7 Red Flags Your Skin Barrier is Damaged (And How to Heal!)

[@jamiliawallace9103]

The truth is too many ppl are doing too much, too fast on their skin in the absence of understanding skin’s physiology. Social media has made ppl believe they can frequently chop and change products and they’ll have healthy and attractive skin, that’s exactly what’s working against them. Skin needs to be respected. The mantra should be, at first do no harm. The stratum corneum together with it’s protective acid mantle knows how to defend the inner body from germicidal attacks and environmental factors. So when we impair the barrier through the use of overconsumption of chemicals on the skin we actually affect the health of our skin. Balance and prioritization is key along with a healthy lifestyle. Until then consumers who believe they need every cosmeceutical to put on their skin will be in this vicious cycle of damaging and repairing their skin barrier. Somebody needs to tell consumers they don’t approach skin in this manner.

[@01011010110]

What she says at the end of the video is SO true. I was struggling with my skin barrier (though I didn't recognize it as such because I wasn't informed enough) and I couldn't let go of mechanical exfoliation because my dry parched skin would always flake and I would exfoliate again and again cause I was exacerbated with the flakes/texture and I was just making the problem worse. I finally let go of scrubbing and embraced a gentle oat cleanser, cleaning with just my fingertips and lots of vaseline and I was shocked by how much it made a difference. Still trying to figure out my skincare, but i'm so happy I've made improvement!

[@serinfatima698]

Do you have oily skin? Because i have plus acne prone

[@organicoliveoil2007]

The problem though is once you cut out all the actives and get your barrier strong again, even when you slowly reintroduce those actives back in your routine, your barrier starts to slowly get compromised again. It's a vicious cycle really.

[@Melon29813]

I think if you keep damaging your skin barrier that much, you need to find different actives/products that don't do that anymore (or find out exactly why that keeps happening). I used to do that cycle, but then I finally found actives that don't damage my skin barrier.

[@dl6170]

I totally agree! It's the second winter I've gotten rosacea because of the temperature and weather. No matter what I do my skin is never okay and it's so frustrating!

[@komlosicoral790]

@@dl6170 And did your skin get better when winter is over? Cause I’m suffering now from the same thing🙁

[@dl6170]

@@komlosicoral790 yes I did! I realized I can’t use retinal during winter only hydrating and skin barrier friendly products

[@christined.7292]

I seriously think this might be the best skin barrier video I've watched, and I've watched a few. You really clarified everything for me, like literally every single point that I've had questions about. Thank you so much! I just saved it to my watchlist so I can refer back to it later. :)

[@tallaiadel]

I agree :)

[@johnmichaelarnaud]

Every winter I think I've learned from the last year and won't slap my barrier, and every year I manage to do it anyway. Thanks for these reminders, Kelly!

[@monikawatkins8525]

Thank you Kelly. Your videos are not only entertaining but very informative. As someone with rosacea, living in overexfoliation nation I appreciate every opportunity to fix my barrier 😂😂😂

[@watchingreviews528]

I’m currently somewhat dealing with this because my tretinoin strength was increased from 0.05% to 0.07%. I’ve realized that I’m sensitive to products with sodium hydroxide in them. When my barrier is strong the ingredient doesn’t bother me, but when it’s somewhat impaired sodium hydroxide makes my skin sting. I finally realized this because of the Cerave Hydrating Toner. I had to get all the products that were making my skin sting and do the process of elimination with the ingredients.

[@serenity8910]

I needed this! I'm currently dealing with super dry, flaky and irritated skin around my eyes and it's a struggle...

[@anikab3697]

I just found your video because I am definitely at a point where I caused to much damage to my skin and I love how vulnerable you are and give tips! I also Wanne change my mindset and listen more to my body from know on. Thanks for sharing your story and advice

[@KellyDriscoll]

I'm so happy to hear this resonated with you! Wishing you luck on your healing journey!❤

[@Iron_Sea]

Thank you, Kelly! You're my first love in the world of skincare influencers ❤️ I've learned so much from you. Each video is such a joy! Congratulations on 60K!🥳 You're amazing 😘

[@aquana]

Honestly, I have a really hard time not destroying my skin by overusing the hardest actives I can find, it's very tempting. Sure, my skin might be flaking off my face but my acne immediately disappears. I prefer the flakes💀

[@doodmayne7535]

You have dry skin not dehydrated skin

[@niklaus009]

Congratulations on 60k Kelly and happy holidays! I have learned so much from you e.g. the moisture barrier, holy trinity, essential oils, fragrance, alcohol, hydration vs moisture, harsh AHAs like GA, etc. Been battling with acne for 11 years and ongoing and I wish I could’ve saved myself the social and mental anxiety, low self esteem, tears and depression. Love you so much!!

