of damage. You may notice:

• Dry, itchy skin

• Premature wrinkles

• Less skin elasticity (your skin may sag or not bounce back as easily when touched)

• Dullness

• Discoloration

• More frequent acne breakouts

• Inflammation (redness and swelling)

• Increased skin sensitivity

A damaged skin barrier also increases your risk of infections — both on your skin and in your body. For example, eczema-related damage can lead to a secondary bacterial infection. It can also increase your risk of asthma or hay fever, an inflammatory condition affecting your nasal passages. 

How does skin barrier repair work?

A damaged skin barrier has gaps in the lipid layer that holds skin cells together. The two main goals of skin barrier repair are to:

1. Remove the factors that are aggravating your skin barrier and causing damage. 

2. Fill the gaps in the lipid layer using cleansers, moisturizers, and serums with lipids and fatty acids. 

This prevents further damage. Then, the skin barrier can once again become more selective about what it lets in.

What should you look for in skin barrier repair products?

If you’re trying to repair your skin barrier, keep your skin care routine simple. Focus on cleansing, applying serums, and moisturizing your skin (and in that order). 

Use products with gentle, hydrating ingredients. The best skin barrier repair products contain:

• Ceramides: These fatty acids help hold skin cells together to keep your skin barrier intact. While your body naturally makes ceramides, applying them topically can add an extra layer of protection. 

• Niacinamide: Also called vitamin B3, niacinamide helps your skin naturally produce ceramides. 

• Hyaluronic acid: Like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid may help your skin make ceramides. It also helps your skin hold onto moisture.

• Squalane: Squalane is a natural oil that’s extremely hydrating and moisturizing. It’s a more stable form of squalene, which is a key component of sebum — the oily, protective substance on your skin. As an antioxidant, squalane helps fight inflammation.

• Peptides: These are short chains of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins). They help with skin repair and the creation of new skin. They also help tighten the junctions (or "mortar") of your skin barrier.

• Petrolatum: Also called petroleum jelly, this ointment has a strong repairing effect on the skin barrier. This is because it’s so moisturizing. Petrolatum also prevents water loss from the skin. This is why it’s the recommended ointment for slugging.

Products to avoid with a damaged skin barrier

There are certain products you should avoid when working on skin barrier repair. These include:

• Physical exfoliators: Scrubs, loofahs, and other physical exfoliators can irritate your skin and cause more damage. 

• Chemical exfoliants: Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs), and papaya enzymes are too harsh for a damaged skin barrier. 

• Strong “actives”: In skin care, actives are ingredients that are proven to help improve the skin. Examples are retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid. When your skin barrier is intact, strong active ingredients can benefit your skin. But they can irritate a damaged skin barrier. 

• Harsh cleansers: Avoid anything that strips your skin’s natural oils, which play an important role in protecting your skin. Stay away from cleansers with sulfates, alcohol, and fragrance. 

9 skin barrier repair tips

Making changes to your skin care routine and lifestyle can help repair your skin barrier — and protect it from damage in the first place.

Skin care tips

Care for your skin using the following tips:

1. Use a gentle cleanser: Look for one that’s free of fragrances, parabens, and sulfates. Bonus points if it contains moisturizing ingredients like ceramides or hyaluronic acid.

2. Moisturize after cleansing: Use a hydrating cream with one or more of the ingredients listed above. 

3. Don’t overdo exfoliation: Exfoliation can be good for your skin. But doing it too often can damage your skin barrier. Limit exfoliation to no more than three times per week, depending on your skin type.

4. Protect your skin from the sun: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can damage your skin barrier. Avoid prolonged sun exposure between 10AM and 2PM, when the sun is strongest. Wear a tinted sunscreen daily to protect against both UV radiation and blue light.

5. Try a red light therapy mask: Exposure to red light may help strengthen the skin barrier. 

Lifestyle tips

Small changes in your daily habits and routines can also be good for your skin barrier. Try these tips: 

1. Limit screen time: Computer and phone screens expose your skin to blue light, which can damage your skin barrier.

2. Avoid long, hot showers: They can damage the skin barrier, and lead to dryness and irritation. Try to keep your showers lukewarm and short.

3. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fats: These nutritious fats can help reduce inflammation and strengthen your skin barrier. You can find omega-3 fatty acids in salmon, sardines, anchovies, flaxseeds, and walnuts. 

4. Reduce alcohol intake: Alcohol can contribute to skin inflammation, which may damage your skin barrier.

How long does it take to repair a damaged skin barrier?

Repairing your skin barrier can take anywhere from a few days to several months. The exact amount of time depends on several factors, including:

• The level of damage: More severe damage takes longer to repair.

• Skin type: Dry skin is more vulnerable to barrier damage. It can take longer to heal.

• Lifestyle: Daily habits affect both your skin barrier damage and healing. For example, if you spend a lot of time outside for work, it might take longer to repair your skin barrier.

Usually, the more consistent you are with your skin barrier repair regimen, the faster you’ll see results.

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Written by:

Lindsay Boyers, CHNC

Lindsay Boyers, CHNC, is a functional nutritionist, licensed esthetician, writer, and editor with over a decade of experience in evidence-based health, wellness, and skincare writing.

Edited by:

Meredith Hoffa

Meredith Hoffa is a senior health editor at GoodRx, where she leads journalists and clinicians covering various well-being topics, particularly in diet and nutrition.

Reviewed by:

Maria Robinson, MD, MBA

Maria Robinson, MD, MBA, is a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist who has practiced dermatology and dermatopathology for over 10 years across private practice, academic, and telehealth settings. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society of Dermatopathology.

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