If your skin feels tight after cleansing, shiny by noon and stings when you apply almost anything, you are not dealing with three problems. You are usually dealing with one: a stressed barrier.
What the barrier actually does
Think of the outermost layer of your skin as a brick wall. The bricks are flattened skin cells; the mortar is a blend of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. When the mortar thins, water escapes and irritants slip in. The result feels like dryness and sensitivity at the same time.
Most of the barrier repair we do in the studio is subtraction, not addition.
The three-step reset
A low-foam, non-stripping cleanser — once a day is plenty for most people.
A moisturiser with ceramides and cholesterol, applied to damp skin.
Daily mineral or hybrid sunscreen, reapplied when you are outdoors.
Pause exfoliating acids and retinoids for two weeks. Most clients notice less redness within ten days, and a calmer, more even surface by the end of the month.
When to book in
If stinging persists after a fortnight of simplifying, book a Skin Consultation. We will look under daylight lamps and help you rebuild slowly, one product at a time.
Written by
Juneta Vale
Juneta trained in Copenhagen and Seoul before opening the atelier in 2016. She writes about skin barriers, slow routines and why less usually works.
