Published: March 15, 2025
If you want your skin to look and feel its best, you need to take good care of your skin barrier. While you may think that your skincare routine is geared toward this, there is one product that’s used on a daily basis that could be causing that precious barrier more harm than you realize…
Can you guess what that product may be?
We’ll give you a clue – it’s the one that you always start your skincare routine with, meaning that you likely use it twice a day. That’s right – we’re talking about your cleanser.
As essential as a cleanser may be, many cleansing formulas are notorious for stripping away and weakening the skin barrier, which can cause a number of issues in the long run. If you want to cleanse without worrying about damaging your skin, keep reading as Avinichi explains how to determine whether or not a cleanser is barrier-friendly.
Why is the Skin Barrier So Important?
Wondering what all of the fuss is about when it comes to the skin barrier?
This barrier, which sits on the outermost layer of your skin, performs a couple of very important roles. Firstly, it keeps moisture locked into the skin. Without that barrier, any moisture that your skin receives will evaporate away into the air in seconds. The extra layer that your skin barrier forms over your skin cells slows this process down. This makes it much easier for your skin to remain hydrated, meaning that your skin cells will be able to receive the moisture that they need.
In addition to keeping moisture in, your skin barrier also keeps irritants, toxins, germs, and a whole host of other impurities out. It provides a layer of protection, preventing all of those unwanted substances from coming into contact with your skin cells or, worse, sinking into your pores. Without that barrier, all of those impurities would quickly cause some serious damage to your skin cells.
Signs That Your Skin Barrier Needs Some Help
As you can imagine, the last thing that you want to be doing is causing damage to your skin barrier.
How can you tell if your skin barrier is slowly being destroyed? Here are a few signs to watch out for:
- Skin that’s suddenly much more sensitive. A weakened barrier won’t be able to keep your skin safe from the environment quite so well. This means that your skin will start to easily react to everything around you, from the weather to your beauty products.
- Redness, irritation, and inflammation. This is down to how your skin will now be much more sensitive.
- Dehydration. When damaged, your skin barrier won’t be able to retain moisture properly. For some dehydration leads to severe dryness but, for others, dehydration can cause breakouts.
- Increased acne breakouts. In addition to dehydration triggering breakouts, a damaged skin barrier won’t be able to block bacteria from infiltrating your skin.
- Flare-ups in inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis. A weakened skin barrier is much more prone to inflammation.
How Do Cleansers Damage the Skin Barrier?
So, how is your cleanser to blame for the damage that your skin barrier is facing?
For starters, many cleansers contain overly harsh surfactants. These are the cleansing agents that perform the main role of a cleanser. While there’s no denying that harsh surfactants are very efficient at cleaning the skin, they do so a little too well. In addition to removing dirt and the other impurities that a cleanser needs to remove, the harsher surfactants out there also remove portions of the skin barrier.
Those same surfactants are also known for having an alkaline pH. The skin is naturally acidic and pushing it toward the alkaline end of the scale disrupts skin barrier function. When this happens consistently, the skin barrier slowly weakens, leading to major problems over time.
Choosing a Barrier-Friendly Cleanser
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should stop cleansing your skin! Instead, the key lies in finding a barrier-friendly cleanser. Here’s how:
- Look for a cleanser that doesn’t contain sulfates. These are some of the harshest surfactants out there.
- Avoid cleansers that have been formulated with hydroxy acids. These are good for exfoliating the skin but shouldn’t be used daily.
- Look for a cleanser that contains humectants. These are ingredients that hydrate the skin.
- A cleanser that contains fatty acids or peptides will help to replenish the feel of your skin barrier.
Here are two cleansers from Avinichi that meet all of the above criteria and more:
The Avinichi Noni Mousse Cleanser
Mousse cleansers are renowned for being kind to the skin barrier. They form a rich, mousse-like lather that efficiently lifts away impurities without causing any damage.
The Avinichi Noni Mousse Cleanser is a formula that’s suitable for all skin types. With that said, those who have dry, dehydrated, or damaged skin will really appreciate its moisturizing capabilities!
It cleanses the skin with coconut-derived surfactants, such as sodium cocoyl isethionate. These aren’t just good at removing impurities – they have a conditioning effect on the complexion too. This is enhanced by the hydrating ingredients in the formula that give the skin a soft and bouncy feel.
