Dry or Reactive Skin? Your Moisture Barrier May Be Damaged: Here's How to Rebuild It

Is your skin suddenly or chronically dry? Sensitive or reactive? Your moisture barrier may be damaged. Here are some ways to start rebuilding it.

What is My Moisture Barrier?

Skin has what is called a "moisture barrier." or "acid mantle". This is the outermost layer of the skin that is responsible for keeping moisture in and things out like unhealthy bacteria and other debris. However, this barrier can become stripped away, which makes skin lose moisture at a rapid rate, leading to the production of more sebum (oil) to "compensate," as well as more bacteria to feed on the dead skin cells and sebum. As a result, skin becomes more sensitive, dry, oily, dull, and potentially broken out. It can be a confusing issue to resolve, but instead of just layering on a heavy moisturizer, it's important to identify the reason your moisture barrier is damaged in the first place. Once you know that, you can avoid it and your skin can start naturally repairing itself.

How Do I Know if My Moisture Barrier is Damaged?

If your skin looks and feels rough, dull, flaky, inflamed, red, or itchy, you may have damaged your moisture barrier (although there can be other causes for those symptoms as well.) You might even be experiencing more breakouts than usual.

What Causes Damage to My Skin's Moisture Barrier?

Dehydration
From inside like not drinking enough water or drinking too much alcohol or caffeine. Or from the outside- simply not moisturizing enough.

Over Exfoliating
We can easily break down our moisture barrier by using acids and retinols that are too strong for our skin, or using acids too frequently. The same goes with scrubbing too hard or frequently or using a scrub that is too harsh for your skin type. Some skin devices like the Dermaroller can damage your barrier.

Dry & Harsh Environments, Sun and Wind can quickly strip your moisture barrier. In Central Oregon, the temperatures plummet quickly in the fall. Heaters kicking on and especially using a wood stove will rob the air of moisture. Exposing our skin to sun, dry (and especially cold) winds and snow can break down our barrier as well.

Harsh and Stripping Cleansers & Toners
Many facial and body cleansers and soaps are made with alcohol and/or ingredients that create a high lather and these are especially harsh on the skin. Synthetic fragrances and dyes and many other ingredients can dehydrate your skin and break down your moisture barrier.

Hot Water
Taking very hot baths and showers, washing your face with hot water and sitting in a hot tub or hot springs for an extended period of time (or just frequently) can damage your skin.

Smoking & Medications
Nicotine acts as a diuretic and dehydrates not only your skin, but your other organs as well. Medications that list dryness as a side-effect.

Aging
As our skin ages, usually after 46 years, it becomes more susceptible to dryness and a weakened moisture barrier.

How to Start Rebuilding Your Moisture Barrier

Can I Actually Repair My Moisture Barrier?
Thankfully, the answer is yes! It’s pretty simple, but it does take some time and careful attention. Here are some things you can do to support your skin:

Prop up your pillow
Sleeping with your head slightly elevated can help prevent fluid from building up around your eyes while you sleep.

Try a cool compress
Cold can help tighten the skin and reduce puffiness. Put a spoon in the refrigerator for a while and then very gently hold the back of it against the puffy skin. Store your Bulgarian Rose Hydrosol and Cucumber Aloe Rescue Gel in the refrigerator for extra anti-inflammatory power. Or make a cup of green tea, put it in the fridge until it's cold and use the teabag (or soak a soft cloth in the tea) as a cold compress. The caffeine in green tea constricts the blood vessels while the antioxidants help firm up the skin.

Drink more hydrating fluids and avoid alcohol
Dehydration can make the skin around your eyes saggy and "crinkly". Make sure to drink plenty of water. Good clean electrolytes boost water's hydrating power. Avoid drinking too much alcohol, which can be dehydrating.

Avoid eating too much salt- especially at night
Salt causes our body to retain fluid and that fluid can pool under our eyes as we sleep.

 

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Skincare Recommendations for Moisture Barrier Repair

STEP 1: Cleanse (without stripping your skin)

Soap-based cleansers effectively remove dirt, sweat and makeup, but can be harsh and especially so when your moisture barrier is damaged. The Apple Chamomile Cleansing Gel uses oat extract and apple amino acids to cleanse your skin without stripping it of vital oils. This is your go-to if you love a lathering "soapy" feeling cleanse. If you're more partial to a cream cleanser, the Youth in Bloom Hydrating Cleanser is like a gentle hug for your skin.

STEP 2: Mask & Exfoliate

Regular exfoliation is key to removing the barrier that dead skin cells create so your leave-on products can absorb and do their vital work in your skin. The key is to do it gently and with products that work without causing further damage.

