Everything Starts With Your Skin Barrier

First, let’s see what shape your skin barrier is in. Is your skin soft, comfortable, and well-hydrated? Does it have a healthy, dewy look? Those are good signs that your skin barrier is doing its job.

Now think about the opposite. Is your skin dry, tight, red, itchy, or irritated? Does it burn or sting when you apply skincare products? Have you noticed increased sensitivity or flaking? These can all be signs that your skin barrier needs some help.

And here’s the good news: The steps we use to help restore a compromised barrier are also good habits for maintaining a healthy one.

Before we start correcting what you see, we need to take care of the skin underneath it.

Your Skin Barrier

Our skin is the largest organ of the human body, and it needs to be well protected. Your skin barrier is your first line of defense against environmental stressors and irritants. It also protects against the loss of one of the most important things in the human body: water. A healthy skin barrier not only holds water in, it also keeps out bacteria, dust, and pollution.

The outermost layer of skin is called the Stratum Corneum. Think of it as a brick wall. It consists of tough skin cells called corneocytes that are bound together by lipids. This is your skin barrier. Without a skin barrier, the water inside your body would escape and evaporate.

A damaged skin barrier commonly causes dryness, tightness, flaking, redness, burning, or increased sensitivity. Over-cleansing, harsh exfoliation, hot water, low humidity, and some skin conditions can weaken the skin barrier. Barrier repair usually focuses on gentler cleansing, regular moisturizing, and avoiding triggers that irritate the skin.

And then there’s perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause to deal with. As estrogen levels decline, our skin can produce less collagen and natural oil, and skin renewal can slow. The result can be drier, thinner-feeling skin, changes in firmness and texture, and a skin barrier that may need a little more support.

And as if that weren’t enough, we may be dealing with hot flashes, changes in weight, more facial hair, thinning hair on our heads, mood changes, and trouble sleeping. It’s enough to make your head spin.

So, what can we really do?

A lot. And it starts with building and maintaining a healthy skin barrier.

How to Protect Your Skin Barrier

If your skin is soft and dewy, and feels comfortable, your barrier is healthy and working well. This can easily change as you enter any of the three stages of menopause.

If you have skin that is red and irritated, flaky, itchy, or dry, you may be experiencing a damaged skin barrier. You can repair your barrier with the following steps.

• Always wear sunblock—always.
• Don’t over-exfoliate: Think about how your skin reacts to exfoliating. Is it red, tight, and irritated? Then stop what you are using, avoid salt and sugar scrubs, and try a gentle, non-abrasive product. If your barrier is actively irritated, choose a very gentle, non-stripping cleanser and keep your routine simple. Once your barrier is comfortable and stable, gentle exfoliation can be reintroduced as needed. I prefer a mild lactic acid or enzymes rather than aggressive scrubs.
• Pause potentially irritating actives while your barrier recovers. Once your barrier is stable, you can try introducing these products slowly if you wish.
• Moisturize twice a day with a good, gentle hydrating moisturizer containing hyaluronic acid. Avoid all moisturizers with acids when your barrier is compromised. I know what you’re thinking. I said to avoid acids, and I just recommended hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid isn’t really an acid. It’s a highly hydrating compound.

Facial and Body Protocol for a Healthy Skin Barrier

1. Cleanse your skin with a gentle cleanser. Avoid any cleanser with harsh acids, such as Glycolic or Salicylic acids. You do not want to strip your skin’s natural oils. I prefer a Lactic acid cleanser. I recommend Peachy Clean by Relax & Wax, a 1% lactic acid cleanser that will gently remove dead cells and not harm your skin.
2. Do a second cleanse. The first cleanse removes make up and any debris on your skin. The second cleanse cleans your skin. Rinse well and pat dry.
3. Apply your toner. Toner is one of the most misunderstood steps in skincare. A well-formulated toner isn’t there simply to remove leftover cleanser. It helps refresh and condition the skin after cleansing, adds hydration, and prepares the skin for the products that follow. I use and recommend PDRN Rebalancing Toner.
4. Apply your serum. If you are using more than one serum, start with the lightest weight first. Depending on your skin’s needs, for prevention and maintenance: Age-Defy Professional PDRN Renewal Serum. For skin correction: PDRN Intensive Serum. Just a dime-size amount will do.
5. Apply your Age-Defy PDRN Dermal Repair Creme for prevention and maintenance, and PDRN Intensive Repair Creme for visible signs of aging.
6. Apply sunblock. Wear it every day, rain or shine. I prefer an SPF 40-50.

Depending on the amount of damage to your skin barrier, this could take a week to several weeks. Don’t skip this step.

• Make sure to drink plenty of water. Keep your body hydrated from the inside out.
• Get enough sleep. Your body needs 7-8 hours of sleep each night. This is the time your body repairs itself.
• That old saying, “You are what you eat,” is true. We should all eat better. I know I try. I don’t always succeed, but I do try.

Why PDRN?

PDRN is one of the ingredients that made me excited about skincare all over again.

Originally studied and used in medical applications, PDRN has become an exciting ingredient in regenerative skincare. In cosmetic formulations, it is used to support hydration and improve the appearance of skin texture, elasticity, and overall vitality.

But here’s something important: having PDRN on an ingredient list doesn’t make every PDRN product the same.

Formulation matters. Concentration matters. And the ingredients surrounding it matter.

That is why I didn’t simply create a collection of products that contain PDRN. I created a skincare system. Each Age-Defy Professional formula was developed for a specific purpose, with ingredients selected to work together for prevention, maintenance, or more targeted correction.

I know ingredients. I know formulation. And I know what I want these products to accomplish:

We are all aging. That’s a privilege. We want to live long, full lives. And we want to look good while we are doing it.

May we never hear “for mature skin,” “for aged skin,” or “you look good for your age” again.

We’re going to look good at every age.