The Power of Pairing your Skincare Products
22 Oct 2025
Skincare isn’t just about what individual ingredients do; it’s about how they work together in a formulation, and how different products interact when layered. That’s where the real action happens. To grasp the reason why you should apply products in their recommended order, let’s look at the three important defense layers of your skin:
- The Biological Layer: On the surface of your skin lives your microbiome, made up of normal flora such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. When this balance is disrupted, it can lead to irritation, dehydration, and various skin conditions.
- The Chemical Barrier (Acid Mantle): This is a thin “hydrolipid” film composed of sebum, sweat, corneocyte debris, ceramides, fatty acids, urea, amino acids, and natural moisturizing factors (NMF). It maintains the skin’s slightly acidic pH (4.5–5.75), which supports a healthy microbiome and inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria and pathogens.
- The Physical Barrier (Lipid Barrier): This lipid matrix protects the skin by preventing transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and blocking the entry of external irritants. It is made up of ceramides, waxes, and other lipid molecules.
Why is this important?
Because these top layers are where ingredients interact with your skin. Understanding them helps explain how different textures and formulations penetrate and ultimately how effectively your products work.
