Hydrolipid barrier facial oil effect – how your skin decides.
Many people believe that a good facial oil automatically penetrates deeply. But that’s only partially true. What matters is how well your skin is prepared—and how intact your hydrolipid barrier is. This allows your facial oil to unfold its full potential. In this article, we explain how your skin structure—especially the epidermis and dermis—influences whether an oil penetrates deeply at all.
Hydrolipid barrier & facial oil: How deep does your skin care oil really work?
No Prep – No Penetration: The hydrolipid barrier is a wafer-thin, yet crucial film of water (hydro) and lipids (fats), mixed with NMF (natural moisturizing factors) and the body’s own sebum. This protective layer lies above the stratum corneum of the epidermis and acts as a guard: It protects against transepidermal water loss while simultaneously determining which active ingredients penetrate the uppermost layer of the skin.
Structure: Sebum + Sweat + Lipids + NMF
Function: Protection and selective permeability
Epidermis vs. dermis – where do skin care oils really work?
The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin. It is avascular, meaning it lacks its own blood vessels and is nourished exclusively by diffusion from the underlying dermis. While many skincare products remain in the epidermis, high-quality facial oil targets the dermis—the deeper layer of skin where fibroblasts, sebaceous glands, and blood capillaries are located. This is where structural proteins like collagen are formed, making regeneration possible in the first place.
Our goal is therefore to transport bioactive lipids and antioxidants such as tocopherol (vitamin E) and rosehip seed oil specifically into this deeper layer of the skin.
Which ingredients make it to the dermis?
Not all plant oils are automatically skin-friendly—and not all penetrate deeply into the dermis. Only bioactive, short-chain, and skin-like lipids are able to penetrate the skin barrier.
|
Ingridients: |
Level of impact |
Function |
|---|---|---|
|
Rosehip oil |
Dermis |
regenerating, antioxidant |
|
Avocado oil |
Dermis & sebaceous glands |
lipid-forming, nourishing |
|
Grapeseed oil |
mainly epidermis |
antioxidant, easily absorbed |
|
Vitamin E (Tocopherol) |
Epidermis & Dermis |
protects fibroblasts, cell-protective |
|
Coconut oil & sunflower oil |
surface |
occlusive – ideal for sealing, not deep penetration |
The 3 steps of absorption
Before a facial oil—like our Facial Glow Oil—can work, the skin must be properly prepared. This preparation consists of three crucial steps that work together to enable penetration deep into the skin’s structure:
-
Dry Brushing: Gently exfoliates dead skin cells while promoting microcirculation.
-
Hydration: A toner or facial spray provides the stratum corneum with moisture, which significantly increases its absorption capacity.
-
Massage: Tools such as the Faszienherz or the Sculpting Globe activate the connective tissue, support lymphatic flow, and help combine the lipid structure of the oil with the body’s own sebum to create a uniform, absorbable structure.
→ Result: Deep penetration through combination with the skin’s own sebum. The oil doesn’t simply remain on the surface, but is “recognized” – and can take effect.
Don’t just glow. Absorb.
A high-quality facial oil alone isn’t enough—it all depends on your skin’s absorption capacity. Only when the hydrolipid barrier is activated through targeted preparation and your skincare routine consists of bioavailable ingredients can a deep effect be achieved.
Sources:
Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils – T. Lin et al.
Skin Barrier Function: The Interplay of Physical, Chemical, and Immunologic Properties. – P. Baker