[@Carol-hx8te]

This video came at the perfect time! My skin is so itchy, irritated & angry from using tretinoin. I will definitely add these products to my routine so I can heal my skin.

[@ixchel231]

60K!!!🎉🎉🎉 Congrats Kelly!! A fan of your channel several years, love your videos ♥️

[@KellyDriscoll]

Thank you so much!💖

[@christiepaguirigan7391]

Should be more than 60K!!! So underrated! She’s so informative and well researched content creator of skin care!

[@ixchel231]

@@KellyDriscoll ♥️

[@ixchel231]

@@christiepaguirigan7391 I agree!! 💯

[@maryv9832]

Congrats on 60k! I woke up today to flaky, dry skin. I’m on my 4th week of tret combined with Midwest winter. I think I’m going to add cerave healing ointment to my routine. Perfect timing for this video!

[@lavayuki]

I did this a few times and have finally learned to not do it and prevent it, especially as having dry sensitive skin

[@lynneward3054]

I love your content and despite being a long term skincare aficionado, your approach really resonates with me. Thank you for all the effort and for being you!

[@knnorman3855]

Kelly, I just want to tell you. Everything you said about the mindset is 100% true. My skin barrier was so damage due to over exfoliation and I was trying my best to use bunch of different products for the breakouts and scars whilst my skin is not ready and it didn't heal 😭. So one night after I broke down and cried I found this video and took what you said to heart. I change my mind set to healing instead of beautifying and it is magic. I only wash my face twice a day (my country is humid and I have oily skin), use hydrating toner, centella asiatica serum, ceramide moisturizer and sunscreen for almost a month now and my skin is so much BETTER! Thank you Kelly. You have help build trust and confidence towards myself 🥺 God Bless 💕

[@KellyDriscoll]

Oh I'm so happy to read this! It was the biggest thing I struggled with when my barrier was damaged, I'm so glad this resonated and helped, thank you so much for sharing this with me! Happy healing! ❤

[@erodashfryne]

I live in a humid area too..may I know the name of the products you use?

[@SuperPuddingcat]

I once had a really bad skin barrier problem after using a natural cosmetic range that contained essential oils. My skin dried out to the point of feeling like sandpaper and was constantly tingly and itchy. I wholeheartedly vouch for Paula’s Choice Omega Serum and moisturiser these products totally healed my skin!

[@oneeyebeauty]

Embrace your mindset shift - GOLD💛 Really informative and helpful video thank you Kelly! Wishing you a happy Christmas and holiday❤

[@timelesswords6826]

My personal advice for those who suffer in sensitize skin barrier is always use a mild cleanser, no scrub! hydrating cleanser is essential especially for those very sensitive skin or damage skin barrier.. second is use a hydrating toner, no fragrance, no alcohol content just mild and all natural. In the morning always use sunscreen use a 3 fingers method to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.. serum is a must too.. you may find a hyaluronic acid serum, green tea, panthenol, cica and centella asiatica.. stop using expoliating product including scrubs.. always use light moisturizer in the evening. If you are very dry skin i recommend using facial cleanser at night only.. always use a mid cold water to soothe and to calm your skin.

[@mooninaries4397]

Thank you! Your talk is motivating me and i really like the mindset thing you mention! I really needed this. Its so disheartening to damage the skinbarrier when im trying to get rid of my adult acne, and this is the second time i do so! I guess for every time my skin get more and more sensitive or it probably hasen't healed totally from last time.. Now i have to start all over again, but hopefully i have more knowledge thanks to you and other who put out videos about what to do.💜 Im so afraid to use oclusives because of my acneprone skin, but im gonna go against that fear and like you said, the important thing first, the vain cant be number one.

[@jakiwolley6853]

You are the most adorable. We have the same skin type, so I truly appreciate the education

[@herboringblog935]

I actually stopped using all the nasty skin care products…and I had no idea how my skin barrier was being affected. But boy…skin barrier damage really caused me get so serious because it brought so many self esteem issues with its manifestations. For now I’m just using Shea butter and wash my face with lukewarm water. I also practice a lot of forgiveness 😂 . Anyway so now I’m using all those products for my bum bum facials ❤😂 and praying my skin really really really heals and repairs itself. Skin barrier damage is nasty 🤢 😅

[@IWMIL]

Is your skin improving? I stopped all skin care products a week ago, it looks like my skin is starting to thicken because it was SOO thinned out.

