Restore your damaged skin barrier

Your skin is super smart! Respecting that is the smartest thing you can do. Because that way, you ensure the natural recovery of your skin barrier. Many products disrupt your skin's natural balance—often without you realizing it. And that's simpler than you think.

Want to get started on repairing your skin barrier right away? Start with a trial set !

From frustration to realization

Seven years ago, Cathy & Angela, along with a cosmetic scientist, began developing the first Food for Skin products. Frustrated by their inability to find effective, gentle, natural products that truly contribute to strong, healthy skin, they were inspired to develop their own.

That search marked the beginning of a philosophy: supporting the skin instead of taking over. And that begins with a thorough understanding of the skin barrier: the natural protective layer that determines how your skin looks and feels.

Microbiome & skin health

An invisible ecosystem lives on your skin: the microbiome. This plays a key role in protecting your skin from harmful influences. Natural ingredients and probiotics in skincare can help keep this ecosystem healthy, so your skin barrier remains stronger and more resilient.

At Food for Skin we believe in supporting this natural balance, without empty promises or unnecessary steps.

What is the skin barrier and how does it work?

The skin barrier is the top layer of skin (the stratum corneum), composed of:

• Bricks: dead skin cells (corneocytes)

• Cement: fats such as ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol

This combination retains moisture and protects your skin from irritants, UV rays, and bacteria. A healthy skin barrier ensures supple, hydrated skin that is resistant to external influences.

When the skin barrier is disrupted, you often notice it immediately: your skin feels tight, flaky or irritated, reacts more quickly to products and can become red or irritated.

Symptoms of a damaged or disturbed skin barrier

A damaged or disrupted skin barrier can be recognized by various signs. A damaged skin barrier can be recognized by signs such as:

• dry, tight skin

• redness, flaking or a burning sensation

• pimples or inflammation while the skin feels dry

• extreme sensitivity to products

These are signs that your skin's protective layer has become unbalanced. This is often due to the use of harsh, drying ingredients in skincare products or an overly intensive routine.

Causes: What damages or disrupts your skin barrier?

Did you know your skin can become addicted to certain synthetic skincare products? When you treat your skin daily with harsh cleansers, serums and creams then need to be applied to correct this. This disrupts your skin's natural balance. Depending on the repairing power of your serums and creams, your skin becomes "lazy."

The skin barrier can be weakened by:

• overcrowded routines with too many products

• the use of cleaners with too high a pH or strong acids

• exfoliants with coarse grains or strong acids

• shower with hot water

• too much sun without protection (no SPF or shade)

• stress, unhealthy diet and too little sleep

All these factors undermine your skin's natural defenses and disrupt the microbiome, the ecosystem of bacteria that keeps your skin barrier healthy.

How do you restore and strengthen your skin barrier?

So it's high time for a reset. A healthy skin barrier requires peace and simplicity. Less really is more.

1. Choose mild, moisturizing care

Use a gentle cleanser with a neutral pH and choose a nourishing moisturizer with ingredients such as:

• Humectants; moisture retainers such as hyaluronic acid or ectoine

• Emollients; softeners such as glycerin or vegetable oils (e.g. almond oil)

• Occlusives; substances that form a protective layer, such as ceramides or shea butter

2. Keep your routine simple

Focus on a few powerful, natural formulas like those from Food for Skin. Too many stimuli or overly active ingredients can actually throw the skin out of balance.

Support your skin, but don't take over its function. That's the essence of recovery.

3. Protect against UV radiation

Use a broad-spectrum SPF (UVA and UVB) daily with a UV index of 3 or higher. Sun protection prevents further damage and supports repair.

4. Support your skin from within

Your skin recovers from the outside and from within:

• Eat a varied diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants

• Drink enough water

• Limit stress and create moments of rest – meditation, breathing or walking can help

• Get enough sleep: recovery starts at night

Read here ' eat your skin healthy, beautiful skin from within '

Product advice: restore & protect

At Food for Skin, everything revolves around skinimalism : as few products as possible, without fuss, with the smallest possible impact on nature. Carrot Cleanser , Tomato Base Cream and serum from Cucumber , Pumpkin , or Avocado together form a powerful basic routine. Our SPF30 protects your skin from the sun, without unnecessary additives.

Don't expect overnight miracles. The microbiome needs time to recover and regain its balance. If you're just starting to use Food for Skin products, your skin will be "weaned off" the non-natural skincare products you've used. This may cause your skin to feel a little more irritated at first. After 3 to 4 weeks, your skin will renew itself, and you'll see the first results. With continued use, the skin barrier becomes stronger, and your skin becomes smoother and firmer.

Don't expect overnight miracles—recovery takes time. With a gentle routine, you'll often see a difference after 3 to 4 weeks.

Do you have questions or are you unsure which products are right for you? Feel free to email our skin specialist Cathy, one of the founders of Food for Skin , at hello@foodforskin.care !

Strengthen your skin barrier? Reset your skincare!

Over the past few decades, the cosmetics industry has "taught" us that we need to do more for our skin ("Of course you need 12 products! Cash!"). This has resulted in an increasing number of products aimed at countering the drawbacks of one product with another. And so we end up with an elaborate skincare routine that does more harm than good to our skin barrier. And we haven't even touched on how the industry's artificial beauty ideal disregards our mental health and the environment.

Food for Skin is done with this and communicates honestly about how the industry works and what works for your skin (and its barrier). We do this without false promises and with the goal of offering you optimal skin balance.