Exactly How I Fixed My Destroyed Skin Barrier in a Week
Alisha Bhojwani is a Sydney-based digital strategist and content specialist. When she's not reminding her friends to wear SPF, you can find her drenching her face in Vitamin C and consuming copious amounts of peanut butter. You can find her on Instagram here @alishabhojwani_.
Key Takeaways
- Stop using active skincare immediately to allow your skin barrier to heal without further irritation.
- Change your cleanser to a creamy, hydrating formula to soothe inflamed skin and avoid aggravating the barrier.
- Use LED therapy consistently, particularly with red light, to enhance healing by boosting collagen and circulation.
- Apply a Vitamin B serum, such as niacinamide, to reduce inflammation and restore moisture effectively.
- Choose a moisturiser rich in ceramides to rebuild your skin barrier and alleviate dryness and discomfort.
- Wear sunscreen rigorously to protect your compromised skin from sun damage and prevent hyperpigmentation.
- Practice patience during the healing process, as your skin may worsen before it improves, and resist the urge to pick at it.
Eight weeks ago, I made a cardinal skin sin.
No, it wasn’t forgetting to take my makeup off (but yes, that is one of them).
This was… worse.
I completely and utterly destroyed my skin barrier.
For some reason, I decided it would be a good idea to do a chemical peel at home, then exfoliate my skin not once, not twice but three times AND finish with a heavily fragranced moisturiser.
Sounds painful, right? Well, I can confirm it was.
Fast forward 24 hours I woke up to tender, angry, inflamed scale-like skin.
After crying for a good hour and feeling pretty damn sorry for myself, I decided to use the opportunity to put my years of skin research to good use.
I challenged myself to bring my barrier back within a week and documented it on my Instagram account.
Because if there’s one thing I’ve realised throughout my skin journey, it’s that your mindset is key, and everything is fixable.
But first, let’s recap why your barrier is the gatekeeper to healthy skin.
What Is An Impaired Skin Barrier?
Great question!
In her article about how to know if you’ve broken your skin barrier, Adore’s Beauty Editor Amy Clark explained your skin barrier is like a nightclub bouncer.
“It’s the outer layer of your skin (the epidermis) and contains your stratum corneum, which is made of skin cells, lipids, oils and our bodies' natural moisturising factors like amino acids and fatty acids,” she said.
Put simply, think of your skin barrier like a soccer goalie.
It’s the last line of defence to keep the toxins out. And when your goalie lets the other team score (or when you OD on actives) … all hell breaks loose.
Enter: compromised skin that’s… acts kind-of like a big baby. It’s sensitive and even its favourite skincare seems to upset it further.
How I Fixed My Skin Barrier.
If you’re experiencing stinging, redness, tightness and/or leathery skin that’s both oily and dry at the same time, bookmark this article.
After putting these steps into practice, I was able to heal my skin barrier in around a week.
Here’s the exact routine and types of products I used.
You can watch my journey in this YouTube video below, or keep scrolling for all the details.
1. Stop Using Active Skin Care.
First things first, put all your actives in a box and keep it very, very far away from you.
It might seem unnecessary, but I know myself and I knew the minute I saw my barrier begin to heal I’d want to start exfoliating all over again.
So, I put it under lock and key for the sake of my skin.
2. Change Your Cleanser.
Now is the time to SIMPLIFY your skincare routine.
Three or four steps is all you need, but the cleanser you use is key.
An oil cleanser will break down any SPF, I’d recommend you avoid wearing makeup for a few days to avoid aggravating your barrier.
Then, swap a foaming or exfoliating cleanser for a creamy hydrating cleanser.
I suggest the Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser 250ml or mesoestetic hydracream fusion 100ml - both are artificial fragrance free and designed to soothe inflamed skin.
3. Use LED to Heal Your Skin.
If you have an LED mask or device, now is the time to put it to good use.
The red light setting specifically will be your new BFF. It’s designed to improve your skin quality by stimulating the body’s production of collagen and elastin.
Not to mention it helps to increase circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your skin to help it repair on a cellular level.
Trophy Skin RejuvaliteMD is awesome because you can literally lie on the ground or on your bed underneath it with a podcast in.
However, don’t expect overnight results – consistency is key here, so keep doing 10 minutes with your chosen device, even after your barrier has begun to heal.
You can learn more about how at-home LED devices work in this YouTube video below.
4. Apply a Vitamin B Serum.
You need a vitamin B serum.
Why? Well… if your skin is anywhere near as damaged as mine was, then it’s red and raw and to tackle this – you need to target the inflammation.
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) does this, along with adding moisture back into the skin.
Just make sure you’re using a B serum you’ve already used because now is NOT the time to introduce new skincare in. I repeat, now is not the time.
Aspect Extreme B 17 is one of mine and Adore Beauty’s resident dermal therapist Yads Cauchi's favourite B serums.
Infused with a cocktail of calming and skin replenishing ingredients, I used this after cleansing during that week of repair.
Learn more about what niacinamide can do for your skin in this YouTube video below.
5. Use a Moisturiser With Ceramides.
MOISTURISE but not with any moisturiser, nope.
It needs to be high in ceramides to help build your barrier back up and take away that leathery feel.
I swear by the Murad Intensive Recovery Cream 50ml because it's thick texture is like a big drink of water for extremely dry or dehydrated skin.
I lathered this on every night and my skin immediately felt more hydrated, less tingly and happier.
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+ 40ml is my bargain option if this one is a little outside your price range.
Packed with panthenol, it’s a restorative multipurpose balm that’s safe enough to be used on your face, body and even your babies skin.
Whichever you choose, both these products have been designed to strengthen and repair your barrier, so you’ll be in good hands.
6. Wear Sunscreen.
Apply SPF liberally! With your barrier gone, it’s more susceptible to sun damage and sun burn, which means you need to be EXTRA careful around the sun.
I literally drowned myself in SPF (reapplying every hour), wore a hat indoors, avoided the gym (because the last thing I wanted was more heat in my body) and stayed far away from windows for 3 days post barrier breakdown.
Call me dramatic, but I did not want to tempt the fate and invite hyperpigmentation into my life.
7. Repeat & Practice Patience.
Repeat the steps and have patience. It will heal – but remember, it always gets worse before it gets better.
I noticed a cluster of small white bumps appear around my mouth and chin and then true to form two days later they began flaking off.
Allow your skin to go through the process of regeneration because peeling IS healing. And I’m sure it goes without saying but don’t pick at it, you’ll make matters worse.
Here's a bit of a visual diary of my results.
Final Verdict…
When Amy briefed me on this article, she asked me to reflect on my experience.
A meme I saw on Instagram said it best but to reiterate – skin care is all fun and games until your barrier leaves the chat.
So as someone whose been there and done that here’s some words of wisdom from me to you:
- Introduce new skincare slowly.
- Be cautious with your actives, exfoliation in particular because as addictive as the results are… the phrase too much of a good thing rings true here.
- Your skin is not invincible. Nothing humbles you faster than an impaired barrier.
Thanks for coming to my skin barrier TED Talk.
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