Taking time to care for your skin is incredibly important as it acts as a barrier between your body and the environment. Today we’re diving right into the epidermis to learn about the components of this barrier and what we can do to strengthen it.
The Building Blocks
Think of your skin cells as tiny little bricks. To connect these cells or bricks together you need to add mortar, or in our case lipids, to form a strong bond. Lipids are skin’s naturally occurring fats and are vital to your skin’s protective barrier. When new skin cells are formed, they are flattened and pushed up toward the surface of the epidermis (outer layer of your skin) along with lipids, which are produced straight from skin cells themselves. Together, they create a lipid barrier called the ﾑstratum corneum’ or what we simply refer to as skin. Lipids strengthen your skin by keeping outside stressors or unwanted bacteria out while also holding moisture in. Talk about multi-tasking!
Although there are numerous types of lipids found in the human body, the three most prevalent in skincare are ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol.
Ceramides: Dealing with dry skin? Your ceramide production may be low. This lipid is known for increasing hydration and a deficiency of it could be the cause of your flaky skin.
Cholesterol: No, we’re not talking about the cholesterol found in your blood. This lipid aids your skin during its natural recovery process. Starting to see visible aging on your face? Low cholesterol production is commonly linked with aging skin.
Fatty Acids: Your highest levels of this lipid will be during your younger years. They’re responsible for balancing your lipid production across the board.
Boost of Protection
As we know, age plays a key component on how our skin behaves. As time goes by, our skin’s lipid production decreases which in turn can affect texture, loss of elasticity and water loss. Now that we understand just how important lipids are, what can we implement into our skincare regime to boost production and strengthen our lipid barrier?
Start by using sunscreen daily to protect your lipid barrier from sun damage and look for skincare products that are composed with fatty acids most similar to our own lipid make-up. The goal is to replace the lipids that have been lost or deficient by using a product with highly effective ingredients, like our Rich Moisture. We’ve packed it with luxurious emollients, hydrating antioxidants and infused it with grape seed oil and green tea extract to provide your skin with essential fatty acids.
Incorporating quality skincare products into your daily ritual will not only strengthen your skin’s barrier but protect it for years to come.