I’m an esthetician who thinks like a scientist. That means when a client tells me they have sensitive skin, I'm already thinking past the surface. Sensitive isn't a skin type. It's usually a sign that something in the skin barrier has broken down.

Most people blame products when their skin starts acting up. But if it's happening after time in the sun, the products usually aren't the problem. Ever heard of the lipid layer collapse? It isn’t just a fancy science term. It’s the reason your skin might feel dry, congested, or red all at once.

Your skin is stressed. And a lot of the time, that stress is coming from the sun and your environment.

Here’s what’s actually happening.

The outer layer of your skin is built from a lipid-rich protective layer containing ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. They help to prevent skin from losing moisture and drying out. This is what holds your skin barrier together and keeps everything functioning. I’ll quickly break down each lipid.

Ceramides are lipid (fat) molecules that act like mortar between skin cells, helping to prevent dehydration and contributing to a healthy microbiome. They make up about 50% of the barrier.

Fatty acids are a part of ceramides and make up 25% of the barrier. They help the body naturally integrate ceramides with the skin.

Cholesterol is another vital lipid that makes up the other 25% of the skin barrier. It’s naturally water repellant and helps to defend the skin against outside irritants. Cholesterol in skin is different from cholesterol in your blood and keeps skin cells flexible and held together.

When UV rays reach the skin, they create oxidative stress that breaks down those lipids. This process is called lipid peroxidation. It changes the structure of your oils and weakens the barrier.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537164/

There’s also research showing that UV exposure disrupts the structure between skin cells, making the barrier less stable overall.
https://jddonline.com/articles/dermatology/S1545961621S023sX/

That’s when things start to feel confusing.

Dry but oily.
Sensitive and breaking out.
Red or reactive without a clear reason.

Your skin is trying to rebuild while it’s still being broken down. This is what I had in mind when I formulated our sunscreen.

Zinc was non-negotiable. It sits on the surface and reflects UV rays without adding heat or irritation. But zinc alone can feel drying if the lipid layer is already struggling.

So I built the formula of Gentle Sun Cream SPF 30 to support that layer while it’s under stress.

Jojoba, raspberry seed, and sea buckthorn oils to reinforce the skin’s lipid structure.
Hydrosols to help stabilize the skin’s environment.
Astaxanthin to interrupt oxidative damage while you’re in the sun.

So instead of your lipids breaking down, your skin has support while it’s exposed.

Not just sun protection.
Support for the system that holds your skin together.

With love,
Justine