Let’s talk about rosacea from a different angle today–the outside! I usually talk about how the gut and inflammation affects rosacea, but we can’t forget that this condition can also come from a damaged skin barrier, inflammation and even from sensitivities to products.

What is the skin barrier?

The skin barrier is the outermost layer of the skin, called the stratum corneum, which protects the body from the environment by retaining moisture and keeping out harmful elements like bacteria, pollution, and irritants. It is a thin, “watertight” seal made of dead skin cells cemented together by a mix of lipids, fats, and proteins, such as ceramides and fatty acids. A healthy skin barrier is essential for hydration and defense, while a damaged barrier can lead to dryness, sensitivity, and irritation. 

So basically, the skin barrier is your suit of armor for the body, to keep out unwanted invaders. And if that barrier gets damaged…chaos ensues! And by chaos I mean skin irritation and possibly rosacea and other skin conditions.

What does “damaged skin barrier” mean?

According to an article from US Dermatology Partners, “When the skin barrier is damaged, people are more likely to develop chronic skin conditions or struggle with skin health issues like dry skin, frequent infections, or generally poor wound healing. “

A damaged skin barrier can occur when the skin’s outermost layer is compromised, making it harder to keep moisture in and irritants out. This can lead to issues such as dryness, flaking, redness, sensitivity, and breakouts.

Common causes

Some of the most common causes of a damaged skin barrier are over-exfoliating, harsh products, sun exposure, and environmental irritants.  

• Genetics and aging
• Severe cold, heat or windy weather conditions
• Damage to the skin from cuts, bruises, etc.
• Environmental allegers or irritants
• Sun damage
• Skincare and cleaning products that are too harsh
• Overdoing exfoliation or over washing skin

Signs of a damaged skin barrier

If you are experiencing any of these issues, you may have a damaged skin barrier. But don’t fear, you can repair it and help heal the skin.

• General skin sensitivity when exposed to certain products or environmental allergens, irritants, and aggressors.
• Frequent inflammation or swelling of skin.
• Skin redness and discoloration that occurs frequently.
• Dry, itchy, or generally irritated skin.
• Flaky, thick patches of skin.
• Chronic or prolonged skin infections.
• More frequent flareups in chronic skin conditions.
• Skin conditions like eczema, acne, or rosacea

How do we repair the damage?

Luckily all hope is not lost once we do have a damaged skin barrier, and there are ways we can repair the damage. For now we will specifically focus on the rosacea aspect of repair, but if you would like to go into detail of other skin conditions, I can definitely dive deeper for you.

Skincare

For rosacea skincare, I have really found that the more simple your routine is–the better. In my opinion, the fewer steps you have the fewer variables you have.

A simple routine can look like:

• Gentle cleanse
• Barrier building moisturizer
• Simple serum

This is personally what I do for my skincare routine. I use a milky cleanser, a redness reducing face cream, and either a serum or a heavier more hydrating cream on top.

Avoid anything harsh, and instead opt for milky or oil cleansers. The goal is to cleanse the kin without remove the important lipids.

Fatty acids and ceramides are your friend! Rosacea-prone skin really thrives when you rebuild the lipids that seal in moisture, things like ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids in the right amounts can help restore the barrier so your skin can calm down long term.

Some of my favorite ingredients that have helped me in repairing my skin are thermal spring water (Avene Skincare), camellia, rose, castor oil, and chamomile. These ingredients have been shown to soothe and calm irritation.

Avoid essential oils and fragrance if possible. Rosacea skin reacts differently than typical sensitive skin–fragrance is one of the most common hidden triggers.

Beyond products, barrier repair is also about your habits.

• Wash with lukewarm water
• Don’t over cleanse. (Once per day is plenty for most people), making nighttime the priority especially if you wear makeup)
• Don’t try more than one new product at a time, that way you can monitor flares
• Skip exfoliants completely when skin is flared
• Use makeup sparingly if you can, I know it can be difficult, I wear makeup everyday to work! If you do wear makeup, look for non-comedogenic formulas that have ingredients for sensitive skin. I love RMS and Well people for my face.

Bringing it all together

Healing your skin barrier when you have rosacea isn’t about finding the perfect product, or copying someone else’s routine– its about understanding your own skin, paying attention to your triggers, and building habits that calm inflammation over time and prevent it from coming back.

For me, repairing my skin barrier was a combination of of working on inflammation, and changing how I treated my skin on a daily basis.

Cleansing with lukewarm water, simplifying my routine (and ingredients), and less experimenting with new products made a big difference. Along with these habits, focusing on barrier loving ingredients like thermal spring water, chamomile, camellia, and ceramides you are giving your skin extra support so there’s less stress.

Remember, with patience and finding your perfect skincare routine, you can repair the damage. But don’t forget that skin inflammation also comes from within. So, while you support the outside, make sure you’re also supporting the inside too.

Choose foods that calm the gut rather than irritate it, focus on easy-to-digest meals, stay hydrated, and pay attention to ingredients that may be triggers for you. A calm gut can potentially mean calm skin.

If you need help figuring out which foods calm your gut, and support your skin from the inside, that’s where I can help. I’m not a skincare expert, but I am someone who healed my rosacea through food, digestion, and lifestyle–and I can help you find your way too.

If this post helped you, you’ll love the resources in my monthly membership –gut-friendly recipes, meditations to calm the nervous system, and simple tools to support your healing journey. I’d love to have you there.

See you next time,

Shauna