Every skin, regardless of age, has its basic needs, which are cleaning, hydration, protection from UV radiation, nourishment and supporting the barrier against external stressors.
They say you don't judge a book by its cover, but in the case of leather, that doesn't count. Keeping the outer, protective layer of the skin healthy is the key to maintaining its optimal health, that is, smooth, clean, energized and pleasant skin. Conversely, a damaged barrier is a Pandora's box for skin problems – from acne, wrinkles, flaking, dryness and redness. Such damage is much more present than we think. The worst part is that the barrier is very easily damaged and its protective function is destroyed. With our daily habits and care products, we often sabotage her health and protective mechanism.
To begin with, we need to learn what the skin barrier is
The skin barrier is called the epidermis, that is, the outermost layer of skin cells located on the surface itself. It is attached to the dermis, which contains blood vessels, sweat glands, nerves and, more importantly, collagen and elastin, two structural proteins that give the skin firmness and elasticity. Below the dermis is the subcutaneous layer, which primarily consists of fat.
Since the epidermis is the layer that is in contact with the outside world, hence the word "barrier" in its name. With its structure, it supervises some key functions. Its structure consists of keratinocytes and the lipid matrix that surrounds them. The easiest way to visualize this is to imagine the skin barrier as an actual wall. The bricks in the wall are the cells, while the plaster, in this particular analogy, is the lipid matrix. Through it, if the barrier is healthy, good things such as active ingredients can easily pass into the dermis, where new cells are formed. The bad stuff, like bacteria and allergens, can also get through, but much, much harder. Lipids within that matrix, such as ceramides and essential fatty acids, need to be in a certain ratio for the skin barrier to function properly. When the skin barrier is intact, this construction works perfectly to keep hydration in and bacteria, pollutants and allergens out. It is a symbol of healthy skin. In fact, a healthy epidermis preserves and protects the new skin cells that form deep in the dermis, allowing healthy active ingredients to supply these new cells, while preventing environmental toxins from reaching them.
What is a damaged skin barrier?
When the skin barrier is damaged, that lipid matrix is not as strong as it should be, leading to cracks and gaps. When this happens, the job of keeping irritants or microbes out of the skin and preventing water loss from the skin no longer does its job well. Not only does the skin become dry and dehydrated, but these external usurpers cause inflammation; accelerated aging, spots, acne, dryness, and redness appear.
The most common causes of damage to the skin barrier are:
- age – oil production decreases with age
- excessive and aggressive cleaning of the skin with various devices and means - rough exfoliation, exaggeration with acids and sulfate- and alcohol-based products dissolve the lipid matrix and cause microcracks
- environmental aggressors – smoke, soot, radiation and dry air cause skin infections
How to restore and heal the skin barrier?
First, check your skin care habits and choose your cleansers wisely. Two-phase cleansing based on the biomechanics of the skin takes place by first removing make-up and surface impurities with high-quality cold-pressed oils such as hazelnut, sikava or chia seeds, and then using an enzymatic cleanser to clean the skin. If this cleaning is performed properly in the evening, the skin's shine returns, it becomes smooth and even-toned.
Furthermore, we must always hydrate the skin. This applies to all skin types, even oily or acne-prone skin. Moisturizers with prebiotic and probiotic cultures are suitable for every skin type and they are the ones that topically treat the skin barrier, providing it with antioxidants that will be delivered to the dermis. On the other hand, probiotic cultures will treat the epidermis on the spot. Finally, offense is the best defense. Instead of repairing the skin barrier, it is by far the easiest to prevent its damage.
The best ingredients for our skin barrier:
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Emollients : ensure that moisture remains in the skin. In the case of damaged epidermis, omegas and ceramides integrate into the lipid matrix of our skin, making it hydrated, softer and smoother. Ops Biotics+ Omega - ceramide dry oil offers a mixture of the most important skin identical lipids from sika, better wild flax (camelina) and ceramides intended for hydration, renewal and care of the skin barrier and the layers below it.
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Prebiotics, Probiotics and Postbiotics: Probiotic skincare supports the microflora naturally occurring on the skin to boost the skin's natural defenses. The result is reduced inflammation, greater resistance to environmental damage and strengthening of the skin's barrier against aggressors such as UV radiation, pollution and stress. This type of care directly strengthens the immune system of the skin (the largest organ in the body). No other active ingredient in cosmetics is aimed at supporting our skin's immune system like probiotic agents do. They calm the natural immune triggers in our skin that can be overstimulated by pollution and stress and reduce the damage they cause to our collagen, elastin and healthy cells. Ops Biotics+ 3 biotic line contains a fantastic combination of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in combination with moisturizers and antioxidants. Just such a combination meets the needs of every skin, young or mature, oily or dry, because its action is smart - it directs the work of the skin's immune system, while nourishing and caring for the epidermis and dermis.
Every skin, regardless of age, has its basic needs, which are cleaning, hydration, protection from UV radiation, nourishment and supporting the barrier against external stressors. The Ops Biotics+ brand does this through natural "skin identical" ingredients - natural components of medicinal plants that mimic the natural components of the skin, and for this reason it does not metabolize them, but absorbs them beautifully and uses them fully.
