REVISITING AN OLD FAVOURITE | KRAVE BEAUTY GREAT BARRIER RELIEF

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Today we’re talking a much-loved product from Krave Beauty by Liah Yoo, which launched a good few years ago and I used to order their products by very complicated means, so I was excited to see they’re now going to be much more accessible for those of us here in the UK thanks to our friends at Cult Beauty!

The product I recommend trying from Krave Beauty is their Great Barrier Relief Serum* | £28. It's formulated with a high concentration of tamanu oil, which I discovered a good few years back, though it's never really become a super-hyped ingredient. I'm surprised I haven't seen more products feature it because tamanu oil has really great anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. This means it could help as a very gentle anti-blemish treatment and will also help to calm down other skin irritation you might be experiencing, such as from an impaired skin barrier. When your lipid barrier isn't happy, your skin can become irritated, red and dry, so building 'recovery' into your routine is a good idea even if you're not currently experiencing issues. Seasonal changes, allergic reactions, using a skincare product that's a bit strong for you and many other things can be the culprit.

Alongside the tamanu oil, we have other plant-based oils that are going to soften and moisturise the skin without being as rich and heavy as using an actual facial oil. These include squalane, safflower seed oil and rosehip oil, rich in replenishing fatty acids. There's also Vitamin E, which is a fat-soluble antioxidant, protecting the skin from free radical damage. Urea is included as a natural moisturising factor, alongside Sodium PCA and lactic acid (which I don't think is intended as an exfoliating ingredient in this context). There are both ceramides and niacinamide included in the formula; ceramides are a fundamental component of the skin's lipid barrier that can be topped up topically and niacinamide boosts barrier function by getting your skin to produce more of its own ceramides. We then have soothing oat extract and hyaluronic acid to draw hydration into the skin. 

The consistency of this serum is moisturising but not too heavy, especially considering all the amazing ingredients in here. It comes out like a kind of milky emulsion and I like to use it either after a strong acid or following my retinoid, just to keep everything in balance. Or - when my skin is feeling like it wants a night off - I just use this and moisturiser after cleansing. For both purposes, this really hits the spot for my skin. It contains all the good stuff that helps nourish, calm and replenish my skin and none of the irritants that could cause an issue. 

I get that sometimes when a brand comes over to the UK many years after its original launch, it can feel a little like you've lost interest at that point. But, I like Krave Beauty and this lowkey collection of Korean-inspired formulas at a decent price. And Great Barrier Relief still stands out to me as a great formula; because a) it works, and b) it contains a wonderful ingredient that (for whatever reason) still isn't that common in Western skincare formulas. If you've been looking for an all-rounder for your skin barrier: this product is one I reach for at least three times a week!

See it in action here.

Have you tried Great Barrier Relief or anything else from Krave Beauty?

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