Rosacea Treatment and Skin Barrier Function

The skin is an underappreciated organ playing a crucial role in the survival of animals and humans. The major role of the skin is to provide a barrier between a hostile external environment and the organism. Even modest defects in this barrier can have catastrophic impacts on the organism, threatening its survival. Whereas many of the bodys organs have an enormous functional reserve (e.g., one kidney can be removed with minimal impact), the skin barrier in rosacea must be completely intact and functional for good health. Even relatively minor defects in the stratum corneum can lead to abnormalities in water and electrolyte balance, increase the risk of infection, and result in localized and systemic inflammation requiring involved rosacea treatment. The barrier functions of the skin in rosacea are primarily mediated by the stratum corneumthe outermost layer of the epidermis. The stratum corneum is derived from the terminal differentiation of the epidermis. It is a complex structure consisting of corneocytes surrounded by lipid membranes, which allows it to subserve numerous barrier functions,

including serving as a barrier to the movement of water and electrolytes, blocking the entry of micro-organisms and xenobiotics, as well as providing strength and resistance to external mechanical trauma. Yet, its outermost cells must desquamate invisibly from the skin surface allowing for the continual renewal of the stratum corneum. Rosacea sunscreens provide a primary means of protecting these outermost cells from environmental trauma.