‘Strength Training’ Your Skin Will Become the Single Most Important Part of Your Beauty Routine in 2024

Barrier health breaks through as the beauty industry's latest heavy hitter.

It’s rare to find skin-care advice that’s one-size-fits-all, but in the dermatological world, there is an exception: Strong skin is healthy skin. No matter what type of complexion you have or your unique concerns, “a strong skin barrier is the single most important factor [in maintaining skin health],” says John “Jay” Wofford, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with U.S. Dermatology Partners. And in 2024, the beauty industry will deliver the tools we all need to achieve exactly that.

Your skin barrier is made up of lipids and cells, and serves as the first line of defense against the elements. It’s responsible for keeping bad stuff, like pollution and bacteria, out, while trapping good stuff, like moisture, in. When the skin barrier is functioning properly, your complexion will likely be hydrated and healthy; when it’s compromised, you become vulnerable to a whole host of concerns. Severe barrier issues can lead to skin conditions like eczema and rosacea, but even a minimally-disrupted barrier can lead to dryness, irritation, inflammation, and acne.

“Barrier health has always been a focus for dermatologists, but most people used to think it was only important if you had rosacea, sensitive skin, or eczema,” says David Kim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York. But that isn’t the case, he says: Even people who don’t have an underlying medical condition can inadvertently weaken their skin barrier. “It can impact anyone in the general population, because when the barrier is disrupted, moisture escapes and the skin starts to get dry and cracked, which allows irritants and bacteria to enter the skin and trigger inflammation,” he says.