01
Barrier Serum
$68
Niacinamide 5% + Ceramide NP · 30 ml
Fewer actives.
Better evidence.
Nine ingredients, three formulas, one barrier protocol. Every claim on this site is tied to a published study — and we print the reference beside it.
- 09
- INGREDIENTS IN THE ENTIRE RANGE
- 00
- FRAGRANCE, DYE OR ESSENTIAL OIL
- 12
- PEER-REVIEWED REFERENCES CITED
- 94%
- REPORTED LESS TIGHTNESS AT 4 WEEKS
Three formulas
NIACINAMIDE 5% — MACRO, 4× MAGNIFICATION
THE INDEX
Open any of them.
Each ingredient expands to its concentration, its function, and the study we rest the claim on. Nothing is hidden behind a “complex”.
01Niacinamide5%
Supports barrier lipid synthesis and measurably lowers transepidermal water loss. Above 5% we saw no further improvement, only more flushing reports.
J Cosmet Dermatol · 2019
02Ceramide NP2%
Replaces the exact lipid class a compromised barrier is short of. Paired with cholesterol and a fatty acid at a ratio the skin can actually assemble.
J Invest Dermatol · 2016
03Squalane8%
An occlusive that sits close to the skin’s own sebum profile, so it slows water loss without the heaviness of a mineral oil.
Int J Cosmet Sci · 2018
04Cholesterol1%
The third leg of the barrier lipid triad. Left out of most formulas because it is expensive; without it the ceramide does far less than the label implies.
J Am Acad Dermatol · 2014
05Mandelic acid8%
The largest molecule of the common AHAs, so it enters slowly and irritates less. Chosen over glycolic for exactly that reason.
Dermatol Surg · 2013
Three steps. That is the routine.
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01
Prepare
Water only in the morning. Skin does not need to be stripped before it is fed — and most irritation starts at this step.
NO PRODUCT REQUIRED
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02
Treat
Barrier Serum, three drops, pressed into damp skin. Niacinamide moves better through water than through dry stratum corneum.
BARRIER SERUM · 30 ML
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03
Seal
Buffer Cream over the top while the serum is still wet. This is the step most routines skip and every barrier needs.
BUFFER CREAM · 50 ML
THE INDEX — MONTHLY
One letter a month.
Nothing else, ever.
New references, formulation notes, and the occasional correction when we get something wrong.