Purpose of review As the incidence of allergic conditions has increased in recent decades, the effects of climate change have been implicated. There is also increased knowledge on the effects of other physical influences, such as scratching and Staphylococcus aureus. The skin barrier is the first line of defense to the external environment, so understanding the ways that these factors influence skin barrier dysfunction is important. Recent findings Although the impact on environmental exposures has been well studied in asthma and other allergic disorders, there is now more literature on the effects of temperature, air pollution, and detergents on the skin barrier. Factors that cause skin barrier dysfunction include extreme temperatures, air pollution (including greenhouse gases and particulate matter), wildfire smoke, pollen, scratching, S. aureus, and detergents. Summary Understanding the ways that external insults affect the skin barrier is important to further understand the mechanisms in order to inform the medical community on treatment and prevention measures for atopic conditions.