What is the Skin Barrier & How to Repair it? Why it’s so Important When Dealing With Acne?

First, let’s learn about the layers of the skin....

Epidermis (outer thin layer): This is the outermost layer of the skin and is made up of keratinocytes, melanocytes and immune cells. This outer layer, called the stratum corneum, is our first line of defence and is essential for skin health. This is the skin barrier and contains the skin microbiome, acid mantle, lipid barrier and immune cells. 

Dermis (thick middle layer): This layer is where blood vessels and nerves reside and where collagen and elastin create the architecture of the skin. There are also immune cells within this layer of the skin. 

Subcutaneous layer/ Hypodermis (fatty layer): This is a layer of fat and tissue that is situated between the skin and your muscles. This subcutaneous layer is important for insulation and temperature regulation.

What is the Skin Barrier?

The skin barrier is the protective layer of your skin to keep your skin healthy. The outer layer of skin cells called the stratum corneum can be thought of as a brick wall. The skin is kept healthy when all of the bricks are tightly bound or glued together by ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. This healthy layer of bricks prevents any harmful environmental toxins or pathogens to penetrate your skin and cause adverse effects. The skin barrier also helps to prevent water loss from the inside out and keeps your skin hydrated. Simplifying, the skin barrier keeps irritants out and water locked in.

• Keeping your skin barrier healthy and strong is key for happy skin. When the skin barrier is damaged this can lead to skin problems like acne.

There are four layers of the skin barrier as follows (outer to inner layers):

Skin microbiome – There are millions of microbes (bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses) that live and make up a unique ecosystem on the surface of the skin. A person has around 1,000 species of bacteria on their skin. There is extensive communication that exists between bacteria, skin cells and immune cells. This communication reinforces and repairs the skin barrier, strengthens the body’s defences against infections and extinguishes excess inflammation. When your skin microbiome is working in harmony together, your skin is happy. When the skin microbiome is unhealthy with some microorganisms being depleted or overgrown, the skin barrier becomes unbalanced and unable to protect you from bad microbes. These bad microbes can cause havoc and damage to the normal skin flora.   

Acid mantle – The skin barrier is slightly acidic because of the acid mantle. Its pH is about a 5.5, but ranges on your face and body from a 4.7 and 5.75. Keeping your skin’s pH within this range without dramatic fluctuations or frequent changes can help keep the acid mantle intact. A pH scale ranges from 0-14; 7 being neutral. Anything below 7 is acidic and anything above 7 is alkaline. The acidic pH of the skin protects against the overgrowth of pathogens (bad microbes).

Lipid barrier – Lipids are the skin’s naturally occurring fats and are vital to the skin’s protective barrier. Lipids helps to keep water molecules in for hydration and keep pathogens out. Lipids naturally produced by the skin include cholesterol, ceramides, fatty acids, squalene.

Immune cells – The skin has an immune system to protect the body from infection and toxins. It is your body’s first line of defence from the outside environment. 

The Skin Barrier Protects From:

The skin microbiome, acid mantle, lipid barrier and immune cells are the layers that will help protect against pathogens, infection, irritants, inflammation, moisture loss (trans-epidermal water loss), and environmental aggravators like UV radiation, pollution, toxins and free radicals. Your skin barrier is a superhero - protecting you from the bad guys (pathogens, pollution, etc.) and holding onto valuable water. 

Signs of Skin Barrier Damage:

Itchiness

Irritation

Redness

Sensitive or inflamed areas

Dull skin

Skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, eczema, and atopic dermatitis

hyperpigmentation

Slow wound healing response

Dry skin that cannot retain moisture

Rough, uneven skin tone

Accelerated signs of aging – wrinkles

Viral, fungal or bacterial skin infection

How the Skin Barrier gets Damaged?

There are both external and internal factors that can disrupt the skin barrier:

Allergens, irritants and pollutants

Smoking

Sun exposure/ UV rays

Harsh skin cleansers

Alkaline skincare products

Mental or physical stress

Over-exfoliation

Over-washing/cleansing the skin

Lack of sleep

Excess consumption of caffeine and alcohol

Alkaline skincare products

Artificial fragrances, colours and preservatives

Gut imbalances

Poor diet

Genetics

Aging

Cosmetics

Climate

Skin picking

Research on Acne and Skin Barrier Damage  

Research shows that those with acne have ceramide deficiencies and skin barrier dysfunction. Those with acne tend to have lower than normal levels of linoleic acid, which are building blocks needed to make ceramides. Remember ceramides are part of the skin's natural fatty layer (lipid barrier). Lipids keep water in the skin and prevent water loss. Ceramides make up ~50% of the lipid bilayer and help enforce our skin barrier.

The skin barrier dysfunction in those with acne has been shown to contribute to hyperkeratinization of the skin and blockages within the pores. Hyperkeratinization is when the skin cells in the stratum corneum thicken and are not shedding properly. This abnormal rapid shedding of skin cells can cause the hair follicles or oil ducts to become clogged causing acne.

How to Repair the Skin Barrier

Healing of the skin barrier takes time, especially depending on the severity of damage that have been caused to your skin. If you experience signs of skin barrier damage, it can take 2-6 weeks to regenerate the skin back to health. Naturopathic medicine uses natural therapies to get to the root cause for targeted treatment.

Internal therapies

Food Intolerances/allergies - can cause leaky gut and gut microbiome imbalances which can affect the microbiome of the skin barrier.

Supplements – always work with your health care provider before starting any new supplementation. Things that may be helpful for the skin barrier include omega-3 fatty acids, prebiotics and probiotics.

Nutrition – plays a key role in maintaining healthy skin. Macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) work together to maintain the barrier functions of skin. Changes in nutritional status can directly affect skin appearance.  

Gut Health – there is a relationship between the skin and gut microbiome and the development of acne. Changes in the gut microbiome can lead to manifestations like acne on the skin. Everything in the body is connected.

Stress reduction activities, high sleep quality and good hydration are also very important for skin barrier health.

External therapies

Hydrate and Nourish the Skin – to prevent dehydration of the skin and keep moisture locked in. Use ingredients that pull water/moisture into the skin like humectants. Hyaluronic acid is an excellent humectant for ance-prone, oily skin. Hydrate your skin in the morning and at nighttime. * if you want calm, glowing skin you need to nourish the skin barrier and treat it gently.

Moisturize – always moisturize to prevent dehydration of the skin. Lipids (fats) like ceramides found in skin care are linked to repairing the skin barrier. Lipids keep water in the skin and prevent water loss. Ceramides make up ~50% of the lipid bilayer and help enforce our skin barrier. Look for moisturizers with ceramides.

Be Gentle with your Skin – remove any skincare products from your routine that may contain irritating ingredients. Avoid over-washing & over-exfoliating the skin. This can strip away the skin’s natural oils and microbiome. Cleansing is a delicate balance between hygiene and skin barrier damage. Exfoliation (scrubs or acids) use only 1-2x/week. Be kind and gentle with your skin – it’s the only one you’ve got! Appreciate all that your skin does for you. Your skin works hard to keep things in balance for you.

Sun Protection – wear sunscreen daily to protect from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Skin Care Products – the pH of products you are using is ideally close to your skin’s pH (pH 4-6). Try topical products with anti-inflammatory ingredients like niacinamide. Patch test new skin care products first before using all over face to ensure no allergies or skin irritation occur. Avoid cleansers that make your skin feel tight and squeaky clean. This is a sign that your skin is losing excess water and will lead to dehydrating your skin. It’s stripping too much of your natural oils.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post with everything you need to know about your skin Barrier. Remember to be loving and kind to your skin! 

References

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