LEARN TO PROTECT YOUR 'SKIN BARRIER'

Our skin barrier protects the skin by keeping harmful foreign substances from entering the body and keeps it hydrated; here's how you can look after it

Skincare is a hot topic on social media. There's a seemingly endless number of posts and videos talking about which skincare products consumers should use (or avoid) if they want good-looking, youthful, and healthy skin.

But some of the information being presented online may be unintentionally misleading and could put you at risk of inadvertently damaging your skin rather than making it look healthier.

While our skin is a powerful barrier that prevents many harmful foreign substances from entering our body, the use of a cocktail of the wrong skincare products could damage your "skin barrier".

What is the skin barrier?

The outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, constitutes the actual skin barrier. It's comprised of dead cells made of keratin—the same protein of which nails and hair are made.

The way the keratin cells are laid out is reminiscent of a bricks-and-mortar wall. The mortar between the keratin bricks is made by layers of lipids (fats)—such as ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. This layout makes it difficult for any potentially harmful molecules to get past the skin barrier and into the body.