The Tamesis
The skin’s moisture barrier is the body’s first line of defense against the outside world, which means it bears the brunt of seasonal changes, climate changes and skin care habits such as over-exfoliation. This makes skin barrier repair an important step in any regimen, even if your skin does not have genetic sensitivities.
That’s because the skin barrier needs to stay healthy to perform its most important duties, which include “helping the skin retain moisture and protect itself from outside stress, irritation, and infection,” says Y. Claire Chang, MD, a New York State board-certified dermatologist. Conversely, a compromised skin barrier “can lead to dryness, sensitivity, inflammation and irritation,” she says. “Supporting the skin barrier with effective skin care ingredients is the easiest and most effective way to keep your skin healthy.”
FashionFavorite barrier-strengthening products:
CosRx Ceramide Skin Barrier Moisturizer
Jump to comments
Active ingredients like ceramides, cholesterol, and other lipids are the main ingredients in facial moisturizers and balms because they simply replenish and replenish the compounds already present in the moisture barrier. But other substances, like panthenol and natural moisturizing factors, play a lesser-known (but still vital) role in restoring the skin barrier, which makes them worth looking for in products, too.
Also worth remembering: Just as important as what you use to repair your skin barrier is what you use. No use. To that end, “avoid using ingredients that may dry out or damage the skin barrier, such as alcohol, abrasive mechanical exfoliants, or just over-exfoliation,” says New York State board-certified dermatologist Carmen Castilla, MD.
With all this in mind, consider adding these ingredients to your daily routine to keep your skin happy and healthy all winter long and beyond.
In this story:
Ceramide
Ceramides are arguably the most well-known skin barrier repair ingredient, which is understandable since they are a natural component of the moisture barrier. In fact, according to Dr. Chang, these lipids make up about 50% of the skin barrier. While she explains that “they act as an adhesive between skin cells to prevent moisture loss and maintain skin integrity,” their supply is not constant. Their levels may decrease as we age, as well as through skin care habits (such as cleansing too frequently or using harsh surfactants and exfoliants) and environmental factors (such as dry winter weather).
Fortunately, replenishing their levels with a dedicated ceramide moisturizer isn’t particularly difficult. “Topical ceramides help replace this natural lipid, restore barrier integrity, and improve hydration,” says Dr. Zhang. She particularly likes Aestura Atobarrier365 Cream because “it uses a biomimetic ceramide complex that closely mirrors the skin’s natural lipid structure, making it very effective yet gentle,” she says.
cholesterol
Cholesterol is the unsung hero of skin care products. While it raises eyebrows — often negatively — in other areas of health, that’s not the case in the world of skin, where cholesterol is an important component of the skin barrier. However, ceramides, cholesterol and other lipids (i.e. free fatty acids) “need to be present in the right proportions to truly repair barrier damage,” Dr. Zhang said. That’s because they all work in harmony: “Cholesterol helps properly organize ceramides, which help increase the flexibility of the skin barrier, while free fatty acids help seal cells together,” says Dr. Castilla.
In these optimized proportions, they normalize barrier function and improve skin hydration. SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 is the gold standard among these formulas because it delivers cholesterol, fatty acids, and ceramides in ideal ratios; Dr. Castilla recommends it not only for people with dry skin, but for anyone using harsh, barrier-damaging ingredients like retinoids.
Panthenol
Dr. Zhang calls ubiquinol the “quiet hero” of skin barrier repair. (You may recognize it as provitamin B5, a long-time staple in hair care products that softens and strengthens strands.) But for your skin, it acts both as a moisturizer (meaning it draws water to the skin) and a soothing agent. And, for the latter, “it has skin-healing and anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce redness, irritation and sensitivity,” says Dr. Chang. She particularly likes Cicaplast Baume B5 from La Roche-Posay. “This is a soothing treatment cream that helps protect and repair dry skin, formulated with shea butter, glycerin and panthenol,” she says.
Nicotinamide
You may already know and appreciate the many skin care benefits of niacinamide. After all, “Nicotinamide is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredient known for its ability to repair oxidative damage and combat skin aging,” says Dr. Zhang. But it also actively strengthens the skin barrier, “by supporting ceramide production and balancing oil production,” she says. (A recent study actually found that it can penetrate the skin barrier and change its structure, making it more flexible in dry conditions.)
