Building Up (Skin) Barriers: About Your Skin Barrier and CeraVe Skincare

Skin Elite has a reputation to protect – we’re a place where you can get skin care products you trust. So when we bring a new brand on board, we don’t take it lightly. We make sure they have credibility and quality on their side. With our latest addition, CeraVe, the answer was obvious. They’re widely recommended by dermatologists and have a stellar reputation for science-backed, effective skin care that won’t devastate your budget.

Who is CeraVe Skincare?

CeraVe Skincare was founded in 2005, nearly 20 years ago now. Around that time, skincare experts realized that a weak or unhealthy skin barrier was coming up as a common thread in much of the skin irritation they were seeing and across skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, and eczema as well as dry skin. Noticing what an important role the skin barrier pays, the team at CeraVe worked with dermatologists to start creating products that put your skin barrier first and prioritize it as a foundation of healthy skin.

What is Your Skin Barrier?

Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin that acts like a wall to keep unwanted particles out (like irritants) and wanted particles in (mostly moisture). Under a microscope, your skin barrier looks a lot like a wall made of brick and mortar. It’s a structure of a certain type of skin cells as the bricks, and those cells are held together by specific types of fats which act like the mortar. It’s those fats that create a strong bond and a healthy, effective skin barrier.

Why Does the Skin Barrier Matter?

Your skin barrier is such an essential part of your skin that most people don’t think about. It serves several functions including:

• Holds moisture within your skin rather than letting it evaporate quickly, so your skin is more hydrated and less dry
• Blocks irritants like chemicals and fragrances so they don’t cause as much inflammation and skin irritation
• Reduces the damage from pollutants and other particles by keeping them away from the deeper layers of your skin

It won’t be able to do any of these jobs as well if it doesn’t have the fats it needs. With a compromised skin barrier, your skin will be drier and more prone to damage and irritation. If you have any chronic skin conditions like eczema or acne, your symptoms will also be worse if your skin barrier isn’t strong.

How Does CeraVe Prioritize the Skin Barrier?

There are many factors that affect your skin barrier, and some are out of our control like the weather, genetics, and aging. But there are ways to strengthen your skin barrier too, and that’s what CeraVe focuses on.

They do this with a specialized combo of three particular ceramides. Ceramides are a type of fats – specifically, a type that is essential for your skin barrier. Topical ceramides help to replenish the ceramides in your skin, which strengthens that skin barrier. In fact, CeraVe gets their name from ceramides (not from Michael Cera, despite their Super Bowl commercial). CeraVe also uses a new type of formula they developed called MultiVesicular Emulsion Technology (MVE). It’s a long and sciency term but what MVE does is release the ceramides continually over a period of time, so one application helps your skin barrier stay hydrated and strong throughout the day.

Getting to Know CeraVe: CeraVe Products to Try

Want to see the difference CeraVe can make in your skin barrier and in keeping your skin hydrated and calm? We have a wide selection of CeraVe products, but as an intro to the brand, check out these top sellers.

Facial Moisturizing Lotion

CeraVe’s AM facial moisturizing lotion and PM facial moisturizing lotion are lightweight moisturizers that keep your skin at an even hydration level throughout the day and night. Each version of this lotion is designed for what your skin needs in the morning or evening – the AM version even has sun protection to further limit your sun damage.

Hydrating Facial Cleanser

A great cleanser is the backbone of your skin care routine, but it’s tough to find one that will effectively clear away all the skin cells, excess oils, and other unwanted bits without leaving your skin stripped dry. That’s what CeraVe’s hydrating facial cleanser is all about. It’s a crowd-pleaser because it’s simple and soothing enough for sensitive skin.

Daily Moisturizing Cream

If your skin leans dry or if you’re in the middle of a dry fall or winter and you need to step up your hydration, CeraVe’s daily moisturizing cream could be the answer. While it’s a rich cream that gives you intense moisturizing power, it also absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy feeling on your skin.

Effective but Budget-Friendly Skin Care from CeraVe

When it comes to quality, CeraVe takes no shortcuts. And yet you’ll notice that the prices aren’t what you’d expect from premium skin care – they’re prices you’d expect to see at the drug store. That’s because CeraVe focuses on giving you the essentials of skin care, like great cleansers and moisturizers. While investment skin care can be great for specialized or advanced purposes like anti-aging products, CeraVe can give you your basic skin care at an amazing value for the quality they offer. Try them out and see for yourself!