Want to know the secret to *really* good skin? It all starts with a healthy skin barrier which, little did we know, is one of the hottest skincare trends set to take over in 2023. When your skin gets itchy, irritated, or feels like burning, it’s actually a sign that you damaged your skin barrier which can lead to breakouts, rashes, premature wrinkles, and more. But rest assure, here are a few ingredients that can help fix it up like a pro. So sit back, relax, and read on to see which skincare ingredients you need to top up this season!

READ MORE: The Skincare Trends Set to Dominate 2023

- Ceramides -

When it comes to repairing damaged skin barrier, one ingredient that tops the shelf is ceramide. This ingredient exists naturally in our skin and makes up to 50% of the skins lipids to form the natural skin barrier. Ceramides are essentially the glue that holds our skin cells together to keep our skin barrier intact and healthy. A healthy skin barrier helps seal in moisture and seal out harmful elements.

Pyunkang Yul - Intensive Repair Cream

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - Pyunkang Yul

STYLEVANA K-Beauty Review: Meet the Pyunkang Yul Intensive Repair Cream, a big tub of skin-loving goodie containing peptides, ceramides and botanical extracts that deeply hydrate the skin all day long. Peptides, which are rich in amino acids, add intense hydration to the skin, while ceramides help reinforce the skin’s moisture barrier and strengthen its natural defense. Give this MVP a go if your dry skin has been feeling extra irritated lately and let this highly nourishing cream nourish it back to health.

- Squalane -

Squalane mimics the skin's natural oils which is a highly effective moisturizer that helps repair the skin's barrier for all skin types. It also has anti-aging properties as a potent antioxidant and helps keep your skin supple, youthful looking, and hsydrated. It has very high emollience, is an exceptional hydrator and can prevent ongoing loss of hydration that impairs dermal suppleness.

The Ordinary - The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser

Courtesy of Skincare Brand - The Ordinary

Stylevana K-Beauty Review: The main thing we love about The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser is its strong hydration support for the skin’s moisture barrier with a blend of plant-derived squalane and lipophilic esters. Not only does it leave your skin feeling smooth and soft while dissolving makeup, this squalane cleanser helps nourish the skin barrier with ample nutrients. Another thing on the brag list of this squalane cleanser is that this formula is non-comedogenic and soap-free so it’s gentle for all skin types.

- Niacinamide -

Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3, known for its trustworthy capability to alleviate acne, soothe rosacea, reduce pigmentation, and prevent signs of aging. Niacinamide is proven to increase the production of ceramides — a form of lipids that maintain the skin’s protective barriers, contributing to its abundant benefits to the skin. It calms and nourishes inflammation while hydrating and fortifying the skin without causing sensitivity or irritation.

COSRX - The Niacinamide 15 Serum

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - COSRX

Stylevana K-Beauty Review: COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum is designed for blemish-prone skin types, thanks to its high concentration of niacinamide that supports the efficacy of active ingredients and replenishes the skin barrier with intense hydration. The multi-benefit formula is fortified with zinc PCA to minimise the appearance of excess oils and sebum, which leaves your complexion mattified and radiant.

- SPF -

If you ever had a sunburn or sun damage somewhere on your body, you’ve damaged the skin barrier. That's why it's vital to use sunscreen for your face every day to protect it from the harmful effects of the sun’s UVA and UVB radiation. This will help prevent your skin barrier from being damaged and lower the risk of photo-aging.

PURITO - Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - PURITO

Stylevana K-Beauty Review: PURITO Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++ is one of the most hype-worthy sunscreens on the rise. This lightweight, cast-free sunscreen features 5 types of ceramides to shield the skin from environmental stressors and strengthen the skin barrier, with panthenol working overtime to lock in moisture and cica extracts to quell inflammation and irritation.

- Hyaluronic Acid -

Hydrated skin is happy skin, which makes hyaluronic acid the best top-shelf ingredient in the dry season to repair damaged skin barrier. Hyaluronic acid helps the skin hold water more effectively and strengthens the skin's moisture defense while protecting the skin from free radicals and other external toxins.

SKIN1004 - Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Sleeping Pack

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - SKIN1004

Stylevana K-Beauty Review: Korean brand SKIN1004 is winning people left and right with their signature Hyalu-Cica Formula, and their SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Sleeping Pack is no exception. Formulated with hyaluronic acid and centella asiatica extract, this lightweight gel sleeping mask is also laced with pear and melon fruit extract to calm and vitalize tired skin. Slather this sleeping mask on your sleep-deprived skin for a much needed overnight treatment, leaving you with a radiant complexion long after you hit snooze.

- Probiotics -

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that our skin is covered in bacteria, good and bad. To make sure we’re keeping our skin flora balanced with healthy bacteria, we can count on probiotics skin care products, especially topical probiotic skin care, to flex their abilities in promoting skin renewal, regulating skin pH level, and most importantly, strengthening skin barrier.

Abib - Rice Probiotics Overnight Mask Barrier Jelly

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - Abib

Stylevana K-Beauty Review: Oh, probiotics... how we love you. If you've been sleeping on probiotic skincare (which you shouldn't), redeem yourself with this Abib Rice Probiotics Overnight Mask Barrier Jelly to give this powerhouse ingredient a go. This sleeping mask has two superstar ingredients: rice bran extract and lactobacillus, which is a probiotic ingredient that helps boost the skin's production of ceramides or lipids to retain moisture. This sleeping mask works overnight to reinforce your skin barrier and deeply hydrates your skin with a low-irritant gel formula so you can wake up with soft and supple skin.

Which ingredient is your MVP? I don’t know about you but I’m definitely restocking half of this list to give my skin barrier the glow-up it deserves. Pick up your favorite Korean skincare products from our most-loved Korean brands on Stylevana ASAP! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get more instant product updates and skincare tips!