'I tried the new holy grail face balm. Here are my honest thoughts.'

I put a lot of things on my face — I work in beauty, it's my job — and when I first saw the texture of this balm I let out an audible "Oh?!"

As I squeezed it onto the back of my hand, the first thing I noticed was the unique texture. It’s clear, it holds its shape yet feels very lightweight. Then I rubbed it in and immediately noticed how smooth my skin looked and how soft it felt to the touch. 

Sold. You’re coming home with me.

And it did.

I told you! Look at that texture. Image: Supplied. 

The new Dr. LeWinn’s Barrier Protect Ceramide Balm ($59.95) has an ingredient list that is right up my alley, allow me to introduce you to the key players: 

• Ceramides: Often referred to as 'the building blocks of the skin', we naturally produce these lipids and they help our skin keep its structure, lock in moisture and reinforce our barrier (and who isn’t obsessed with their barrier?).
• Hyaluronic acid: It almost needs no introduction because it’s a superstar in the hydration world. It works to re-plump the skin, and as the seasons change, it works overtime for my skin. 
• Palmitoyl tripeptide-8: This ingredient stimulates collagen production (thank you, from the bottom of my heart) which helps with firming.
• Squalane: Think hydrated, balanced, soft, smooth skin. That’s squalane’s forte. 

I put this balm to the test and set three goals: Protect. Hydrate. Strengthen. And with that, my barrier was ready.

The packaging is on-the-go travel friendly and doesn’t take up my entire makeup bag. Win-win. Image: Supplied. 

Let me tell you about my skin. I have acne fairly consistently, especially as I’m going through non-skincare-related changes, so when I add a new product to my routine, I want it to be dermatologically-tested (tick) and suitable for sensitive skin (tick, again). Other than that, I’ve been told I don’t drink enough water, which I cannot confirm or deny (confirmed) and as a result, my skin can feel a bit dehydrated. 

Whoops. I do use actives but have a strong focus on barrier support.

Here’s my skin on day one:

Image: Supplied. 

My skin’s looking pretty good! There is some redness and inflammation around my nose, some post-acne marks and some cystic pimples at different stages of surfacing. I also noticed that I’m beautiful; if you’re going through similar skin challenges — ditto. 

So, there are a few ways to use this balm; let’s categorise them under prep, prime and protect.

Prep

Hello, morning skincare routine. Remember all those hydrating ingredients we just talked about? Because of the hydration cocktail inside this balm, it’s perfect as a daily moisturiser and it works hard to protect the skin from daily environmental stressors and pollution.

Prime

I was most curious to test how well this balm worked as a primer under makeup due to the aforementioned smoothing effect on the back of my hand, and it was time to bring that magic to my face. 

I was not disappointed. If you like a satin-matte finish on the skin before makeup application, this is for you. My skin looked smoother, it felt hydrating yet lightweight and my makeup went on beautifully.

Protect

You’re back in the bathroom and your nighttime skincare routine is the last thing standing between you and a cheeky TikTok scroll in bed. Consider this a final step to lock in hydration overnight, reinforcing your barrier as you sleep.

My finger on my cheek is me trying to show you that my skin is plump and bouncy, but it kind of looks like I’m deep in happy thought. Either way: I’m happy and my skin is happy. Image: Supplied. 

I really enjoyed testing this balm. I had never considered adding a balm (other than a cleansing balm) to my skincare routine, especially as the seasons change and my skin needs more moisture and protection — this has been a welcome support for my barrier.

One of my favourite things about this product is how SOFT my skin feels when I apply it, as well as the way makeup glides over it rather than settling into my pores. I’ve found myself reapplying throughout the day on the dry skin around my acne to help it heal and I’ve been liberally applying it to the corners of my nose, noticing the redness and irritation settling.

For many people, texture is a barrier when it comes to skincare. There are those of us who like to feel like a glazed doughnut at all times and don’t mind feeling product sitting on our skin, and then there are those who are texture-sensitive and spend their time looking for the lightest possible products that still do an excellent job. 

Stop looking, get this balm. It truly felt like there was nothing at all on my skin, but yet I felt perfectly hydrated throughout. 

Shop Dr. LeWinn’s Barrier Protect Ceramide Balm, available online and in-store at Chemist Warehouse and Priceline Pharmacy. 

Feature Image: Supplied.