[@mudo2243]

What about sunscreens? What did you do while healing

[@herboringblog935]

My skin has thinned because a friend recommended an otc tretinoin (retinol) product and it made my skin hypersensitive to sunlight. As a result it got botches of pigment. So I panicked and over did with SPF. But it’s all wrong. Here’s what I did. I completely stopped using Spf. It sounds crazy at first but it really helped. Recovery of skin took time and mind boggling amount of patience. So eventually and slowly the pigmentation calmed down ( it’s the worst skin condition btw ) I did nothing except for absolutely no skin care , only water for face . To begin with I always had great skin but it seems I was mislead and misguided . So yeah skin barrier healing takes time . Completely avoid the sun! This is major. And leave the skin be. No home remedies also. Because I remember using fresh aloe from the garden and it broke my skin out in rashes. So I remember quitting all skin care products and remember …lot of forgiveness for yourself works miracles. I’m serious.

[@herboringblog935]

@@mudo2243 no Spf for skin which has barrier damage. Atleast it was my discretion. It’s contradictory because all you’ll read about is retinol and Spf and then more layers of Spf. But skin barrier in my opinion doesn’t even need interference from a dermatologist. It only needs to left alone to heal and sometimes that’s the biggest challenge. Everyone seems to be using and preaching max 10 steps to skincare. It may sound crazy but I don’t even cleanse my face or exfoliate it esp when and if you are working from home. Some bloggers go absolutely nuts with their skin care regimen for views! Ha

[@NusratSarah]

If you're not allergic to hemp seed oil , you can use - "Simple Booster Serum 10% Hemp Seed Oil + B3" - 30ml . Budget friendly and really great product . 😊😊

[@fabiorein5585]

Amazing Kelly as always- so many great advices in here🥰you are one of my very favorite skincare channels on KZbin 😊 Love from Germany ❤️

[@missjellykaren]

I’ve watched so many Healing Skin Barrier content video and honestly found them lacking.. I absolutely love the way you said about the mindset we need to be while healing skin barrier because that’s the most important bit!

[@KellyDriscoll]

I'm so glad to know this resonated with you! Wishing you luck on your healing journey!❤

[@promhart764]

Thank you for this Kelly ❣️ big fan of your content. Question, did niod’s Modulating Glucosides have a reactive affect to your skin when you started using it? I ended up having a lot of these reactions from it, sucked cuz I was so excited to try

[@KellyDriscoll]

Never had a reaction to MG. Could be it's not the right choice for you, if you get a similar reaction from other products it could be your barrier or an ingredient shared between products.

[@naiadriverchild7898]

So educational! Thank you Kelly!!! ❤️🙏

[@carolesleo]

Happy holidays dear Kelly! Thank you so much for this great content

[@shariharris6001]

Thank you Kelly, going through that now . I cannot put Tretinon on the sides of my lips and I am dealing with that now. I put Vaseline there before I put anything on..

[@TruthSeeker-tw2qj]

Hey Kelly have you tried the Innisfree Black Tea Youth Enhancing Treatment Essence? It sounds amazing but I can’t find any reviews on it. It’s fragrance free and has a bunch of peptides and niacinamide and fermented green tea.

[@watchingreviews528]

I have this product and I enjoy it. 😊

[@sokhnafatydiakhatethiam8588]

Hello Kelly, the cicaplast b5 has been reformulated, what dou you think of the reformulation Thank you ❤

[@krissmith3102]

What's your opinion on facial oils to help heal the skin barrier? When I damaged my barrier by overusing retinol, I found that hemp seed oil and rosehip oil helped so much!

[@kennethgingco7155]

I think hemp seed have backed-up facts about helping with the skin barrier and can definitely help.

[@kimberlymiller704]

All skin barrier ingredients break me out and make my skin feel even more dry. 😢

[@lauriannajones]

Have you managed to fix it?

[@lonerebeI]

No cleanser in the morning and just rinsing with water is truly game changing

[@lauriannajones]

Did it work for you?

[@Userdeleted808]

Have returned to once a day oil cleansing. Rosacea sufferer, and now periorificial dermatitis. The only things that seem to help are occlusives and sulphur. I’m not a toner person, however may just have to become one.

[@fabekko]

Omg, amazing video. I'm brazilian. Sorry for my bad english. Loved the video and the informations. I subscribed to the channel.

