Looking after your skin barrier is the newest skincare trend

I have never heard the term' skin barrier' more often than I have in the last year. If I'm being brutally honest, I didn't even know it was something we had to worry about until the internet exploded with TikToks from dermatologists giving advice and influencers recommending products that 'healed' their skin barrier.

But what exactly is a skin barrier?

Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin, which protects against allergens and irritants, like a protective shield.

According to the team at Dermalogica, the first sign of a damaged skin barrier is dehydration

"This can result in symptoms like redness, itching, and flaky skin. Your skin may also become more reactive, and may feel especially sensitive to heat, cold, dry air, or certain skin care products," they explained.

Many factors can damage your skin barrier, including ageing, your genetics, UV exposure, stress, seasonal changes, environmental irritants, and humidity.

Over-exfoliating or using skincare products that strip lipids from the skin is one of the biggest triggers, and something many of us are guilty of, myself included.

Luckily, there are many ways to fix a damaged skin barrier, and we've found the top products to help you.

The team at Dermalogica says to act straight away if you notice your skin barrier is damaged. One of the main things you should do is stop using products that have irritated or left your skin feeling sensitive.

You should also avoid exfoliating your skin until you have healed your skin barrier.

The main thing you need to do is hydrate, so using a product like The Ordinary's Hyaluronic Acid (buy here) is essential.

This product will help give your skin some much-needed moisture, and trust me when I say you'll notice a difference after just one use.

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Patchology's Barrier Boosting Sheet Mask will give your skin a boost of hydration and leave it feeling supple again. This sheet mask is infused with a concentrated serum that hydrates, soothes, and visibly repairs the skin barrier in just five minutes.

Ectoin helps to calm irritation and protect stressed skin, while probiotics support a balanced microbiome, which is key for maintaining skin health and resilience.

You can buy it here.

The Patchology Skin Remedy range is available now at Millies.ie and in selected pharmacies nationwide.

Another product that is bound to revive your skin barrier is Dermalogica's Stabilizing Repair Cream.

This balmy-cream formula melts into skin to quickly alleviate redness and help prevent future irritation. 

Buy here.