A damaged skin barrier can be difficult to treat, especially when it contributes to a variety of skin conditions such as acne and eczema. In order to heal a damaged skin barrier, you must ensure that you include nourishing skin care ingredients in your routine. Treating your skin gently and with hydrating and moisturizing products will greatly improve the health of your skin.
The Senté Dermal Repair Cream is a skin care product specifically formulated to treat a damaged skin barrier. According to their website, this cream should show significant improvement in the skin after only 4 weeks. This steep price makes this cream difficult to impulsively buy. With a $200 price tag, you want to make sure each and every ingredient in this product is worth your money.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Breakdown
Water/Aqua
- Skin hydrator
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- Fatty acid of coconut oil and glycerin
- Contributes to lipid barrier
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
- Emollient
- Softens skin cells
Glyceryl Stearate
- Wax-type ingredient
- Smooths skin
- May be comedogenic
PEG-100 Stearate
- Emulsifier
- Keeps product properly mixed
Cetearyl Alcohol
- Emollient
- Softens skin cells
Glycerin
- Soothes dry skin
- Well-tolerated emollient
- Softens skin cells
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil (Argan Oil)
- Emollient
- Hydrates skin
- Anti-inflammatory
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
- Emollient
- Contributes to texture of product
- May be comedogenic
Acetyl Glucosamine
- Amino acid derivative
- Antioxidant
- Lightens pigmentation
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
- Emulsifier
- Keep product properly mixed
Dimethicone
- Silicone
- Contributes to slippery texture of product
- Contribute to skin barrier protection
Cyclopentasiloxane
- Silicone
- Contributes to slippery texture of product
- Contribute to skin barrier protection
Butylene Glycol
- Humectant
- Retains water in the skin
- Enhances penetration of other ingredients
Heparan Sulfate
- Type of glycosaminoglycan
- Supports collagen and skin structure
- Effectively penetrates the epidermis
- Improves skin hydration and elasticity
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
- Green tea plant
- Antioxidant
- Anti-inflammatory
Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
- Fat-soluble antioxidant
- Poor penetration due to instability in product formulations
- Only moderate effects on improving skin texture and health
Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)
- More stable form of Vitamin E
- Antioxidant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (Shea Butter)
- Wax-like emollient
- Softens skin cells
- Supports skin barrier function
Sodium Hyaluronate
-
- Humectant
- Retains water in skin
- Repairs the skin barrier
- Anti-aging and anti-inflammator
Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
- Hydrator and skin-conditioning agent
1,2-Hexanediol
- Humectant that retains water in the skin
- Emollient that softens skin cells
Caprylyl Glycol
- Derived from fatty acid
- Skin-conditioning agent
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
- Thickening and emulsifying agent
Triethanolamine
- Balanced pH
- Stabilizes product formulation
Disodium EDTA
- Synthetic ingredient
- Aids in enhancing penetration of other ingredients
BHT
- Preservative
- Stabilizer
- Antioxidant
- May cause allergic reactions
- Long-term use may be toxic at certain levels
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)
- Skin brightener
- Exfoliates dead skin cells
- Improves wrinkles
- Antioxidant
Analyzing The Overall Product Formulation
Now that we’ve listed the ingredients and exactly what each one does, we need to look at the overall formulation of the product.
As noted, there are many great ingredients included in The Senté Dermal Repair Cream.
Most notably, the emollients like glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride and argan oil can improve the skin barrier by supporting its lipid layer.
In addition, the humectants like sodium hyaluronate and butylene glycol can help to retain moisture in the skin by preventing transepidermal water loss.
While these are imperative to supporting and healing your skin barrier, it is also important to include other ingredients with barrier-repairing properties.
Ingredients like shea butter and the green tea extract really add to the emollient properties of the product and help it to function as an antioxidant.
Heparan Sulfate
The main ingredient that is used as a selling point for this product involves its use of heparan sulfate. This low-molecular weight compound is said to be beneficial for dermal repair, increasing skin hydration, and improving the overall health of the skin.
It is a relatively new ingredient with little research. However, it shows promising results.
Senté has been a forerunner in using this ingredient in their skincare products. It may help with wound healing and have some anti-aging properties.
Unfortunately, in comparison to other ingredients, heparan sulfate may not stand against many other well-researched skin care ingredients.
What Is The Fastest Way To Heal a Damaged Skin Barrier? (On a Budget!)
The fastest way to heal a damaged skin barrier involves a lot of moisture, finding the correct ingredients for your skin, and minimizing drying habits that will make your skin worse.
This can all be done on a budget. High quality ingredients do not mean you need to spend an inordinate amount of money.
Very basic, well-researched, reliable and well-tolerated ingredients will work perfectly fine to repair even the driest skin barriers. The general guidelines to follow includes:
- Use a humectant that retains water. An example of a humectant includes hyaluronic acid. This needs to be applied after cleansing to damp skin. This will prevent transepidermal water loss and increase skin hydration and suppleness.
- Use a moisturizer with adequate emollients. An example of an emollient includes glycerin. Emollients are skincare ingredients that soften skin cells and provide a dewy and plump look to the skin. They also help to retain water in the skin when used on top of a humectant.
- Incorporate an occlusive into your skincare routine. An occlusive is a wax-like substance that prevents water loss by creating a barrier over the skin. An example of an occlusive is petroleum jelly, which has been beneficial in improving the skin barrier, relieving dryness, and improving post-inflammatory erythema.
The Conclusion: Is The Senté Dermal Repair Cream Worth It?
Yes and no.
You don’t have to spend $200 on a skincare product to get nice skin and fully repair a damaged skin barrier.
It is simply not necessary. There are hundreds of skincare products that are available over-the-counter in local drug stores that can provide the necessary ingredients to repair your skin barrier.
Staple ingredients like glycerin and ceramides can be found in a variety of skin care products that can do absolute wonders for your skin.
On the flip side, skincare enthusiasts may be especially excited about trying a skincare product with an innovative ingredient lik
e heparan sulfate. It could be the next best thing despite little research behind it. Perhaps it is worth a try if you are looking to support this US-based skincare startup.
For the vast majority of us – this product is simply not worth it.
References
https://www.healthline.com/health/butylene-glycol
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26151781/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4976416