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In the beauty world—as everywhere else—trends are cyclical. Certain topics experience moments of glory; other topics receive little or no attention at all. In matters of the skin, one of the most discussed topics as of late has been the importance of collagen—the protein present in the body that naturally begins to degrade after the age of 25.
In this era of collagen, modern wisdom insists that we can prevent its ever-accelerating loss with good skincare habits, a healthy diet, and even a tweakment here and there. We’re told that if we can slow the loss, then the dreaded signs of aging—sagging, wrinkles, crepiness— won’t be so apparent.
But collagen isn’t the only thing that impacts the skin. In fact, there are other things that are just as necessary. One of the most important? Our skin barrier.
“If our skin barrier is healthy and strong, we can prevent the damage and aggressions that attack it every day and ultimately affect the deep layers of the skin where collagen is,” explains Annie Black, International Scientific Director at Lancôme and expert on cell aging. “If the barrier function is good, the skin is stronger against attacks. When it is weak,you start to have problems: pimples, redness, spots. It all starts at the skin barrier and that is why it is so important to take care of it to age healthily.”
In other words, one of the best ways to keep collagen from degrading is to protect the surface of the skin, too. You wouldn’t expect a house to stay intact without a roof, right?
Protecting the skin barrier
Much like collagen, the repair capacity of the barrier function also weakens over the years, so we must prioritize its care in our daily routines to keep it strong.
You can think of the skin barrier as a filter that keeps harmful substances—pollutants, toxins, allergens, pathogens—from penetrating the skin. It also regulates hydration and temperature. To that end, you want that filter to be strong; more a fine mesh than a loose net. An easy way to do just that? Stop doing so much extra cleansing.
“One of the most common mistakes is over cleansing,” Black explains. “Of course, it is important to remove makeup, but the key is to not overdo it.” So that does mean we all need to skip the double cleansing? Not necessarily. We just need to make sure we’re doing it safely.
“I practice a double cleansing method because I like to make sure that my makeup and sunscreen are removed. Plus, I love the feeling of finishing that process with water,” admits Black. “But to ensure that cleansing does not affect the skin barrier, it’s important that the second step is done with a mild cleanser. Aggressive cleansing agents attack the skin’s microbiome and its barrier function.”
Cleansing the skin barrier
Cleansing can be an important function in helping to prevent aging—as long as you do it correctly. Here are Black’s tips for protecting the skin barrier.
“It is important that the water temperature is warm; not excessively hot,” she says.
For the first step of double cleansing, you should use a balm, cream, or oil to remove the makeup on eyes and lips. Then, use a mild foaming cleanser.
In the morning, there really is no reason to do a double cleanse. “It all depends on the type of skin and its needs, but in the morning, cleansing should be lighter and gentler. It may be worth using a cleansing milk. I like to soak a cotton ball in moisturizing lotion and pass it over the skin to refresh it before continuing with the rest of my routine,” Black says.
Skincare routines—including cleansing—should adapt to the climate and the season. “In summer, for example, I prefer shorter routines, with fewer steps and lighter products,” says Black.
