If you’ve been in the skincare game for a while, you may have heard the term moisture barrier tossed around. The skin's moisture barrier is typically mentioned in the context of severely dry skin, or when the moisture barrier becomes compromised. 

We’ll walk you through exactly what the moisture barrier is, how it operates to keep the skin hydrated and lubricated, and how to restore and balance it.

What is the Moisture Barrier?

The moisture barrier is the outermost layer of the skin within the epidermis layer. Also known as the stratum corneum, the moisture barrier is the first line of defense for the skin. It keeps things like environmental pollutants, dirt, and bacteria away from the inner layers of the skin, and keeps hydration and moisture within the skin. 

When the skin is adequately hydrated, the epidermis skin cells are packed closely together along the skin surface. When the skin is dehydrated and lacking moisture, the skin cells are farther apart. Lipids are important proteins that keep the epidermis cells glued together on this critical barrier. 

A variety of factors can influence the lipids and fragile balance of moisture in this cell wall like environmental pollutants, humidity, dryness, sun exposure, allergens, and over-exfoliating. These triggers can weaken the water retention ability of this critical layer of skin.

How to Tell if the Moisture Barrier is Damaged

If your skin is feeling dry, tight, itchy, and irritated, you are likely suffering from a compromised moisture barrier. If your typical products are causing your skin irritation, redness, and inflammation – it’s definitely time to check out the moisture barrier and provide some extra TLC. 

It’s pretty simple to give yourself a self-assessment of your moisture barrier. If your skin appears dull, and is feeling dry, tight, and irritated to the touch, you need to restore hydration by moisturizing and drinking plenty of water. 

How to Prevent Moisture Deficit

To prevent the moisture barrier from becoming distressed and setting off an imbalance, commit to a diligent skincare routine and ensure you’re always staying well-hydrated. A bare-bones skincare routine includes cleansing, moisturizing, and applying SPF.

In addition, avoid certain triggers that might irritate your skin and cause a lack of moisture and hydration. For example, swimming in a high-chlorine pool frequently can dry out the skin, or come into contact with pollutants like smoke, or environmental allergens. 

How to Balance the Moisture Barrier 

The best way to restore the moisture barrier of the skin is to apply a moisturizer and rehydrate the body by drinking plenty of water. 

If you’re using a moisturizer, and your skin is still feeling dry, dehydrated, tight, and irritated, you might be using a product that is causing more harm than good. Most moisturizer products are created with women’s skin in mind, which has a particular pH level on the acid mantle, or moisture barrier. Men’s skincare products take an alternate approach by matching the product formulations with men’s skin pH level, which is on average, much lower than women’s skin. 

Fortunately for you, Disco has done the work to put the science behind the skincare, and we optimize all of our skincare products with the appropriate pH level for men’s skin. In addition, we use all-natural ingredients like Ceramides, Hyaluronic Acid, Macadamia Oil, and Vitamin E to provide the utmost moisture to strengthen the stratum corneum layer.