Protecting Your Skin Barrier: What to Avoid & Use

Skincare ingredients to avoid

Protect Your Skin Barrier by Avoiding These Harsh Ingredients

Do you know what’s really in the skincare products you use every day? Some of the most common ingredients found in conventional cleansers and soaps—like SLS and alcohol—can actually damage your skin barrier over time.

Let’s start with some basic skin science: our body naturally maintains its skin barrier using ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. These form the “mortar” that holds skin cells together, locking in moisture while shielding against irritants, bacteria, and pollution.

Learn more about ceramides in our blog post here.

What is the skin barrier

When your skin barrier is damaged, you may notice:

  • Flaky or peeling skin
  • Chronic dryness or tightness
  • Irritation, redness, or inflammation
  • Increased sensitivity
  • Breakouts or reactive skin
  • Conditions like eczema or psoriasis

Ingredients that can impair your protective skin barrier:

  • Isopropyl alcohol: A harsh astringent that strips natural oils.
  • Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS): A foaming agent that irritates and dries the skin.
  • Benzoyl peroxide: A common acne ingredient that can release trace amounts of benzene under heat. Known for causing dryness, redness, and skin sensitivity—we’ve never used it in LEROSETT® products.
  • Lye (sodium hydroxide): Used in traditional soaps; can cause burns and irritation.
  • FD&C/Synthetic dyes: Petrochemical-based dyes linked to allergic reactions and rashes.
  • Parabens: Used as preservatives, but increasingly avoided due to concerns over potential hormone disruption, breast cancer risk, and environmental accumulation.
  • Animal-derived ingredients: We never use them—our products are cruelty-free because we believe skincare shouldn’t harm animals or rely on animal byproducts.

What to Use Instead

For a balanced skin barrier, switch to plant-based formulas that are free from SLS, alcohol, and synthetic dyes. We recommend products that rely on high concentrations of organic aloe vera to hydrate and soothe while supporting the skin’s natural lipid barrier.

Recommended Products

By understanding what to avoid—and what to use—you can help your skin stay healthy, hydrated, and more resilient every day.