Explainer | How our skin protects us, and how to keep it healthy and strong

Our skin protects us from the environment, and our skin barrier guards against toxins and stressors

The barrier comprises three layers, which can be protected and strengthened with the right diet, lifestyle and skincare products

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Your skin barrier protects you from UV rays, pollution, free radicals and other stressors. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15am, 10 Aug 2021Updated: 2:37pm, 10 Aug 2021

It can be frustrating to try new products on your skin and see no changes. We tend to think they were not right for us and try something else. But more often than not, the reason they are not working is related to the condition of your skin barrier.

Our skin barrier is the first line of defence, protecting against stressors on the outside so they can’t hurt the inside.

“The skin barrier can be weakened by internal and external factors. These can be UV rays, pollution, free radicals, airborne allergens and contaminants, and weather and temperature changes.

“Or they can be lifestyle stressors like stripping cleansers, over-exfoliating and cleansing, harsh products, cosmetic ingredients, shaving, diet and lack of sleep,” says Tata Harper, founder of natural luxury skincare brand Tata Harper.

Tata Harper, founder of natural luxury skincare brand Tata Harper.

What is the skin barrier?

Think of a brick wall; to do its job it needs strong, well-maintained bricks, and sturdy mortar to keep it up. Our skin cells are the bricks, and our vital lipids (ceramides, cholesterols, and fatty acids) are the mortar. Together they make the skin barrier, which keeps electrolytes and water in, and damaging environmental factors out.