While some people notice a decline in their skin concerns once the weather turns warmer, others experience the opposite. New issues arise as summer arrives, with these intensifying as the season goes on. 

While the summer months take a toll on the skin in a variety of ways, one of the biggest problems that they cause is interfering with skin barrier function. Once this happens, your skin becomes much more vulnerable to damage, which will only further exacerbate the concerns you’re dealing with. 

With a compromised skin barrier needing a very specific level of care, it’s important to acknowledge this damage as soon as possible so that you can take the necessary steps to turn things around and restore normality to your complexion. Keep reading as Vivo Per Lei explains how to tell if your skin barrier is struggling with the summer weather, along with what you can do to give that precious barrier the support that it needs. 

Why is Your Skin Barrier So Important?

If you’re new to skincare, you may not be aware of just how important your skin barrier is. This layer, which sits on the outermost surface of your skin, consists of a mixture of dead cells and lipids, including ceramides and fatty acids. They lock together, forming a brick-like barrier that performs a few key roles:

• Acts as the body’s frontline defense against external aggressors. Thanks to your skin barrier, bacteria, pollutants, UV rays, and more have a much harder time penetrating your skin.
• Locks in moisture. Your skin barrier slows down the rate at which moisture evaporates from your skin.
• Regulates sensitivity. A fully functioning skin barrier will help to keep inflammation and irritation at bay.

When Summer Inflicts Damage…

There are several factors out there that are known for contributing to skin barrier damage. This can occur year-round, but many of those causes become much more prevalent in the summer months:

• UV rays – they thin the skin barrier, which affects how it retains moisture. UV rays also trigger inflammation, inhibiting skin barrier function.
• Heat – high temperatures can interfere with the pH level of the skin barrier.
• Chlorine and saltwater – people tend to swim more in the summer months, but both chlorine and saltwater can weaken the skin barrier.
• Pollutants – air pollution tends to worsen in warmer weather, with pollution known to cause free radical damage and affect the skin barrier.
• Dry air – while the air outdoors is humid in the summer, spending time in an air-conditioned environment will quickly dry out your skin, as well as your skin barrier.

How to Tell If Your Skin Barrier is Damaged

Of course, not everyone experiences barrier damage in the summer. Here are the main signs to look out for that indicate your skin barrier is struggling:

• Redness, inflammation, and sensitivities – when your skin barrier is damaged, it won’t be able to keep environmental aggressors out in the same way that it used to. With all of those irritants now able to enter your skin more easily, they tend to trigger inflammation and redness.
• Dehydration – if your skin barrier has been compromised, its ability to retain moisture declines. Moisture will start to escape from your skin at a much faster rate, leaving your skin cells parched. For some people, dehydration causes dryness and flakiness, while others will notice that it triggers an increase in sebum production.
• Breakouts – not only does the increased sebum production mentioned above contribute to breakouts, but clogged pores tend to be more prevalent amongst those with a damaged skin barrier. This, combined with the extra inflammation you’ll be experiencing, means that breakouts will be much more likely.
• Roughness – your skin barrier plays a role in cell turnover, which is the rate at which your skin naturally exfoliates itself. When your skin barrier is struggling, this process suffers too. Dead cells then build up on the skin’s surface, leading to a rougher texture.

Caring for a Damaged Skin Barrier

Worried that your skin barrier is showing signs of damage? Here’s what you can do to turn things around:

Strip Back Your Skincare Routine

First things first, it’s time to reassess your skincare routine. Hopefully, in preparation for the hot and sweaty summer months, you’ve already lightened your routine up a bit. However, if your skin barrier has been damaged, you’ll likely need to strip it back even further. Why? Because when your skin is extra sensitive, the last thing that it needs is to be overloaded with layer upon layer of product. 

Your skin barrier will need some time to heal, and this will happen much faster if you give it some space. Take your skincare routine right back to basics for a while, so that you’re only using the essentials and not much else. 

What does this consist of? As always, start with a cleanser. Then, consider adding in a hydrating serum that also soothes the feeling of inflammation, before finishing with a moisturizer. SPF is essential as well. It should be worn in the winter too, but is particularly necessary during the summer. While SPF 30 is usually recommended for most people, go with a higher SPF rating if your skin barrier is already compromised. 

