Compromised Skin

The skin does far more work than what we give it credit for.  It’s our body’s first line of defense against pathogens and prevents excessive water loss.  It also regulates temperature and synthesizes Vitamin D.  It does its job very well, but at times we can sabotage our skin’s efforts at keeping us healthy by using harsh skin care products.

The skin is made of 3 layers: Epidermis, Dermis, and Hypodermis.  The epidermis contains the stratum corneum, which is the outermost layer and serves as a barrier.  This barrier is shed every 27 days to make room for new cells migrating from the basal layer to the surface.  Since the epidermis has no blood supply, it is completely dependent on the nourishment supplied from the dermis.  This is why it’s important to drink plenty of water and eat a healthy diet.  Your lifestyle will absolutely show through your skin.  Otherwise the body will try to conserve water, leaving the skin dry and vulnerable.  The Epidermis is where water loss can occur, causing a compromised skin condition.

Compromised skin is characterized by redness, irritation, acne, and rashes.  Not only can we dry our skin from the inside out, but also with the products we use.  Avoid soaps and alcohols.  Instead use soap-free, pH balanced cleansers such as CeraVe and MD Forte.  Avoid toners that contain alcohol and use moisturizers that combine humectants and emollients.  If you only use humectants, moisture will evaporate as it comes to the surface.  If you only use emollients, your skin will be dehydrated in the lower levels.  Humectants draw moisture to the surface and emollients prevent its evaporation. 

So what to do if you skin is too far gone?  Well, simply moisturize and seal.  No vitamin c, glycolic acids, toners—nothing.  All you’re going to use is Aquaphore, physical sunscreen, and CeraVe for next few months until your skin is back to normal.  Keep in mind that this regimen is for compromised skin-- skin that is raw, dehydrated, and losing pigment due to irritation.

The Regimen:

1. Cleanse your skin with Aquaphore.  Before getting in the shower, smear Aquaphore all over your face.  When your skin is in this condition, never steam it or allow water to touch it.  The steam from the shower can actually dehydrate your skin further. 
2. After your shower, gently remove the Aquaphore with a clean, soft wash cloth.
3. Apply a cream that contains ceramides.  Ceramides are powerful ingredients that actually repair your skin.  I like CeraVe because it is very effective and inexpensive.
4. Seal in the ceramides with Aquaphore.  You must create a seal because pollution and irritants in the environment can damage your raw skin.
5. Apply a physical sunscreen. 

Do steps 1-4 at night.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that when I saw this regimen on a forum a few years ago, I was like, “yeah right, my skin will break out like crazy!”  I figured I had nothing to lose; my skin was already jacked up.  So I took the plunge.      

My experience with compromised skin barrier:   Summer of 2009, I was perusing a post on acne.org.  The title was something like, ‘Even Skin Tone with Baking Soda’.  I immediately opened the post and read it, hoping I would find the answer to all my skin problems.  The poster claimed that her skin improved so much that she just had to share. She went on to say how she would scrub her face with baking soda, then use apple cider vinegar afterwards as a toner.  She showed before and after pictures demonstrating how wonderful this regimen has worked for her.  Her skin did improve a lot, so (gulp) I tried it. <--------BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE!  I first scrubbed my skin with the baking soda, thinking ‘hey this is nice, my skin is so soft’.   I used diluted ACV as a toner afterwards.  I heard a little sizzling noise and my skin burned.  ‘That’s what it’s supposed to do, right?’ I thought to myself.  Okay.  Next day, I used my regular cleanser, which was something from Dermalogica, used the ACV toner, and did the rest of my regimen wholly satisfied that I’m doing something great for my skin.  No pain, no gain.  By the third day, my skin was raw. My cheeks were 2-3 shades lighter than the rest of my face.  My face had a rash.  Plain water irritated my skin.  “Nakia, girrrllll, you've done it now!!!!’, I told myself.  I was in a panic.  I couldn’t wash my face; everything, even water, irritated my skin.  So I hopped online (again) to look for something that would help me.  I came across a forum that was discussing skin irritation and read about the Aquaphore regimen.  I tried it and my skin calmed down immediately.  Within a few months my skin color returned to normal.  A few months after that I was able to incorporate active ingredients, such as salicylic acid into my regimen.  In all it took about 8 months for my skin to return to normal.  My “normal” at that time was acne, unfortunately.  So far, I have overcome skin sensitivity and acne.  Now I’m on my way to “makeup optional skin”.  Stay tuned.