In the quest for effective skin barrier repair, one powerhouse ingredient is gaining attention and standing out: Beta Glucan. Delving into the science behind this barrier repair ingredient, the skincare experts at Lancôme reveal exactly how it works to rebuild, strengthen, and soothe your protective barrier, transforming damaged skin into a picture of vitality.
What happens when your skin barrier is damaged?
When the skin barrier is damaged, you'll likely experience some type of discomfort – perhaps your skin feels dry, tight, irritated, or more sensitive than usual. These are classic signs that your skin barrier might be compromised, and the good news is, you can absolutely work on repairing it.
Think of your skin barrier like the protective outer wall of a very important castle. This wall (your skin barrier) is made up of skin cells held together by a "mortar" of lipids (like ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol). Its job is crucial: it keeps the good stuff inside your skin (like moisture) and keeps the bad stuff out (like irritants, bacteria, and pollution).
When your skin barrier is damaged, it's like that castle wall has cracks and missing bricks.
The "Good Stuff" Escapes
Water evaporates more easily from your skin, leading to dryness, tightness, and dehydration.
The "Bad Stuff" Gets In
Irritants, allergens, and bacteria can more easily affect your skin, causing redness, sensitivity, and discomfort.
The “Cracks” Start to Show
Skin is visibly damaged, magnifying the look of fine lines and affecting overall skin quality.
What does skin barrier repair mean?
Skin barrier repair refers to the process of rebuilding and strengthening that protective castle wall, otherwise known as the stratum corneum, skin’s outermost layer. Skin barrier repair happens when the skin’s environment is optimized for recovery. Like an arm in a cast or bandage on a wound, skin requires support to recover from damage.
How do you repair your skin barrier?
When this barrier is damaged (due to factors like environmental stressors or resurfacing-focused skincare routines), it can lead to symptoms like dryness, sensitivity, redness, and increased vulnerability to external aggressors. The skincare experts at Lancôme break down how to address these symptoms to repair the skin barrier:
Boost Hydration
Since a damaged barrier struggles to hold onto water, use ingredients like beta glucan, hyaluronic acid, or squalane. These act like sponges, drawing and holding moisture in your skin, which is essential for recovery and overall barrier integrity.
Scale Back on Resurfacing Ingredients
During barrier repair, consider pausing use of skincare ingredients that might further damage the wall, like harsh exfoliants (strong AHAs, BHAs, or retinoids) and using gentle cleansers that don't strip your skin of its natural oils. Remember to consult your dermatologist before pausing any treatments.
Protect from External Aggressors
Use broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin from UV rays and harsh environmental factors to prevent further damage during recovery.
Replenish the "Mortar"
Introduce key ingredients that mimic and replenish the natural lipids your skin barrier needs. Ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol are the "mortar" that fills in the cracks, making skin stronger and more resilient.
How does beta glucan help repair the skin barrier?
Inspired by its use in the medical field, beta glucan helps repair the skin barrier by supporting the skin's natural recovery mechanisms, offering a multifaceted approach to barrier repair. Beta glucan repairs the skin’s moisture barrier by boosting hydration and preventing further water loss, soothing skin from potential irritations so skin can recover versus react, and by promoting skin surface cell renewal. This combined activity can accelerate the skin’s natural repair abilities. When the skin barrier is repaired, skin quality is improved, and ultimately, visible skin damage is reversed.
Who can benefit from beta glucan?
Dry, Sensitive or Acne-Prone Skin
Retinol Users
Post-Procedure Skin
Shop Génifique Barrier Repair Skincare
Génifique barrier repair skincare is designed to make skin stronger and more resilient to prevent, and even reverse visible signs of skin damage, like dry or dull skin and fine lines. For a damaged skin barrier, this means actively helping to rebuild the integrity of that protective layer with our enveloping formulas. You can find barrier repair ingredients like beta-glucan, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides in Génifique skincare, your go-to collection for enhancing radiance and strengthening the skin barrier.
Génifique Ultimate Recovery Serum
Visible Damage & Skin Barrier Recovery
Advanced Génifique Night Cream
Hydrating & Nourishing
Génifique Ultimate Eye Cream
Dark Circle Reducing & Depuffing
When your skin is sending out distress signals, remember that understanding and repairing a damaged skin barrier is the best path towards comfort and resilience. By embracing a strategy that prioritizes deep hydration with powerhouse ingredients like beta glucan while scaling back on resurfacing ingredients, protecting from environmental damage, and replenishing vital lipids, you can effectively fix those "cracks" in your skin's protective wall.
