Yes, it’s possible to repair your skin barrier using only pure, natural ingredients that are biologically compatible with your skin. There are some natural products that can strip your skin barrier, and those should be avoided during repair. Let’s discuss which products are friends and which products are foes as you repair your skin barrier.
Natural Ingredients to Avoid During Skin Barrier Repair
First, let’s see which natural products you should stay away from as you repair your skin barrier. Some natural products can actually be the culprits behind stripping your skin barrier, as they penetrate deep into your skin.
The first step in naturally repairing your skin barrier is to stop using any natural products that can cause further damage. Here’s a list of natural products to stay away from during repair.
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Lemon juice, or any citrus juice, is a popular home remedy to lighten dark spots and brighten skin. It’s also sometimes used in professional skincare products. Raw lemon juice is very acidic and can cause chemical burns. Even in professional formulations, ingredients derived from citrus lower the pH of your skin and strip your barrier.
Raw citrus juice should never be used on your face, and even professional formulations containing lemon extract or exfoliating acids should be avoided when you’re repairing your skin barrier. -
Essential oils, such as tea tree oil, rosemary oil, or peppermint oil are very potent and powerful. If used in too-high concentrations, they can cause severe damage to your skin. It’s best to avoid essential oils even in regulated formulations while you’re repairing a damaged barrier.
All these ingredients are essential oils and should be avoided during barrier repair: Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, or Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil.
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Baking soda is popular as a facial scrub to clean clogged pores, but the high pH of baking soda makes it very dangerous as a facial cleanser. It should never be used on your face, as it can completely destroy your skin barrier.
Even professional skincare products can sometimes contain ingredients with a high pH. Ingredients like Sodium Cocoate or Potassium Olivate are called saponified oils and have a high pH. Avoid these products when healing your skin barrier.
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Apple cider vinegar is sometimes used as a home remedy for acne, often diluted to decrease the acidity. But the dilution is easily miscalculated, and when the acidity is too strong, it causes chemical burns on your skin.
Stay away from apple cider vinegar for skincare, even when diluted.
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Facial scrubs with natural shells or seeds like walnut shell powder, apricot seed powder, or jojoba beads have particles that can cause micro-tears in your skin’s surface. Especially if the particles have uneven edges, they physically strip the skin barrier of the protective lipids by scratching them away.
Avoid all physical facial scrubs while your skin barrier recovers, and stick to plain water and sensitive non-physical cleansers for your facial cleansing.
Naturally Gentle
Now that you know which ingredients and products to avoid, let’s see what an ideal skincare routine looks like for natural repair of your skin barrier. It should be as simple as possible to avoid irritating your sensitive skin.
Step 1: Cleanse
Wash your face with plain warm water. Make sure it isn’t cold or hot, tepid water is great. Use gentle natural cleansers such as chamomile cleanser or coconut milk cleanser, which help strip away impurities while being soothing to your sensitive skin barrier.
Step 2: Hydrate
After cleansing, hydrate your facial skin with a natural moisturizer that’s specifically formulated for sensitive skin. Try this strawberry rhubarb serum from Eminence or this Eminence hydrator, also with strawberry rhubarb.
Step 3: Replenish
Once you’ve cleansed and moisturized, you want to give your skin a headstart in replenishing its lipid layer that forms your skin barrier. Natural recovery creams and oils can help your skin reproduce its own oils that keep your skin healthy. Try this recovery cream made of echinacea and aloe vera, or this recovery oil with olive and sage oils that are gentle on your skin.
How Long Will Natural Barrier Repair Take?
How fast you’ll see results with this gentle, natural repair routine depends mostly on the level of damage you’re healing from. A good benchmark is 4 weeks, as that’s how long the complete cycle of regenerating skin cells will take. For the best way to tell if your skin is fully healed, see this guide on how to know if your skin barrier is healed.
Have an easy, natural recovery!
