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9 Best Ingredients for your Skin Barrier
Happy skin barrier = happy, healthy, bouncy skin. We've found the 9 best ingredients your skin barrier will love and the products that were formulated to make the most of these nourishing ingredients.
Why the Skin Barrier is important
It is now pretty well-known that a resilient skin barrier is your secret to good skin and to provide that plump, glowing, healthy skin you are undoubtedly after. It is literally your first line of defence against bacteria, external aggressors or basically anything nasty. If you want to improve your skin, you definitely want to make sure you’re keeping your skin barrier happy!
By having a resilient skin barrier, you’re also ensuring your skin can withstand all those wonderful actives such as retinol, hydroxy acids and vitamins and are able to use them at a frequency that gets results.
Related posts:
All the info you need about your skin barrier
Signs and symptoms of a damaged skin barrier
How to care for your Skin Barrier
We can strengthen our skin barrier in 4 specific ways:
1. Topical supplementation of ingredients that mimic our skin’s natural skin barrier components. The Skin Barrier is made up of 3 main elements:
- Ceramides
- Cholesterol
- Essential fatty acids
2. Stimulate the production of skin barrier components.
3. Increase hydration (dehydrated skin is both a cause and symptom of impaired skin barrier).
4. Soothing ingredients (inflammation is damaging to the skin barrier).
Barrier Boosting Ingredients: 9 ingredients your skin barrier will love
We took the above knowledge and then found the best ingredients to cover all 4 ways to strengthen your skin barrier. In no particular order, these are the best skincare ingredients to look for to help restore and maintain the skin barrier:
- Ceramides
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Niacinamide
- Glycerin
- Oat Beta Glucan
- Allantoin
- Panthenol
- Ethyl Linoleate
- Chia Seed Oil
CERAMIDES
Ceramides are the main component of the skin barrier and an impaired skin barrier is usually associated with an insufficient amount of them. Did you know: Most cases of acne, blemishes and dermatitis corresponds to an insufficient level of ceramides - further strengthening the importance of using ceramides in your skincare.
You can’t turn a corner without hearing of the miraculous benefits of skin-repairing ceramides. To name a few of their benefits: they restore the skin barrier, lock in moisture, and reduce visible signs of ageing.
Ceramides are lipids (fat molecules) that naturally exist in your body and make up part of your skin barrier, so why do I need them in my skincare? Ceramide numbers start going down with age (or if we use too many actives!) and so supplementation via our skincare is essential. Using products rich in ceramides will ensure your skin barrier functions efficiently, increased hydration, skin is resilient, healthy, smooth and soft.
HYALURONIC ACID
Hyaluronic acid, as you know, holds 1,000 times its weight in water and helps retain moisture, making skin supple and smooth. What you might not know is that there are different kinds of Hyaluronic Acid, for example:
Zinc Hyaluronate - traditionally used to treat “hard-to-heal” wounds such as diabetic ulcers. Zinc Hyaluronate facilitates healing and demonstrates a reduction in the healing time of wounds.
Hyalorepair - a patented hyaluronic acid targeting skin barrier function and recovery.
Sodium Hyaluronate (HAbooster) - penetrates the skin to deliver hydration to deeper levels and signalling fibroblast and collagen production.
NIACINAMIDE
A superstar ingredient due to its multi-tasking nature: boosts production of skin barrier components such as ceramides, clinically proven to brighten, regulate sebum and assist in anti-ageing as well as reduce the appearance of pores. It also helps restore the surface of the skin through elevating hydration and moisture levels..
GLYCERIN
While Hyaluronic Acid might be the most buzz-worthy hydrating ingredient, Glycerin also does an excellent job of it too. Not as glamorous as HA, however it deserves just as much praise. In fact, studies show that glycerin can penetrate the skin barrier and remain within the skin for continuous hydration for several days. Particularly effective to treat extreme dryness and repair skin elasticity.
OAT BETA GLUCAN
A relatively unknown ingredient until recently, oat beta glucan is a beta glucan (a type of complex sugar) derived from oat. An excellent ingredient for sensitive and angry skin as it works twofold to:
- Soothe and calm irritation, helping minimise redness and inflammation,
- As an effective anti-ageing ingredient to firm and plump fine lines and wrinkles.
It also has antioxidant properties, helping protect the skin from further damage.
ALLANTOIN
Once only popular in K-beauty, now it is becoming more popular around the world. Effectively soothes and moisturises the skin, can also help alleviate the skin’s response to active ingredients and is often included in formulas to help buffer any potential adverse effects. As with all the skin barrier supporting products, it is sensitive skin friendly.
PANTHENOL
Years ago, a rumour was spread that any ingredient ending in ‘ol’, was drying and bad for your skin. Not true! Pantheol attracts and retains moisture, which is essential for the skin barrier and that supple, bouncy skin we all crave. Panthenol also helps the skin retain this water, preventing TransEpidermal Water Loss (TEWL). A skin protectant with anti-inflammatory properties. It helps improve skin's hydration, firmness, and smooth appearance. Another calming, soothing ingredient it helps reduce red skin and inflammation.
ETHYL LINOLEATE & CHIA SEED OIL
Oils that emulate free fatty acids which are one of the major epidermal lipids of the skin barrier.
Not only a superfood ingredient in your smoothies, Chia Seed Oil is also a super skin barrier ingredient as it is a powerhouse source of fatty acids. Of all the known food sources, chia contains the highest concentration of Omega 3 (linoleic) and Omega 6 (alpha-linoleic). Ethyl Linoleate is a stabilised form of Omega 3.
These oils are both soothing, moisturising and help reduce blemishes.
Products to strengthen your skin barrier. Where can I find these Barrier Boosting Ingredients?
So where do you find all these wonderful ingredients? What products have these amazing ingredients for the skin barrier? You’re in luck, La Clinica has several products specifically formulated with these skin barrier strengthening ingredients. Read on for more info.
The Deep Hydration Moisture Cream
The ultimate dry skin moisturiser set in a buttery-rich (but not too rich!) moisture cream that melts into the skin. Containing ALL THE ABOVE INGREDIENTS. Yes, our formulators managed to pack all those lovely, barrier-boosting ingredients into one, gorgeous cream.
Shop the Deep Hydration Moisture Cream
The Hydrating & Healing Serum
A silky-soft serum containing 7 Hyaluronic Acids, Ceramides, Oat Beta Glucan, Allantoin, Panthenol, Glycerin and a touch of Niacinamide.
Shop the Hydrating and Healing Serum
The ReActivation Nourishing Facial Oil
You could say this is as close to ‘filler in a bottle’ as you’re going to get! A must-have if you’re looking to ‘plump’ skin. Containing a specific Hyaluronic Acid that is suspended in a fatty acid, once it makes contact with the skin it expands, causing a plumping action of the skin. It also includes powerhouse emollients, Squalane, Jojoba, Chia seed, Argan Sunflower Seed and Rosehip oil.
Shop the Re-Activation Nourishing Facial Oil
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The Hydrating Gel Cream
The ‘little sister’ of Deep Hydration, the Hydrating Gel Cream comes with less plant oils, more Hyaluronic Acid and a lighter texture but similar barrier repair goodness. Great if you’re wanting a product that combines your hydrating serum, moisturiser and primer all in one.
Shop the Hydrating Gel Cream
Related post Comparing the Deep Hydration Moisture Cream & the Hydrating Gel Cream
The final word on La Clinica Skin Barrier Protection Products
Simply put, we spent a long time looking at the natural components of our skin barrier and what ingredients are best to support and repair the skin barrier. Then, our expert formulator created the following products absolutely chocka-full of these wonderful ingredients.