[@kennethgingco7155]

The Illiyoon Ceramide Cream doesn't gets the job done in relieving the irritation for me. I have dry and irritated skin and it only gets my skin moisturize but inside of that coat, my skin still feels itchy and irritated. I guess I need a moisturizing + soothing/calming skincare combo to help with my dry + irritated skin.

[@xoxjelloxox]

Did you find something that works?

[@misslady2470]

skinfix collodial oatmeal balm is so good i wish it came in a bigger container

[@vanefreja86]

I am there right now. Using profucts from manyo - the bifida ampoule and and face mist as weel as Vegan Rice Milk from Goodall. Hope they help. I will do them this month and see how it goes. Then I might try some of you good reccomendations.

[@lauriannajones]

How did it go?

[@melatisapari1741]

With acne, avoid petroleum!!! Petrolatum is thick and oily and it clogs pores and gives you skin inflammation. Petrolatum itself is non-comedogenic. In any case, it can trap comedogenic ingredients in - and that can cause breakouts. One of the petroleum jelly side effects is that it creates a defensive barrier on the skin that traps dampness in.

[@lidyafuad4226]

hi kelly. I have always loved your videos. There will always options of various products to choose from. Please help me...i am torn between illiyoon ceramide ato cream and real barrier extreme cream. Which one will u suggest or which one will u pick?

[@yogaqueen515]

Laneige cream skin is my HG for at least 5 years

[@jama9512]

hi Kelly! Is chemical sunscreen ideal for damaged skin barrier? Or will mineral sunscreen work better? ❤

[@monikawatkins8525]

Dziękujemy.

[@KellyDriscoll]

Thank you so much for your support!💖

[@maroofa_mj]

Hey kelly. Can u pls talk abt BHT . Some say it could be carcinogenic.. I see many products with this ingredient. Is it safe to use ?

[@KellyDriscoll]

Great question for cosmetic chemists who work with skincare ingredients all the time and are qualified to speak on ingredients, amounts used etc. Often times the safety of ingredients are brought up with no context to how they are used in skincare, (dose makes the poison etc). Referring to professionals in this field help make more sense of the nuances in formulation. My favorite is Lab Muffin Beauty Science.

[@linedion7128]

@kellydriscoll what about Hyaluronic acid?

[@charugupta7671]

what if my skin becomes hyperpigmented after my skin barrier is repaired And how much time your barrier took time to get repaired ? Plz ANSWER I'M AFRAID AS I'M DEALING IT WITH RN

[@KellyDriscoll]

If your skin get's hyper pigmentation you will address it when your skin is healed. Everyone's skin and body is different so healing time will vary, for some 2-3 weeks and for others 1-2 months for skin to feel fully healed. If you push your vulnerable skin with exfoliants and brightening when it's not healed you will delay the process. Patience is what's needed here, good luck!

[@honeymolasses]

Kelly is right. Start by fixing your barrier first then deal with the other issue of hyperpigmentation afterwards. I had the same issue and had to simplify my routine to just a gentle cleanser such as oat meal balm, then a moisturizer, and also spf in the morning. My skin barrier repaired in 3 weeks then I was able to branch out and look for products to tackle the hyperpigmentation. Inkey list products are brilliant 😊

[@shariharris6001]

Thanks!

[@KellyDriscoll]

Thank you so much, Shari! 🙏❤

[@TaylorLeeKnow]

Can I use the Goodal Rice Milk toner?

[@lamandaf1050]

2 tspn of olive oil a day helps a lot ! Gets me oily in a just a week

[@xoxjelloxox]

Eating or putting on skin

[@lamandaf1050]

@@xoxjelloxox drinking it

[@slimmeyBabe]

Iam just starting to dive into skincare..What about niacinamide? I don't have a product with a very high amount, but still like 3 products in my routine where its in. Can that be too much?

[@ursulavandermerwe5511]

What about foundations? Is it safe to put foundation on ontop of all the necessary barriers? I only have eczema on my chin.

[@KellyDriscoll]

Check your foundation for fragrance, especially compounds like limonene, linalool etc. those can be irritating! Otherwise, if you want to wear makeup you can!

[@ursulavandermerwe5511]

@@KellyDriscoll Thank you for your response, much appreciated! I used Estee Lauder's double wear and my skin went down hill within 4 months. I did not use a proper moisturizer! So I went over to my previous brand, Loreal infallible 24h fresh wear (now 32h). The list of ingredients seem endless.

[@nelsonquinney2316]

Great Video Kelly

[@KellyDriscoll]

Thank you!!

[@marynguyen5804]

When do you use healing ointment?