Cleanse Gently

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As mentioned above, cleansing is considered to be an essential skincare step. In fact, many experts would say that it’s one of the most important, especially in the summer! If you don’t clear away all of the sweat, sebum, and pollutants that coat your skin’s surface, your other products aren’t going to be able to access the skin cells that need them. 

However, cleansers are notorious for damaging the skin barrier. Many cleansing agents have a stripping effect, removing the lipids that keep your skin barrier intact. This will only make things worse, making it crucial that you’re only using gentle cleansing formulas.

If your current cleanser is on the harsh side, try swapping it for the Vivo Per Lei Hyaluronic Acid Daily Facial Wash. Thanks to its coconut-derived surfactants, it conditions the skin while it cleanses. Better yet, it’s packed with hydrating and barrier-loving ingredients, including sodium hyaluronate, hemp seed oil, and wheat amino acids. 

Seek Out Complexion-Soothing Ingredients

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Certain skincare ingredients are famous for how they soothe the feeling of inflammation and irritation. This is exactly what you need when you’re dealing with skin barrier damage. Every product that you use should contain ingredients that leave your skin barrier feeling calm and supported, rather than stimulated and overwhelmed.

The Vivo Per Lei Aloe Soothing Facial Serum is the perfect example. To start with, it contains fewer than ten ingredients. You definitely won’t need to worry about overloading your skin with unnecessary irritants and filler ingredients. The ingredients that it does contain are all known for having a balancing and soothing effect on the complexion. Between aloe vera leaf extract, sodium hyaluronate, and silk amino acids, this serum has been formulated to leave the skin barrier feeling stronger and more resilient. 

Give Your Skin Some Extra Moisture 

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As we discussed earlier, one of the issues that comes with a damaged skin barrier is dehydration. With your skin barrier not functioning as it should, moisture will evaporate away much faster than it used to. 

There are a couple of ways in which you can compensate for this while your skin barrier heals. The first is to replace the hydration that your skin has lost. Give your skin extra moisture by ensuring that every step of your skincare routine contains hydrating ingredients. 

Using a hydrating face mask once a week will also help to give your skin a more intense moisture boost. Of course, you’ll still need to keep things gentle so as not to irritate your skin barrier – a formula like the Vivo Per Lei Magnetic Deep Hydration Mask would be perfect for this. It’s filled with ingredients that leave the skin feeling deeply hydrated and moisturized, as well as relaxed, including hemp seed oil, marula oil, baobab oil, and seaweed extract. 

The Marine Revitalize Leave On Hydrating Mask would be another great option. With this being a no-rinse formula, it’s extremely easy to use. It contains a blend of hydrating superstars, along with several marine-derived extracts that are known for soothing the complexion. 

Keep Your Skin Moisturized

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Another way to compensate for the dehydration that a damaged skin barrier causes is to ensure that your skin is always moisturized. In many ways, a moisturizer acts similarly to your skin barrier. It forms an additional layer over your skin’s surface. This makes it harder for impurities to penetrate, while also locking moisture into your skin. Keeping your skin moisturized means that your skin barrier won’t have to work quite so hard. It will have some much-needed time to recuperate, which is exactly what you need! 

With some moisturizers containing ingredients that are too aggressive when your skin barrier is compromised, you’ll need to be careful about the moisturizers that you use. Follow all of the advice that we’ve already given you: seek out gentle formulas that leave the skin feeling hydrated, soothed, and supported. 

At Vivo Per Lei, we have a few moisturizers that check all of those boxes. The Marine Ultimate All Skin Cream contains the likes of niacinamide, shea butter, sodium hyaluronate, and allantoin, all of which a damaged skin barrier will absolutely love. Meanwhile, the Snow Mushroom Night Cream features a super-hydrating blend of ingredients. Sodium hyaluronate, polyglutamic acid, and squalane all draw moisture to the skin, while jojoba seed oil locks it in. 

Rediscover Your Summer Glow With Vivo Per Lei

It can take a while for a damaged skin barrier to heal. For some people, it happens in weeks, whereas others have to wait months. Either way, be patient. Give your skin barrier the love and care that it needs, and you’ll soon be able to restore your skin’s natural bounce and glow. 

Click here to shop for more barrier-loving bestsellers from Vivo Per Lei.