Your Skin Barrier Holds the Secret to Your Health—Here’s How to Strengthen It

The condition of your skin tells you so much more than merely the condition of your skin… it offers insight into your overall health. In fact, it can indicate everything from a poor diet, inadequate hydration, stress, insufficient sleep, to potentially serious health issues, such as cancer, auto-immune disorders and cardiovascular diseases. Paying close attention to any changes in your skin’s texture, tone and sensitivity isn’t vanity, it’s about vitality. It enables you to monitor your overall health and detect potential issues before they become a bigger problem.

 

What is the Skin Barrier?

There has been a lot of talk about the skin barrier in the last few years, and the importance of protecting it. For Swissline, the focus on the skin barrier is nothing new. The luxury Swiss skincare brand has been focusing on skin health for over 35 years, with the skin barrier being a key focus for the brand. But, what exactly is the skin barrier? Why does it need to be protected, and what happens if it’s not protected?

The outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, is also known as the skin barrier. Its function is to keep “the nasties” (free radicals, UV and pollution) out, while protecting “the goodies” (ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids) to ensure soft, smooth, plump skin. When the barrier is impaired, it loses its ability to do its job properly, leading to water loss, and dry, itchy, flaky, sensitive and/or inflamed skin that is more susceptible to external aggressors. The very threat of external aggressors is what makes the look and feel of your skin not a vanity project. It is about self-care.

 

What Are the Causes of a Damaged Skin Barrier?

Even if you are meticulous about your skincare regimen, any one of a multitude of external and internal factors can damage the skin barrier. External factors include: pollution, allergens, harsh chemicals, UV exposure, medications, extremely dry or humid environments and over-washing/over exfoliating. Internal factors include: stress and inflammaging (another word that has been bandied around a lot recently.)

 

 

What is Inflammaging?

Coined in 2000 by a professor studying the impact of immune changes on aging, the word merges two words together, inflammation and aging. It’s understood that a little inflammation is good – it’s the body’s natural response to tissue damage, infection and viruses, and this, in turn, boosts the skin’s natural repair and recovery mechanism. Too much inflammation, however, is not good, and that is absolutely the case here. Inflammaging, chronic, silent inflammation, often linked with aging, is defined by an increase in the pro-inflammatory markers in the blood and the tissues. A consistent spike in inflammatory markers significantly damages the skin barrier. If left unchecked, inflammaging can exacerbate glycation (the physiological process that occurs when excess sugars in the body bind to essential skin proteins, like collagen, resulting in premature aging.) But, more worrisome than glycation, a damaged barrier can also lead to life-threatening conditions, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

 

How to Restore & Repair a Damaged Skin Barrier?

 

1. Eliminate any skincare products with harsh actives and forgo the use of physical exfoliants.

 

2. Immediately begin regular use of barrier-building skincare that targets inflammation and glycation. Ingredients to look for, include:

 

• The gold standard trio in barrier repair

  • Ceramides, cholesterol, amino acids

• Emolient and soothing agents

  • Phytosphingosine, glutamic acid and calcium gluconate, urea, oleic, linoleic and linolenic fatty acids

• Peptides

  • Carnosine – the chief anti-glycation ingredient in skincare and food supplements

  • Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4 – boosts collagen synthesis

• Anti-inflammation agents

  • Madecassoside – purest form of centella asiatica, a key ingredient in Swissline’s Cell Shock Age Intelligence products
  • Bio-activated Aloe Vera – reduces release of pro-inflammatory markers, increases skin healing, improves barrier function, and reduces the scaliness of the stratum corneum

Alongside barrier-building skincare, a healthy lifestyle, including a good diet, an exercise regimen, plenty of sleep, and regular use of SPF, can not only help to repair the skin barrier, but also maintain it health.

 

Coming Soon: New Barrier-Building Serum, Launching March 20th

Be the first to find about our Swissline’s soon-to-be launched barrier-repair product: Pro-Recovery Serum.

A game-changing solution, it is the ultimate antidote for skin in need of recovery and repair. The innovative serum protects, strengthens and repairs the barrier, counteracting inflammaging, fighting glycation and boosting collagen production. Pro-Recovery Serum will elevate your skin’s health, and your overall health.

Available now for purchase: Pro-Recovery Serum - Repair Serum - Swissline Cosmetics®.