The beauty industry has long ignored the self-healing role of the skin barrier in favor of skin routines, products, and information that drives the need for more products and specialized treatments rather than true skin health and resilience. That means scrubs, peels, resurfacing agents, acids, and squeaky cleaning cleansers. The result? A cycle of product dependency and skin frustration.
A damaged skin barrier can't regulate the lower dermis layers, and the resulting symptoms may include wrinkles and inconsistent skin texture, lingering issues and inflammation, breakouts, extreme responses to internal or external changes and stressors, and the absence of a healthy, vital glow.
All Kaliks Collective products focus on skin barrier health because it's the panacea and starting place for healing existing skin issues and preventing future ones. We focus on the skin barrier - not skin types or acute challenges - to activate your skin's inner wisdom and protective force field.
The skin is the body's largest organ and responsible for immune functions, environmental defense, detoxification and body temperature regulation. The skin barrier is a matrix made from cholesterol, free fatty acids, and ceramides in a tight protective web that is the outermost layer of the skin. It directs all skin functions such as oil production, fluid movement, inflammatory responses, and the harmonization of any internal or external stressors.
Clear, smooth, and youthful skin all come from a robust skin barrier that can adapt, balance, and heal itself. The foundation of your skincare routine (cleansers, exfoliants, moisturizers and toners) directly impacts your skin barrier health, so use products that support and strengthen this vital part of your skin.
Cleansers: The harsh qualities of most cleansers weaken the skin barrier by stripping, drying, and throwing off the PH balance. Using detergent free, milky cleansers like Bare removes impurities and cleanse deeply without having to work overtime to restore protective oils, water, and PH.
Exfoliants: A rough, corse or harsh chemical exfoliant physically scratches and wears down the tightly woven web of the skin barrier. Gentle, consistent exfoliation with Liberate healthily removes buildup, pollution, and dead skin and while drawing out impurities.
Toners: Most toners further dry and strip the surface of the skin, using alcohol and astringents to provide a misleading “ultra-clean” feel that indicates a compromised skin barrier lacking in vital water and oils. Kaliks facial mist, Revival, restores vital nutrients to the skin with hydrosols (plant superfood waters) delivering easily absorbable nutrients needed for skin health and regulation. It’s free of alcohol or harsh ingredients and can be used all day long when skin needs a simple, soothing boost.
Moisturizers: Let's discuss our two favorite moisturizers–serums and oils. Each has a very different function and both are vital for the skin barrier.
Serums are highly concentrated and designed to target specific skin needs. We created Holy Veil with hyaluronic acid, a hero ingredient that draws water deep into the skin. The importance of water is often overlooked in favor oil - but the key is a having both. Ample water in the skin helps to smooth fine lines, plump texture, and make the skin more resilient.
Oils are the next step in moisturizing, and are essential to locking in the water captured by your serum. They enrich the fatty acids that make up your skin, providing protective properties and helping your skin barrier function optimally. Kaliks face oil, Aurora, is rich in anti-inflammatory, deeply healing antioxidants and essential fatty acids from cold-pressed plant oils (more to come on the benefits of whole, cold pressed oils).
Adjusting these primary elements of your skincare ritual will help bring about improvements in the strength and resilience of your skin barrier, and thus balancing, healing, and resolving skin challenges. With a skincare routine that strengthens the skin barrier, your skin is able to self-regulate - the key to long term skin health, vitality, and rejuvenation.
Wondering if healing your skin barrier could help resolve your skin challenge? Send a note to info@kalikscollective.com! We'd love to help.
