Repairing a Compromised Skin Barrier in Dermatitis: Leveraging the Skin’s Ability to Heal Itself

A compromised skin barrier plays a major role in many dermatoses including irritant and allergic contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, dry skin, aged skin, xerosis, rosacea, and acne [1–5]. Many of these conditions share common defects in the skin barrier and an association with inflammation [4,6]. The knowledge we have regarding specific lipid deficiencies, pH aberration, inflammation, irregular calcium gradients, and susceptibility to contact sensitization can be leveraged to address many aspects of the disrupted skin barrier. By addressing these major points of vulnerability the skin’s inherent ability to heal itself can be optimized for skin barrier repair.