Is Your Moisturiser Ultra-Processed? The Case for Natural Skincare

Most people switch to natural skincare to avoid harsh chemicals - but do you know exactly what's in your conventional moisturiser, and why it might actually be working against your skin?

What Makes a Skincare Product Truly Natural?

Water is essential for life, but when it comes to skincare, its role in moisturisers is more complex than you might think. Most conventional creams and lotions are emulsions - blends of water and oil stabilised by emulsifiers and antimicrobial preservatives. When we see these ingredients in foods, we label them 'ultra-processed'. And just like ultra-processed foods, ultra-processed beauty products are appealing and convenient, but they are not the healthy option.

If you made a homemade sauce from scratch and left it in the fridge for a month you would expect to see mould forming on the top. Yet, your water-based moisturiser, a similar emulsion of fats and water-based ingredients, can be left in a sunny spot for years and will never go mouldy - That's because it is highly preserved, ultra-processed.

If you left some olive oil or sunflower oil in a sunny spot, no mould will grow - because microbes can't proliferate in an anhydrous environment. That oil would go rancid eventually, but the addition of an antioxidant (like vitamin E) will prevent that happening. The difference between anti-microbial preservatives and anti oxidants like vitamin E is, that Antioxidants are really good for your skin, whereas antimicrobials, as we will explain, are not.

Firstly you need to know a little about how your skin works.

Your skin barrier is primarily made up of lipids (oils) arranged in structured layers. (See our How Your Skin Works page for more details). Your skin barrier works tirelessly to prevent moisture loss and shield against environmental stressors and pathogens.

This leads us to the truth about moisturisers. Your epidermis can easily access moisture. It can get it from the dermis below (so drinking water and staying hydrated helps). Humectants in your moisturiser (like shea butter or beeswax) will easily draw moisture from the air around you. Applying natural balms or oils to damp skin after bathing seals in moisture. So in reality, moisturising skin is easy, there is absolutely no need to put water in a moisturising product unless you want to use it as a cheap filler. Without the water there is no need for preservatives and emulsifiers to stabilise the product.

The difficult part of skin hydration is keeping that moisture in the skin, and for that you need a healthy skin barrier.

When you apply water based moisturiser, your skin may feel instantly plumped and hydrated. However, without a well functioning skin barrier that moisture will quickly evaporate, so that you find yourself reaching for the pot again in no time at all. 

TEWL (Trans-Epidermal Water Loss) describes the process of moisture being lost through tiny cracks in the skin barrier. When this happens skin dries out even more and further cracking occurs, if left unchecked, a cycle of damage ensues, eventually leading to irritation and inflammation. 

Easy Access for Pathogens

Pathogens can colonise the cracks, which is why eczema sometimes comes with a Staphylococcus infection. Pathogens entering the skin barrier can also worsen or cause allergic rashes, blemishes and even skin conditions like acne.

Premature Ageing

If TEWL is occurring, your skin will draw more moisture from the spongy dermis below the epidermis to try and rectify the situation. Eventually, that will dry out too. When that happens, severe premature sagging and wrinkling occurs which will be come permanent over time if not addressed. This sort of premature ageing is completely avoidable by repairing and maintaining a healthy skin barrier.

The skin's microbiome is the very outer layer of your skin barrier. Your could imagine it as the exterior paint on the 'brick wall' of your skin barrier. 

Your skin microbiome is a living ecosystem of good bacteria and fungi. Anything that disrupts the microbiome, will weaken the skin barrier, so it's really important not to put anything on your skin that damages that delicate ecosystem.

The Acid Mantle

The microbiome sits atop the acid mantle. The acid mantle is made up of sebum, sweat and particular fatty acids. The acid mantle keeps the skin's pH level in check, making it habitable for the microbes that make up the microbiome. 

Anything that disrupts the pH of your skin will make it inhospitable for the microbiome and in turn, damage your skin barrier, leading to trans-epidermal water loss.

Antimicrobial Preservatives

Remeber, microbes (good or bad) thrive in an environment where water is present. So when adding water (aqua) to a moisturiser antimicrobial preservatives become essential ingredients for safety. These antimicrobial agents are biocides, they kill any dangerous microbes that could proliferate in your water-based skincare product. Sadly they don't stop killing microbes when you put them on your skin and they don't differentiate between good and bad microbes.

Emulsifiers are key players in mixing oil and water, which is useful if you want to use water (aqua) as a cheap filler. They are not so great for your skin's natural lipids (the cement between the bricks of your skin barrier and the fatty acids in your acid mantle)

Emulsifiers make oils soluble in water, so applying them to your skin makes it easier to wash away those vital oils  Repeated exposure weakens your barrier, leaving your skin more prone to trans-epidermal water loss.

Water-Free Skincare

Water-free formulations eliminate the need for both emulsifiers and  preservatives. Plant oils do not alter the skin's pH level. Many natural oils and butters are rich in the very fatty acids your skin uses to make sebum and the acid mantle.

At Lyonsleaf, we have formulated our range to give your skin the fatty acids it needs to bolster its skin barrier. We have deliberately excluded any ingredients that are detrimental to it (like preservatives and emulsifiers).

Cleansing habits matter too. Traditional soaps and foaming cleansers also emulsify your skin's oils. Oil cleansing, on the other hand, dissolves makeup, sunscreen, and excess sebum effectively while preserving those essential barrier lipids.

A compromised barrier isn’t just a cosmetic issue; it can exacerbate chronic skin conditions like eczema, dermatitis, and acne. Supporting your barrier health including the microbiome and the acid mantle is a foundational strategy for calming persistent skin issues.

Whole food skincare

Lyonsleaf water-free skincare works with your skin’s biology, not against it. By prioritising barrier-supportive lipids, these formulations nourish, protect, and support your skins natural ability to retain moisture. The result? Calmer, more comfortable skin with improved resilience and fewer signs of dehydration-related ageing.

You've ditched ultra-processed food. Lyonsleaf is your escape from Ultra-processed Beauty.