I found out the hard way that my skin doesn’t like being thrown in at the deep end. It was a chemical exfoliator that did it – one that, on the surface, sounded like just the thing my congested complexion needed: a performance-led, doctor-backed tonic potent enough to help me find clarity. What could go wrong?
Turns out, a lot: the ensuing redness was bad enough, but even once I’d quelled the heat, I was left with severe dryness and flaking for weeks. Playing it fast and loose with the resurfacing actives had battered my skin barrier, and anything I applied seemed to leave it screaming. It was time to address the fact that my complexion’s delicate disposition shouldn’t be challenged, and so I replaced all those AHA tonics and resurfacing masks with skincare designed to feed and fortify, rather than strip and stress.
There is one good thing that came out of this disastrous aesthetic episode, though: I found the moisturiser to end all moisturisers, and if you’re in any way sensitive or redness-prone, I urge you to give it a go too.
The Nue Co’s Barrier Culture Moisturiser is, on the face of it, fairly fun-free: there are no zeitgeisty actives or buzzy celeb endorsements, and it doesn’t smell like a meadow or come with a superfluous tiny golden spatula with which to smear it on your face. But in times of crisis (and even in times of no crisis) it is simply brilliant at what it was created to do: hydrate, soothe and regenerate your skin barrier, leading to skin that looks its very best.
The secret lies in probiotics, used properly. (Many brands use a token dose of probiotics these days, but most are harnessed more for marketing than actual efficacy). The Nue Co uses a combination of pre- pro- and postbiotics in its signature moisturiser, which have all been processed to ensure the skin recognises them as ‘live’. The result of this is that the skin can actually put those bacterial strains to good use, upping the production of antimicrobial peptides to keep congestion at bay, as well as the barrier-boosting proteins needed to fix sensitivities and dehydration.
These days, where brands are increasingly overusing actives, exfoliants and irritating fragrance, the benchmark for a good product seems to have become ‘not upsetting the skin’, which is pretty wild when you think about it. The Nue Co’s standard-setting moisturiser goes far, far beyond that, not only being suitable for the most delicate of complexions, but actually working proactively to dial down those sensitivities too. With regular use, not only was my woefully broken skin barrier nursed back to good health, but I noticed far less rosacea flares and acne breakouts in the months that followed. I’m not alone, either: in the brand’s own consumer trials, 70% of users said their skin was less sensitive and reactive after consistent use.
I hadn’t quite expected to be ditching my super-fancy triple-figure moisturiser for good, but a year later, I’ve barely touched another face cream. In fact, the accompanying cleanser sits permanently in my bathroom, too.
