BUILDING A BETTER BARRIER
resulting in increased transepidermal
water loss and a weakened defense
against infection and other stressors."
And of course, lifestyle is a huge
factor. "We have to look at any preexisting illnesses, as well as frequency of
air travel, the use of topical medicines
and any other extenuating stressors,"
says Murad's Fredette. Even diet—lack
of calcium, for instance—can cause the
barrier to break down prematurely.
BRING IN THE
REINFORCEMENTS
Fortunately, there are plenty of tools in
a skincare pro's arsenal to counteract
damage and reinforce the skin's barrier. Rhonda Allison urges estheticians to
reach for ingredients that mimic the skin's
physiology. "Think ceramides, glycerin,
hyaluronic acid, sodium PCA, phospholipids and fatty acids," she says. "These
all help keep cells bound together in the
barrier, lending hydration, plumpness
and extracellular fluid support."
When the skin barrier's lipids have
become insufficient to handle a change
in climate or other external stressors,
must be strengthened with ingredients
that replace ineffective lipids. "Topical
ceramides help fortify the intracellular
bonds, strengthening cellular cohesion
to reduce water loss," she says.
Ceramides are also vital for protecting underlying skin tissues. Fortunately,
"Hyaluronic acid is an effective topical
application to reduce transepidermal water loss
and fill in any gaps in the barrier."
clients typically experience what feels
like a "bite" or "sting" on the skin when,
say, coming in from the cold, applying
makeup or getting out of the pool. At
this point, urges Asquith, the barrier
says Zangl, niacinamide (a vitamin
B-based ingredient) can help increase
ceramide levels, and further prevent
water loss. When the original barrier
has been compromised, King advises
harnessing silicone and dimethicone to
help create an artificial one. "Siliconebased products are phenomenal for taking away that 'bite' or 'sting'," she says.
Look for ingredients with humectant
properties to attract moisture to the
stratum corneum. "Hyaluronic acid is
the best topical application to reduce
transepidermal water loss and fill in
any gaps in the barrier," says Warren.
"Other well-known humectants are
glycerin, sorbitol and propylene glycol."
Phytomer's Eriksen-Stanley advocates
re-educating skin to better maintain
moisture, and thus restore the barrier
function. "Pheohydrane is an extract of
a brown seaweed that grows in an area
where the tides fluctuate rapidly, exposing it to sun and wind and bacteria and
Barrier Patrol
Amino Genesis, aminogenesis.com
Bio Jouvance, biojouvance.com
Dermalogica, dermalogica.com
DermAware, dermaware.com
Enspri, enspriskincare
Environ, dermaconcepts.com
Glo-Therapeutics,
gloprofessional.com
GlyMed Plus, glymedplus.com
58
DAYSPA
|
NOVEMBER 2013
G.M. Collin, gmcollin.com
Guinot, guinotusa.com
Hale Cosmeceuticals,
halecosmeceuticals.com
HydroPeptide, hydropeptide.com
Malibu C, malibuc.com
Mark Lees Skin Care, marklees.com
Murad, murad.com
Naturopathica, naturopathica.com
Pevonia, pevoniapro.com
Phytomer, phytomerusa.com
Repêchage, repechage.com
Rhonda Allison,
rhondaallison.com
Sothys, sothys-usa.com
Stemulation, stemulation.com
TecNiche, tecniche.com
Yon-Ka Paris, yonkausa.com
©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Here is a partial list of manufacturers who feature spa-level barrier reinforcers.