How Can Homemade Soap Preserve Your Natural Skin Barrier?

Have you ever noticed that you end up with more irritated skin or break out in spots more often after a particularly intense skincare routine? It may be worth checking which products you are using and whether a natural skin soap is a better fit for you.

A common cause of redness, irritation, dry skin and even skin infections is damage to the skin barrier, the thin, oily topmost layer of your skin that keeps moisture in and keeps pollutants, irritants, allergens and free radicals out.

It is primarily made up of ceramides, a waxy layer of lipid molecules, as well as fatty acids and cholesterol. This creates a thin but vital protective layer that can ironically be damaged by trying to take care of it too aggressively.

Using typical mass-produced soaps, which are often relatively alkaline and filled with irritant ingredients and parabens, can disrupt this skin barrier.

The best way to help preserve your skin barrier or restore it if there are signs that it has been damaged is to simplify your skincare routine considerably.

Aside from easing up on exfoliation, stick to a few, simple products with ingredients designed around moisturising.

Take a look at our range of skin-nourishing soaps, and you will find that some of the natural ingredients we use are effective at helping the body repair this skin barrier and prevent a loss of moisture, without relying on additional products that overload the skin barrier.

One example of this, according to a 2017 study, is coconut oil, which is one of several plant oils that not only replenishes the lost skin barrier but also provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

They also contain several natural oils and minerals that are designed to help skin feel refreshed, which in turn helps combat the effects of dry, scaly skin and provide a boost of natural minerals.