You’ll also notice that this cleanser contains a few plant oils, including argan and moringa. As we mentioned earlier, lipid-rich ingredients are key for maintaining skin barrier integrity, and these plant oils boast plenty! The best part is that these oils are non-comedogenic, meaning that those with oily, acne-prone skin won’t have to worry about this cleanser clogging their pores.
The Avinichi Noni Clarifying Lather Purifier
Foaming cleansers are commonly recommended for those with oily skin. However, most of the foaming cleansers out there are formulated with sulfates – surfactants you need to avoid. This is why the Avinichi Noni Clarifying Lather Purifier has been such a hit…
This foaming cleanser provides its cleansing action without the use of sulfates. Again, the surfactants in this formula get the job done without causing any harm to the skin barrier. In fact, this cleanser contains several ingredients that are known for strengthening the feel of that all-important barrier, including a trio of peptides, aloe vera, and a cocktail of other plant extracts.
Those extracts, which include the likes of purslane, golden chamomile, wild mint, and noni, are all jam-packed with antioxidants. These will fight the appearance of damage, aging, and more while lowering the feeling of inflammation and irritation.
Other Ways to Keep Your Skin Barrier Feeling Safe and Strong
While switching to a barrier-friendly cleanser will go a long way in giving you healthier-looking skin, there are a few other steps that you’ll need to take if you want to preserve the integrity of your skin barrier as much as possible:
Choose Your Exfoliator Wisely
It’s not just cleansers that are infamous for wrecking the skin barrier. Many exfoliators have this reputation too. They’re often formulated with overly potent exfoliants that may provide an instant glow but, in the long run, strip away your skin barrier.
The key is to pick a formula that contains gentle yet effective exfoliants, like the Avinichi Noni Polishing Peel. It boasts a blend of skin-loving exfoliants, including bamboo powder and mandelic acid. They clear away dead skin and deep-seated impurities while leaving the skin barrier feeling intact.
Don’t Overdo it With the Actives
Active ingredients are revered for being able to transform the complexion. However, this isn’t always for the better. Some active ingredients might be a little too potent for your skin, resulting in skin barrier damage.
If you suspect that your skin barrier is already damaged, stop using actives for a while. Once you’re ready to reintroduce them to your routine, start with gentler derivatives of your chosen active ingredients. For example, if you’re building up to using retinol, start with retinyl palmitate. It’s a gentler version of the ingredient that still provides comparable visible results. This is why you’ll find it in several Avinichi products, including the Hydrating Multifruit C-Serum.
Boost Hydration
As we mentioned earlier, dehydration is a big problem once your skin barrier starts experiencing damage. Dehydration then exacerbates that damage, resulting in a vicious circle that’s hard to break out of.
The first step in doing so is to give your skin some extra hydration to compensate for all that it’s losing. Humectants, like sodium hyaluronate, glycerin, and peptides, do this well. You’ll find all three and more in the Avinichi Hydrating Antioxidant Serum. Ideally, apply the serum while your skin is still damp. This will help to lock in even more moisture.
Keep Your Skin Moisturized
Speaking of locking in moisture, this is exactly what moisturizers were designed to do. They form their own barrier over your skin’s natural one, bolstering your skin’s natural defenses. This is why it’s so important to keep your skin consistently moisturized.
If your skin barrier is already damaged, look for a moisturizer that contains fatty acids, plant oils, and vitamins, just like the Avinichi Noni Night Repair Cream. Sodium hyaluronate and aloe vera pull in moisture, the vitamins and antioxidants help to repair the feel of your skin barrier, and shea butter, along with jojoba seed oil, provides an occlusive layer that locks all of this in. Although this cream may be designed for evening use, its richness can be beneficial during the day too if your skin barrier is already showing signs of damage.
Caring for Your Skin Barrier With Avinichi
Your skin barrier plays an integral role when it comes to keeping your skin healthy and happy. If there’s anything in your skincare routine that could potentially be damaging that barrier, such as your cleanser, it’s important to do something about it. Switch to a more barrier-friendly cleanser and follow the other barrier care tips that we’ve shared above. By helping your skin barrier to feel as strong and resilient as possible, your complexion will also take on a brighter, smoother, and healthier finish.
Click here to add more bestselling products from Avinichi to your barrier-friendly skincare routine.