Alright, friends. Let’s talk about the skin barrier. In case you’re not familiar (and don’t religiously follow @charlotteparler), your skin barrier—or skin barrier function—is the outermost layer of skin cells (the stratum corneum, if you’re fancy) plus the lipid matrix (composed of ceramides, cholesterols and fatty acids) that holds those cells together. In layman’s terms, it’s like a brick wall that keeps hydration in and potentially damaging chemicals and irritants out. If it’s functioning well, your skin appears hydrated (and if you’re lucky, glowing). If it’s damaged or compromised, you’ll likely experience inflammation, flaking, sensitivity or dryness seemingly out of the blue.
Um, it me.
Turns out, my love affair with physical exfoliants was wreaking havoc on my skin barrier. (Nothing a few days of slugging couldn’t fix, but frustrating nonetheless.) What does this have to do with chemical peels, you ask? Well, I’ve always chosen scrubs over acids because I assumed that they were the gentler option. In my mind, the words “chemical” and “peel” were synonymous with red, angry and irritated skin while “exfoliator” seemed safer. It wasn’t until I learned about the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Peel clinical study that I discovered the exact opposite is true.
