At some point in the last year or so “barrier-first” skincare became a thing. The idea of entering your skincare routine around your skin barrier is now treated as a default position. This approach is presented as the most responsible way to look after skin. Especially if it has ever reacted badly to treatment. The manta is repair the barrier, remove anything potentially irritating and keep things simple! Whilst this approach has been sound advice for a long time when it comes to sensitive, reactive or irritated skin, it’s unclear whether healthy skin benefits from it. In fact, for a growing number of people, barrier-first routines are no longer a recovery step. Many are adopting barrier-first skincare as their main philosophy. In this article we explore the benefits of barrier-first skincare and it’s limitations. We’ll also review whether it can actually hold back progress or even ruin your skin.
What is Barrier-First Skincare?
Barrier-first skincare emerged seriously a couple of years ago as a response to harm done by over-exfoliation and aggressive actives. This was mainly due to multi-step routines driven by novelty and curiosity about k-beauty, unrealistic timelines and skin trends like glass skin. This enthusiasm left some people with irritated, thin and sensitive skin. In that context, pulling back and adopting a paired back gentle supportive routine was absolutely necessary. Actives were largely discouraged (or if absolutely necessary then in micro-doses) and priority was given to skin hydrating and protective products.
The problem is that what was always intended as a corrective measure slowly became a core philosophy. Barrier repair stopped being a way to repair damage or support tolerance to actives and became the core purpose of skincare. The problem with a persistent barrier-first approach is that it makes it difficult to justify using actives especially at higher doses even when there were active skin concerns like acne, skin ageing or hyperpigmentation. As such it was really easy for a lot of people to slide into under-treatment.
When Might Barrier-First Work Against You?
The key benefit of barrier support is that it repairs damage to allow normal function and enables active treatment to become possible again. This is achieved through skin hydration, lipid balance and of course limiting actives. However, barrier-first routines become problematic when they are used in place of treatment for underlying skin conditions. For example, common skin conditions like acne, rosacea, skin ageing, melasma or hyperpigmentation do not resolve or stop relapsing just because the skin barrier is healthy. In each of these cases, background inflammation, infection or dysregulation continues, even if surface comfort improves. The longer this persists, the more complex the situation becomes. For example, untreated acne may lead to scars and post inflammatory marks whilst hyperpigmentation and wrinkles may spread or become deeper. Even if barrier-first approaches calm the skin at times, you might find that flares recur more frequently.
Signs Your Barrier-First Routine is Causing Under-Treatment
Without doubt, barrier-first routines are great at reducing irritation and repairing a damaged skin barrier.They can calm and stabilise skin. For people who have sensitive or reactive skin or who have previously been burned by aggressive treatments, the reassurance barrier-first routines provide can be powerful. However, a key problem is that they are can not suppress or treat underlying skin diseases. This can lead to under-treatment which usually presents as:
- Limited Results If you are using a skin treatment but with much lower dose or frequency of actives then your results may be limited and improvement may stagnate followed by stagnation.
- Persistence: Breakouts and other problems continuously recur and never stop.
- Recurrence: Acne, scars, redness or hyperpigmentation reduce and then return in the same areas.
- Intolerance: Lack or low usage of active treatments leads to lower tolerance to them. For example this may mean persistent purging, dryness or peeling with less frequent use of strong retinoids or exfoliating acids.
When is Barrier-First Skincare Appropriate?
Unless you have a chronic skin condition that affects the skin barrier, then it does not make sense to maintain barrier-first as your main skincare approach. This is especially important if you require treatment for active or chronic skin conditions. However, barrier-first skincare makes sense in some cases including:
- After acute skin irritation or injury
- During recovery following skin treatments like lasers, peels or microneedling
- Alongside active treatments like retinoids to improve tolerance to them
- When preparing skin for escalation in amount or strength of actives
Barrier health is essential, but it is not the be-all and end-all. In fact, when barrier-first routines are used indefinitely they they can lead to under-treatment of active skin conditions. The longer this goes on, the harder it becomes as skin conditions like acne may cause scars and post-acne marks when left unchecked.As such, it is always important to tailor your skincare routine around your actual needs rather than hard rules. You can easily integrate a skin barrier supporting approach with your existing targeted skincare routine. Similarly, if there is skin is injury or irritation then you can temporarily pursue a barrier-first path to repair and recover it.
At City Skin clinic, we are uber passionate about personalised skincare. Our virtual skin clinic offers safe and effective custom skin treatments. Where appropriate our doctors use ingredients such as Tretinoin, Hydroquinone and Tranexamic acid to treat skin conditions like acne, hyperpigmentation, melasma and skin ageing. Start your online consultation today. The journey towards great skin starts here.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified medical provider for any medical concerns or questions you might have.
