Heal Your Skin Barrier with the Healing Properties of Shea Butter and Look Brighter and Younger

Heal Your Skin Barrier with the Healing Properties of Shea Butter and Look Brighter and Younger

Hello Beautiful,

With time speeding towards summer for most of us, we wanted to bring you something to help prepare your skin.

This month, we want to share with you how to heal your skin barrier. 

There’s a lot of information circulating on different tricks and tips used by different people - we’d encourage you to see a specialist where you have specific concerns!

We like to start at the basic information level, and build on practical steps you can take from home - have a read, share with your friends and family and let us know what you think via our Instagram page, Twitter or reply this email.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

 

Stay beautiful,

Ify

Founder, Oyoma Beauty

 

What is your skin barrier and why is it so important?

The outer layer of your skin, called the skin barrier, functions as your body's first line of defence against damage. By offering your skin a protective layer of corneocytes and lipids, the skin barrier protects your skin from factors such as sun damage, pollution, and toxins. 

When your skin barrier is functioning properly, it helps protect you against inflammation, irritation, and dryness. If it’s not functioning properly, your skin can become prone to fine lines, acne, and rosacea. It is essential to understand that the first step in maintaining clear skin and preventing fine lines is healing your skin barrier.

In this article, we discuss why it is critical to keep your skin barrier strong and healthy and look at how to identify and treat barrier damage.

How do you know your skin barrier needs healing?

What are some of the signs that your skin barrier has been damaged? There is a possibility that your skin barrier has been damaged and that you will need to repair it as soon as possible if you experience any of the following symptoms. 

Dryness & Flaking

A damaged skin barrier can allow pollutants and toxins to penetrate your skin, while at the same time allowing moisture to escape. When this happens, you may experience dry, dull skin that can feel rough or tight to the touch.

Heightened Sensitivity

As a result of a lipid imbalance in the outermost layer of your skin, you can experience redness, burning, and even sensitivity to certain skincare products. As soon as you notice that skincare products that you have used for years suddenly cause irritation, redness, or rashes, one of the first things you should do is check the health of your skin barrier.

Acne & Breakouts

When your skin is exposed to the everyday toxins in the air and cannot maintain its moisture balance, it starts acting out. If this happens, you may find yourself experiencing breakouts and adult acne. However, the problem with this is that we tend to treat acne and breakouts with harsh chemicals and exfoliants that can worsen the issue by further impairing the skin's natural barrier function.

How can you heal your skin barrier naturally?

So, you’ve taken a look at the list above and you’ve realised that your skin barrier is damaged. How do you repair it? To start with, it's important not to stress yourself out trying to fix it, because stress can have a huge impact on the health of our skin. On to the good news, in only a few short weeks, you can restore your skin barrier and make it stronger than ever before simply by providing it with gentle loving care.

Natural ingredients are the basis of our philosophy at Oyoma Beauty. Let's take a look at our favourite non-toxic and natural ways to improve the health of your skin barrier today.

  1. Strip back your skincare routine and stop using harsh chemicals and over-exfoliating. When our skin barrier is already compromised, we can easily do more harm by focusing on treating our symptoms rather than our underlying problem. Now is the time to be kind to your skin by choosing products that contain natural and gentle ingredients with healing properties.
  2. Stop washing your face so much. Your skin loses natural oils as you wash it, leaving it more prone to damage. Consider switching to facial cleansing with shea butter for your nightly cleansing ritual! The healing benefits of shea butter make it a great option when it comes to infusing your skin with some much-needed vitamins and fatty acids. Warm some whipped shea butter between your hands before massaging into the skin with your fingertips. Known for its amazing emollient properties, shea butter can remove dirt, makeup, and soothe redness and inflammation.
  3. Massage your skin for about five minutes, then take a washcloth and run hot water over it. Spread the washcloth over your whole face and wipe it clean. The use of oils and shea butter to clean the skin is becoming more popular, but many people worry that they will clog their pores causing breakouts. Does shea butter clog pores? Not at all! With a comedogenic rating of ZERO, you don't need to worry about causing breakouts just to enjoy the healing benefits of shea butter.
  4. Don't let the moisture escape! During the recovery process, it's important to keep the skin barrier hydrated. Shea butter works wonders when it comes to keeping your skin hydrated. Vitamin-rich fatty acids penetrate the epidermis while the emollient content helps keep moisture in.

What are the benefits of shea butter?

When it comes to repairing the skin barrier, why is shea butter so important? We believe the benefits of shea butter are due to its unique structure. In addition to its anti-inflammatory compounds, it's bursting with antioxidants that make shea butter's anti-aging properties unmatched.

By using shea butter regularly, you can not only heal your skin's damaged barrier but also reduce the appearance of fine lines and dullness. This is why we believe that shea butter should be your first option when it comes to healing your skin barrier. We dare you to compare your before and after shea butter benefits so that you can see for yourself how much difference one ingredient can make.

Shea butter and science

At Oyoma Beauty we love natural ingredients, but what we love more are natural ingredients that are backed by science. That's what makes shea butter queen bee in our eyes. Countless studies have linked the fatty acids in shea butter to improved collagen production plus anti-inflammatory and healing properties. Which is why it has been used for centuries.

When used daily, shea butter has been proven to increase the overall elasticity and moisture content of the skin. The result is rejuvenated skin that looks brighter and tighter.

How to use shea butter in your skincare routine

You're ready to start healing your skin barrier and want to reap all the benefits of long-term use of shea butter. The question is, where do you start? Adding shea butter to your current skincare routine is easy because it is such a versatile ingredient. Below we take a look at the easiest ways to start using shea butter today.

  • Replace your old cleanser with a cleansing bar made with shea butter
  • Use whipped shea butter as a moisturiser for your face
  • For a dewy look, add whipped shea butter to your favourite foundation
  • Use as a standalone lip balm or add to lipstick to turn it into a hydrating tinted lip balm
  • When you are done with your day, use shea butter to remove makeup, dirt, and grime
  • Apply as a body butter after a shower by adding essential oils
  • Treat stretch marks and scars
  • Use as a weekly hair mask
  • For ultra-hydrated skin the next day, use overnight as a "slugging' mask

Adding shea butter to your skincare regimen right now will not only heal your skin barrier but will also leave you with a brighter and clearer complexion in the future. So, what are you waiting for?