How to care for your skin: supporting hydration and barrier health

Contrary to popular belief, caring for your skin does not need to be complicated. Healthy skin thrives when supported gently and consistently rather than treated aggressively.

No matter your skin type, the foundation remains the same: maintain hydration and protect the skin barrier. We’re going to break this down step-by-step so that you no longer feel overwhelmed by all these different choices and routines out there.

Step 1: Cleanse without stripping

It’s very important to clean your skin. Cleansing your skin removes the daily buildup of oil, dirt, sweat, makeup, and environmental pollutants that accumulate on the surface. For individuals who have sensitive or eczema, prone skin, this is especially important. Failure to properly cleanse the skin can result in bacteria overgrowth, which will cause a whole other host of problems that I don’t want you to have to deal with.

Whether you are cleansing your face or your entire body, we recommend that you choose a gentle cleanser. This would be a mild non-stripping face or body wash designed to remove dirt oil and makeup without disrupting the skin’s protective barrier or causing irritation. If your skin does not normally react to fragrance, it is perfectly fine to use a gentle cleanser that has fragrance in it.

Showering Tip: Instead of steaming, hot showers opt for warm or lukewarm showers. After showering the skin should feel clean, not tight.

Step 2: Replenish Hydration

Apply your moisturizer shortly after cleansing to help reduce moisture loss. It is generally recommended that you don’t completely dry your skin before moisturizing so that your skin can hold on to some of the water. Apply your moisturizer while your skin is still damp.

When choosing your moisturizer look for products that have ingredients that attract water, reinforce barrier lipids, and support NMFs (natural moisturizing factors).

Step 3: Support The Skin Barrier

To maintain optimal barrier strength, avoid over exfoliation, limit harsh actives, and keep your routine simple. Harsh actives are potent ingredients like retinoids, exfoliating acids, and high strength vitamins that promote rapid skin renewal. However, if they are overused or combined improperly, they can severely damage the skin barrier, causing irritation, dryness and inflammation.

You don’t have to have a 15-step skin routine in order to have your goal skin. If you pick your products correctly, you’re only going to need about two or three to achieve what you’re going for.

Step 4: Adjust For Your Skin Type

It’s so important that we give our skin what it actually needs the first time around. For example, if you have oily skin but use products that are made eczema prone skin, you would be working against yourself. As a formulator, I know that eczema prone moisturizers contain more lipids (fats/oils) then products made for oily skin so the result of using them would be an oilier look...but if you’re going for the “Mom just lathered me up in Vaseline before school" look then do this and you will achieve it. If you’re looking for oil control, it’s best that you get something made specifically for your skin.

Here are a few things you will want to remember:

• For normal skin, you just want to maintain balance.

• For oily skin, you want to hydrate without stripping your natural oils or adding more oils than what it needs.

• For combination skin you want to use balanced hydration.

• For sensitive skin, check the ingredient list and make sure to keep your routines minimal.

• For eczema prone skin, check the ingredients and focus on hydration and consistency.

Step 5: Stay Consistent

Friend, skin responds well to stability and discipline. The more you stay true to the routine that you create, the closer you get to seeing the results you want to see. Be patient with yourself and with your skin and remember that healthy skin develops through daily support patient and gentle care.