Why Double Cleansing Can Wreck Your Winter Skin Barrier
Slathering on heavy moisturizer and face oil but still feeling that tight, cracking sensation by evening? The real culprit may not be your cream but your cleansing routine. Dermatologists, including experts from the Korean Dermatological Association, point to the squeaky-clean double cleanse as a major reason winter skin barriers break down. The Squeaky-Clean Trap The outermost layer of your skin acts as a barrier that blocks harmful substances and keeps moisture in. Think of it as a brick wall: skin cells are the bricks, while ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids are the mortar that fills the gaps. A cleansing oil or water followed by an alkaline foam cleanser, scrubbed in hard, can strip away not only makeup and grime but also the natural lipids that hold that mortar together. That squeaky feeling after washing is not freshness. It means the protective oil film is gone. Once the barrier is damaged, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), the rate at which water evaporates from skin,...
