Since launching a nourishing barrier repair mask (this lush guy right here), we’ve spoken a lot about damaged moisture barriers: The causes! The remedies! The tell-tale signs you need to keep an eye out for!
But what if you want to strengthen your skin? To prevent the damage from happening in the first place. Here are six protective things you can start doing immediately if not sooner in order to keep your skin healthy and strong.
Reach for a nourishing, restorative mask weekly
A weekly at-home facial is relaxing and enjoyable, sure, but it’s also incredibly beneficial for your skin in the long and the short term. It boosts the efficacy of your daily skin care and supercharges you for the week. On top of that, if you fill out your at-home facial routine with products that are formulated with skin-restoring ingredients (think: ceramides, niacinamide, panthenol), it’s a great way to strengthen your skin barrier to prevent future damage.
Choose a gentle cleanser
Your cleanser need not be harsh to get your skin clean. A gentle, effective pH-balanced formula can be just as effective, and carries the added benefit of not leaving your skin stripped, tight, uncomfortable, and ripe for a damaged moisture barrier.
Cap usage of exfoliants and actives
It can be extraordinarily tempting to use chemicals exfoliant every day morning and night, or to layer them with the world’s favourite skin care ingredient retinol, but trust us, it’s not worth it. The most likely scenario is that you’ll overdo it and damage your moisture barrier, not that you’ll get the radiant, even-toned skin you’re chasing.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t use exfoliants or actives (such as retinol) in your routine. They are effective and proven to have lots of proven skin benefits. It’s only to say that you should use them carefully. Follow the instructions on the product and introduce them slowly to monitor how your skin reacts.
Wear SPF every single day
We’ve said it before (approximately two million times) and we’ll say it again (approximately another two million times), daily sunscreen use is the best thing you can do to protect your skin and keep it strong. UVA rays can cause significant damage to your skin in the form of fine lines, sunburn, and skin cancer. Shield your skin from that with generous sunscreen application (and re-application!), as well as protective clothing, seeking shade wherever possible, and sunglasses.
Opt out of scorchy showers
We know. We know! But hot showers can dry out the skin and leave your feeling stripped, inflamed, and tight. (Especially if your skin is already sensitive or prone to redness.) Avoid roasting your skin and keep it strong and healthy with warm, not hot, water.
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