[@gunelsemedli9795]

Hey Kelly , what do you thing about mists , I feel itchy and dehydrated my face the whole day , Could you recommend mists and are they worth it ? Thanks for video

[@KellyDriscoll]

Misting can be nice but not really helpful for chronic dehydration imo, misting feels good in the moment but can cause more TEWL when it evaporates from the skin.

[@moomalnasir3434]

Hey Kelly What about tranxemic acid and alpha arbutin

[@moomalnasir3434]

Can we use it during damaged barrier

[@KellyDriscoll]

Would recommend you just focus on healing, back to your brightening when skin is healthy again.

[@moomalnasir3434]

@@KellyDriscoll thanks alot 🤗❣️

[@Christina-xx2mv]

My skin barrier is costing me some monies :(

[@RamintaVerikaite]

Hi. I purchased slightly different CeraVe cream, which is almost the same as you advised here. It's SA Soothing Cream fro dry, Rough, Bumpy skin woth 3 essential ceramides, urea and salicylic acid and I think I made a biggest mistake because after putting it on my face started to sting so badly. I had damaged skin abrier, and my skin is always red toght and burning. I used Laneige skin refiner, which helps me a lot. Then I out some snail essence, and sfter tried this Cerave cream and had to wash it off immediately. Did this happen duento salicylic acid? I just don't understand how this kind of cream can be called hypo alergic and help to build skin barrier when I felt that some bucket of acid was spilled in my face

[@RamintaVerikaite]

Even after washing off my skin was painfully burning from this cream, the eye lids turned really red. I don't know If I had to wait for this cream to settle in, but I am usually good at enduring pain, but this was way too much 😬 I definitely picked wrong cream, not like I have acne. The 'for dry skin' sold me.

[@John_232]

@@RamintaVerikaite how you recover your damaged skin barrier m

[@funsizedi88]

No u DO NOT WANT TO USE ANYTHING SA when your skin barrier is damaged. SA is saysilc acid/BHA, which is very irritating. Urea is also irritating. You shouldn't use this on your face at all, it's a body cream.

[@Mia-og1dr]

the salicylic acid is a chemical exfoliant! and so is urea at high %s. that cream is designed for exfoliating off dry skin while moisturising, much too harsh for a damaged skin barrier

[@danig342]

My skin feels stretchier and looks flatter. My cheeks are big, but look kind of flat. My skin burns like a mofo. I’m pretty sure I too damaged my barrier. 😭

[@Autumn567]

Are sleeping packs like Cosrx rice mask, occlusive enough?

[@hostiles1]

i cant find any occlusives ingredient in Cosrx Rice Mask

[@celeste8157]

Idk how to tell the difference between a damaged moisture barrier and just super dry skin. I've had very dry skin my whole life

[@aleeshaa1788]

If you don’t have redness, itchiness or just visible irritation and burning, then that’s not a damaged barrier, that’s your genetic skin type.

[@honeymolasses]

It was actually a dermatologist who compromised my moisture barrier by advising me to use several chemical exfoiliators at one time. Now im trying to fix it.i am currently using inkey list omega water cream which has ceramides but also contains niacinamide. Shall I stop using this due to the niacinamide ingredient?

[@lauriannajones]

Doctor ruined mine by prescribing Double Base gel😢 how is it going for you?

[@honeymolasses]

@lauriannajones so much better. Another dermatologist advised me to strip my routine back to a basic one I took her basic routine advice for 3 weeks she wanted me to then start using retinol but I ignored this and created my own routine instead. Im now using a gentle exfoiliant called mandalic acid, 1-2 times a week, and I always moisturize religiously twice a day. Im also using tranexamic acid and arbutin. Of course with sunscreen every morning. I did have to go slow though with the exfoiliants to ensure I did not cause irritation. I did purge as well 😞 which caused me some spots but it wasn't severe as I went slow with everything and drank loads of water. So happy with the results 😀

[@lauriannajones]

@@honeymolasses congratulations 🙂how often did you exfoliate in a week?

[@honeymolasses]

Twice a week now. I'm happy with the results so I've decided to stick to what my skin likes instead of starting back at square 1. I won't increase. I tried to introduce a sacylic acid cleanser instead of my regular Cerave into my routine...my skin hated it and i broke out. Back to Cerave now and I'm all good. Is your issue sorted now? 🙏🏾

[@honeymolasses]

​@lauriannajones if it helps, my skin only took 3-4 weeks to go back to normal with the most basic skin routine

[@sunidhi29]

❤❤

[@prboi1985]

You got 💄on your teeth sis 😬

[@blkn_djinni]

Thank you darling 🩷💕🦄