Use a gentle chemical peel. You can get beautifully smooth skin with gentle acids like the sugar-based lactic acid in the Coconut Lactic Peel. 

Use the right scrub. When using manual scrubs, opt for those that remove dry and dead skin without irritating or damaging your skin. The round jojoba wax beads in the Cucumber Face Polish exfoliate by effectively rolling off dead skin cells. The spherical shape of the beads eliminate any risk of catching and tearing delicate skin.

Natural retinols are safer for delicate skin. Synthetic retinol (vitamin A) can be harsh and even damaging to sensitive skin and skin with a compromised moisture barrier. Natural retinols like buriti oil are exciting new additions to the skincare industry. Buriti oil, which is sustainably grown and harvested, contains essential nutrients like Vitamins A and C, both of which play an important role in maintaining healthy skin.

This natural, gentle form of Vitamin A supports cell turnover, while Vitamin C helps alleviate the appearance of dark spots and brighten skin tone. These properties also make Buriti oil a great option for those with sensitive skin who have been unable to tolerate other forms of Vitamin A and synthetic retinols. The Beauty Sleep Snow Mushroom (vitamin A + C ) Overnight Brightening Mask harnesses the power of buriti oil to gently and effectively exfoliate dead skin and brighten overall skin tone while you sleep.

Feed your skin. Give back to your skin once or twice a week with a rich, nourishing mask like the Honey Avocado Rescue Mask or the Zinc Rescue Cream.

STEP 3: Tone & Restore pH

Toners are great for removing those last traces of makeup and restoring the natural pH of your skin after cleansing. The Bulgarian Rose Hydrosol is an effective toner while also soothing redness and irritation.

STEP 4: Treat

Rebuilding your moisture barrier takes time and when your skin is especially susceptible to upset and flareups, you need to give it as much support as possible. Serums are concentrated formulas that speedily deliver dense amounts of nutrients to the skin and they should be used daily.

The Apple Stem Cell Radiance Serum helps rebuild your moisture barrier and strengthens the capillaries- essential to reducing the redness you see with rosacea flareups. Apple stem cells have been scientifically proven to support our own cellular renewal and longevity.

STEP 5: Moisturize + Protect

Choose a heavier moisturizer
Use a good daily moisturizer to keep skin healthy (choose a gentle formula for use around your eyes). Well-moisturized skin has a better moisture barrier, which prevents irritants and allergens from getting into the skin. If your current moisturizer isn't hydrating enough, try switching to something heavier.
Browse all aos moisturizers.

Or- Boost your favorite moisturizer
Love your regular moisturizer but need a little extra hydration now and then? Choose a hydrating serum and add a few drops to your moisturizer.

Sensitive and redness-prone skin responds well to the Calming Facial Oil. Dry and dehydrated skin loves the heavier oils in the Herbal Facial Oil. Want to treat fine lines and wrinkles too? The Youth in Bloom Phytoactive Firming Serum is the way to go.

Use a good eye cream
We love our Geranium & Lupine Eye Cream. Two kinds of caffeine, green tea and white peony tea, constrict the blood vessels and decrease puffiness, geranium helps move fluid out of the area and sweet lupine extract provides an instant tightening effect.

In a Nutshell,

In short, you’ll know your barrier is on the mend when those above symptoms (flakiness, roughness, and itchiness) start to disappear.

In a nutshell, the skin's moisture barrier helps the skin to retain moisture, specifically water. The barrier works to keep good stuff in and bad stuff out. To look after your moisture barrier you need to stay hydrated on the inside and out - aka drink lots of water and use the right skin care- it’s as simple as that! Just one thing to note, if you do have underlying skin disease or severe skin damage, it may be hard to repair at home, so you should probably go see your dermatologist who can analyze barrier function using a measurement called Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) and offer an expert treatment plan. In the meantime, keep hydrating!

Unsure which products are best for your skin? Take the Skin Quiz.

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Shop This Post

Apple Chamomile Cleansing Gel

Youth in Bloom Hydrating Cleanser

Coconut Lactic Peel

Cucumber Face Polish

Beauty Sleep Snow Mushroom
Vitamin A + C Overnight Brightening Mask

Honey Avocado Rescue Mask

Zinc Rescue Cream

Bulgarian Rose Hydrosol

Apple Stem Cell Radiance Serum

Calming Facial Oil

Herbal Facial Oil

Youth in Bloom Phytoactive Firming Serum

Apple Stem Cell Daily Radiance Cream

Geranium & Lupine Eye Cream

 

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