What Is Skin Stripping? Everything to Know About Protecting Your Skin Barrier

What Exactly Is Skin Stripping?

“Skin stripping is an expression used to describe unintentionally damaging your skin by using harsh beauty or health products,” says Dr. Spearman. “Using the wrong product, or too much of it, can strip your skin of the natural oils, which protect your skin and keep it healthy.” 

While oily skin is often associated with acne and blemishes, you don’t want to rid your skin of oils entirely. Your skin’s natural oils actually keep your skin healthy by protecting your underlying skin cells, and removing those natural oils can damage your skin in the long run. 

What Can Cause Skin Stripping?

1. Using Too Much Product, or Using the Wrong Product

Skin stripping happens when you use the wrong products for your skin type, or if you over-use the right products. It’s important to analyze your skincare routine to figure out what might be damaging your skin. According to Dr. Spearman, anything from face wipes to foam washes can remove the natural oils from your skin. “If your skin feels tight or dry after using a product, your natural oils have probably been stripped from your skin,” she adds. While the feeling might give you a sense of cleaner skin, it can have long-term effects that will only harm your skin barrier. 

2. Makeup and Makeup Remover

Believe it or not, makeup-removing wipes can cause some damage to your skin. “Cleansing wipes tend to contain harsh chemicals, which are added to help remove all of the makeup from your face,” says Dr. Spearman. So while these wipes tackle any leftover foundation or mascara, they could also be removing your skin’s natural oils. That said, make sure not to sleep in your makeup either, since it can block the pores that help produce those hydrating oils. Consider using a gentle makeup remover like this Oatbaé Oil Makeup Remover from TOYFACTORY. 

3. Showering for Too Long

Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, and that includes showering too much. “Staying in a hot shower too long washes the oils away from your skin,” says Dr. Spearman. Make sure to keep your showers at a decent length and temperature if you want to avoid stripping your skin.

Look Out for These Signs of Skin Stripping

1. Dry and Flaky Skin

Removing those essential oils will cause your skin to feel dry and irritated, leaving you with inflamed and red skin. If your skin isn’t properly hydrated, you might even experience cell degradation, which causes peeling and flaky skin as a result of your skin cells dying. 

2. Sensitivity to the Sun

When your skin is stripped of its protective oil barrier, there’s more than surface-level damage. Every time you lose those skin cells, you’re also losing valuable protection against the sun. “Your skin acts as a natural barrier against the sun, and helps reduce the amount of UV rays that are absorbed,” says Dr. Spearman. “Without the skin’s natural oils, you’re vulnerable to sun damage that can have long-term effects.”

3. Tight Skin

If your skin feels tight after cleansing or using a specific product, that’s not necessarily a good thing. What you’re actually feeling is the lack of those essential oils, which can signal your skin to produce too much oil (and later, breakouts) as a result. 

How to Repair Stripped Skin

1. Simplify Your Beauty Routine

Sometimes less really is more. Make sure to research products before using them to figure out if they align with your specific skin needs. Dr. Spearman recommends using fragrance-free products and being cautious of any chemicals or ingredients in your products. “Ingredients such as alcohol, retinoids, various acids (such as salicylic and glycolic acid), and other harsh exfoliants may exacerbate irritation and inflammation,” she adds. 

2. Use a Gentle Cleanser

It’s important to clean your face everyday, but it’s also important to protect those natural oils that protect your skin’s barrier. “The ideal cleansing routine removes makeup, small particulate pollution matter, and dirt without stripping the skin,” says Dr. Spearman. A hydrating cleanser like the 

INN BEAUTY PROJECT Keep it Clean Hydrating Gel Cleanser is packed with amino acids and ceramides to leave your skin clean, soft, and hydrated without stripping your skin. 

3. Use a Hydrating Serum or Moisturizer

Prioritize ingredients that will hydrate and nourish your skin barrier. “The best moisturizers have a combination of emollients and humectants,” says Dr. Spearman. Humectants attract and bind water, increasing the skin’s water content. “Glycerin and hyaluronic acid are probably the most well-known humectants in moisturizers, and others include alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic, lactic), panthenol, sorbitol, urea, and propylene and butylene glycol,” she says. Meanwhile, emollients are meant to soften the skin, and include ingredients such as dimethicone, grape seed and jojoba oils, cocoa and shea butters, stearyl and cetyl alcohols, mineral oil, and petroleum jelly.

4. Don’t Over-Exfoliate 

Exfoliators—physical or chemical—should be used sparingly to avoid stripping your skin. If your skincare routine includes ingredients like glycolic acid, salicylic acid, retinoids, or AHAs or BHAs, try using those products once a week to see how your skin reacts before incorporating them more frequently. If your skin already feels too stripped, pause your use of those products until your skin heals. 

5. Shower in Lukewarm Water

We know, we know—taking a hot shower feels amazing. But it’s also way more likely to strip oils from your skin’s surface, so the best way to clean your skin is to bathe with lukewarm water and use gentle soaps. 

Final Thoughts

Your skin’s natural oils are meant to protect your skin, and stripping those oils will only lead to irritated and damaged skin. If you notice that your skin is more red or sensitive than usual, it’s a sign to repair your essential skin barrier. Make sure to curate a gentle and effective skincare routine that not only addresses your skincare concerns, but also nourishes those oils instead of getting rid of them.