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Love your skin barrier and feel relieved

4 November, 2021 . 0

A healthy skin barrier is secret to managing eczema^{^}. Here’s how giving yours some TLC can reap rewards.

Researchers have discovered that our skin’s outer layer has a bricks and mortar type of structure, with your skin cells representing the bricks and lipids (the skin’s natural fats) naturally produced by the body, representing the mortar.

As the outermost layer of your skin, this skin barrier is your protective shield and your first line of defence against harsh aggressors like the sun’s UV rays, pollutants, microbes and chemicals.

It also helps your skin retain moisture and natural oils (the good stuff!) by preventing water loss from your deeper skin layers.

The bad news? When this outer layer is damaged, irritants and allergens seep in and water evaporates, leaving your skin dull, dry and dehydrated and at risk of irritation and potentially eczema^, a common skin condition marked by itchy, dry and inflamed patches of skin.

So, what impacts your skin barrier?

Here are just some of the things that science has found could affect our skin barrier:

A dry or humid environment
Allergens, irritants and pollutants
Alkaline detergents or soaps
Over-washing
Genetic factors that make you prone to certain skin conditions

While some factors, like ageing, are out of your control – others you can help influence.

And cleansing and moisturising with the appropriate products for your skin may be key.

How to nurture your skin barrier

It has been said that if your skin barrier is damaged, there is a good chance you are missing ceramides.

Research shows that ceramides may support the structural integrity of your skin barrier and products containing these little gems may help relieve the dryness, itchiness and scaling caused by one that’s poorly functioning.

What are ceramides?

Ceramides are the waxy lipids found in high concentrations in your outer most layer of skin and are helpful in maintaining a healthy skin barrier.

We have all heard of niacinamide (also called nicotinamide) and it’s all for good reason – it’s shown to help support the skin barrier function, relieving skin dryness and scaliness. Nicainamide works nicely with moisturising ingredients like glycerin, helping your skin barrier draw in that all important moisture.

For the love of your skin barrier (and your mild to moderate eczema symptoms), don’t wait any longer to try a product that contains these ingredients and more.

While many moisturisers and cleansers available are cosmetic products – typically designed for normal, healthy looking skin – the QV Dermcare Eczema Daily^# is a new therapeutic range by QV Skincare that has been tested on Australians with medically-diagnosed moderate eczema.^#

QV Dermcare Eczema Daily range are a set of therapeutic cleanser and moisturiser that’s been scientifically formulated with a combination of moisturisers and ceramides to help relieve the symptoms of mild to moderate eczema, by helping improve the skin barrier function.

QV Dermcare Eczema Daily Wash – a pH-balanced and soap-free formula hydrates as it cleanses.

Then there’s QV Dermcare Eczema Daily Cream, an intensely hydrating therapeutic moisturiser that is scientifically formulated to create a protective barrier to help retain moisture and help relieve itchy, dry skin.

With your skin barrier your frontline defence against the world, giving it a bit of TLC is your best bet for managing your mild to moderate eczema symptoms.

* This post has been brought to you by QV Dermcare Eczema Daily Wash and Daily Cream

^Eczema requires diagnosis by a medical practitioner.
#QV Dermcare Eczema Daily has been clinically tested on people 18 years and above.
Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, worsen or change unexpectedly, talk to your health professional.