The skin barrier plays a critical role in how your skin looks, feels, and behaves. When it's intact, it helps keep moisture in and harmful irritants out. However, when that barrier begins to break down, whether due to environmental exposure, harsh products, or normal aging processes, some of the first signs of this weakened barrier are dryness, irritation, inflammation, and even accelerated aging.
At the heart of these problems is the loss of hydration in the skin, or trans-epidermal water loss.
What Is Trans-Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL)?
The skin might seem like it has a solid barrier, but it's actually relatively permeable. Water from the deeper layers of the epidermis travels to the surface, where it evaporates.[1] At the same time, some molecules can penetrate the skin barrier and enter the deeper layers of the skin.
Under normal conditions, the process of water loss, known as trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), is carefully regulated by the skin barrier, which is made up of two components:
- Stratum Corneum: The outermost layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum, is the primary structural component of the skin barrier, made up of several layers of tightly packed, flattened skin cells called corneocytes.[2]
- Acid Mantle: The stratum corneum is coated by the acid mantle, a lipid-rich mixture made up of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids called sebum. This is essentially what keeps moisture in by creating an occlusive barrier that prevents water from escaping.[3]
When the barrier is damaged, whether due to aging, environmental factors, or other causes, TEWL increases, causing your skin to lose more moisture. This can lead to dry, irritated skin that's more susceptible to conditions like sun damage and inflammation, and contribute to the development of additional skin issues, leading to a cycle of damage.[4]
What's The Relationship Between Skin Aging And TEWL?
As you age, physiological changes can impact the skin's ability to repair itself, leading to a thinner epidermal layer and reduced sebum production. This results in a reduced ability to regulate TEWL, causing aged skin to become significantly drier.[5] Often, this is also exacerbated by other pro-aging factors, such as the menopausal transition, which can accelerate this trend by depleting the already thinning skin of its collagen content.[6]
Elevated TEWL isn't just caused by aging skin; it plays an active role in accelerating aging by triggering the release of inflammatory cytokines. This chronic, low-grade inflammation, often referred to as "inflammaging," can cause systemic dysfunction by encouraging processes like cellular senescence.[7]
The good news? Tackling TEWL head-on can help combat these effects, improving skin texture, elasticity, and potentially even slow the aging process.
How Is TEWL Measured?
The most accurate way to measure TEWL is through evaporimetry, typically performed using a specialized instrument like a Tewameter or Vapometer. These tools measure the gradient of evaporation coming off the skin, giving an objective and consistent way to measure TEWL.
Tools like these are used during our clinical trials to provide an objective method for quantitatively measuring changes in TEWL.
How Do OneSkin's Topical Supplements Reduce TEWL?
By reversing the aging factors that contribute to a weakened skin barrier and increased TEWL, the OS-01 peptide is a step forward for combating the signs of aging. Specifically, by targeting the senescent cells responsible for thinning the skin barrier and inhibiting their pro-aging activity, the OS-01 peptide helps the skin grow thicker and healthier.[8] See how much OneSkin’s three topical supplements improved skin barrier function and reduced participants' TEWL during clinical testing:
- OS-01 FACE: OS-01 FACE significantly improves the skin's barrier function by +15-19%, providing a similarly significant decrease in TEWL. [9]
- OS-01 EYE: By improving skin barrier function by +17.33%, OS-01 EYE provides intense improvements in skin hydration of +32.5%.[10]
- OS-01 BODY: Skin on the body treated with OS-01 BODY, specifically the arms, showed significant improvements in skin barrier function (+41.50% in forearm skin and +34.73% in upper arm skin). This was paired with similar increases in skin hydration (+38.34% on forearm skin and +38.39% on upper arm skin).[11]
Combining the power of the OS-01 peptide with formulas containing antioxidants and hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, OneSkin’s topical supplements don't just deliver exceptional hydration; they help your skin stay hydrated by preventing TEWL.
Key Takeaways
- When the skin's barrier is damaged, TEWL increases, causing further dehydration and skin vulnerability.
- Aging skin experiences reduced barrier function, resulting in elevated TEWL that accelerates aging and inflammation.
- By improving skin barrier function, OS-01 peptide lowers TEWL, providing significant hydration and improving the longevity of your skin.
References
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9168018/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8002265/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5608132/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10706187/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23113564/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9755298/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34716992/
- Zonari, A., et al. npj Aging, 2023
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jocd.16242
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ics.13042
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jocd.70169
