After a holiday period filled with high-intensity events, you may notice changes in your skin condition without any obvious cause. The skin feels dry more quickly, makeup no longer adheres well, and skincare products that were previously comfortable start to feel less effective. This condition is often associated with an increase in TEWL, an important indicator that is frequently overlooked.

The issue is that disruptions in TEWL rarely appear instantly or in extreme forms. It is precisely these gradual changes that cause many people to realize too late that their skin barrier is no longer in an ideal condition.

What Is Skin Barrier TEWL?

TEWL refers to transepidermal water loss, which is the amount of water that evaporates from the skin through the epidermal layer. In healthy skin, the skin barrier functions as a defense system that maintains water balance and protects the skin from external factors.

During the holiday season, the combination of repeated makeup use, intensive cleansing, changes in sleep patterns, and air-conditioning exposure creates conditions that increase stress on the skin barrier. When this function weakens, water escapes from the skin more easily, causing TEWL to increase even though the skin surface has not yet shown obvious signs of damage.

The Often-Ignored Impact of Increased TEWL

An increase in TEWL does not always immediately appear as a major skin issue. However, gradually, this condition affects several important aspects:

  • Skin hydration becomes unstable, making moisturizers feel effective only temporarily
  • Skin texture changes, feeling rougher or less supple
  • Skin response to skincare decreases, especially products containing active ingredients
  • Makeup results become less optimal, as the skin surface is no longer balanced

In the medium term, this condition can make a skincare routine feel as if it is “not working”, even though the root of the problem lies in the skin barrier.

How to Evaluate TEWL Without Special Tools

1. Skin Response After Cleansing

One of the earliest indicators of TEWL is how the skin reacts after cleansing. Skin with a strong barrier will feel comfortable even before skincare is applied. In contrast, a tight sensation that appears quickly can be a sign that the skin’s ability to retain water is beginning to decline.

2. Hydration Retention Throughout the Day

Increased TEWL makes it difficult for hydration to last. If the skin feels moisturized only briefly after skincare application and then becomes dry again, this indicates that water is not being properly locked into the skin.

3. Changes in Sensitivity

Skin with disrupted TEWL often shows mild sensitivity, such as brief stinging or subtle redness when using products that previously felt normal.

4. Quality of Makeup Results

Makeup can serve as an indirect “diagnostic tool.” Complexion products that crack easily, appear patchy, or quickly look dry are often related to an unstable skin barrier condition rather than application technique alone.

What Should Be Done After Identifying Changes in the Skin Barrier?

When TEWL increases, skincare efforts should be focused on restoring the skin’s basic functions. Temporarily reducing exfoliation, limiting the use of strong active ingredients, and increasing hydration are more relevant steps than aggressively adding new products.

This approach gives the skin barrier time to function optimally again, allowing the skin to respond better to both skincare and makeup.

Re-evaluating the TEWL skin barrier is ideally done after makeup intensity decreases and routines begin to stabilize, usually a few days after the series of holiday events has ended. Consistent observation is more important than instant results, as skin barrier recovery is gradual.

Luxehouze Beauty presents a curated selection of luxury beauty products designed to support hydration, comfort, and skin barrier balance. Each product is selected with high quality standards and guaranteed authenticity, making them relevant for helping keep TEWL under control after periods of intensive makeup use.

Discover luxury beauty products that suit your skin’s needs at Luxehouze Beauty and help your skin return to a stable, hydrated state, ready to take on daily activities in optimal condition!