Skincare 101: What Is The Skin Barrier?

MEET THE ACID MANTLE

We’ll tell you what the skin barrier is, what it does, and what happens when it becomes damaged. We’ll also give you tips for preventing a damaged skin barrier.

Woman cleansing her face to protect her acid mantle

What Is Your Skin Barrier?​

The skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin.

Our skin is composed of three layers:

  • The epidermal barrier (outer layer)

  • The dermal layer (middle layer)

  • The subcutaneous fatty layer (deep layer)

For skincare, let’s focus on the epidermal layer.

The epidermal barrier consists of five smaller layers called the stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, stratum lucidum, and stratum corneum. The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the epidermal barrier, comprising 20-30 layers of dead cells and keratin.

The stratum corneum is the layer of your skin that you apply skincare products to.