The new treatment, Triple Lipid 2:4:2, from Skinceuticals has been developed to correct the changes to the skin barrier that come with age. Though this might not sound as enticing as products that target lines, firmness and pigmentation, having a healthy skin barrier should be everyone’s primary skincare goal.
The skin barrier is the surface layers of the skin and, to put it simply, its role is to keep the good stuff in and keep the bad stuff out. When the barrier function is working well skin is smooth, plump, hydrated and generally healthy. However, there are many things that can disrupt the balance of the skin barrier function such as temperature extremes, skincare that dries and irritates the skin and the physiological changes that come with age. A weakened skin barrier leads to dry, dull, uneven textured skin that’s more vulnerable to irritants, aggressors etc. and it ages faster. Any reputable dermatologist would aim to repair and strengthen the skin barrier before prescribing retinoids or recommending heavy duty treatments such as peels or lasers. It really is that important.

Previously, products used to repair the skin barrier function relied heavily on ceramides. However, as a result of a Skinceuticals research programme it was discovered that cholesterol deficiency plays a huge role in ageing skin. Triple Lipid 2:4:2 contains 2% ceramides, 4% cholesterol and 2% omega fatty acids and this will restore the exact ratio of lipids that are deficien...