Pick up almost any conventional lotion, cream, or cleanser and take a look at the ingredient list. Chances are, the very first ingredient is water. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Water-based skincare can be beautifully formulated, effective, and lovely to use. But if you've spent any time browsing the shelves at Byers Ranch Apothecary, you may have noticed something a little different. We don't use much of it. Our facial serums are oils. Our Recovery Balm is, well, a balm. Our...

Some of my favorite products in the Byers Ranch Apothecary have a little bit of magic built into them. Massage an Oil-to-Milk Cleanser onto dry skin, and it feels like a silky facial oil. Add water, and almost instantly it blooms into a light, milky cleanser. Scoop out a Clay-to-Cream Mask, and you get something rich, concentrated, and decidedly unlike the bowls of cracking mud many of us associate with clay masks. Introduce water, and once again, the experience changes. It looks a little...

Most of the time, you don't notice your skin barrier at all. When it's doing its job well, your skin simply feels comfortable. It holds onto moisture, helps protect itself from the world around it, and quietly goes about its business without asking for much attention. It's usually when something changes, perhaps your face suddenly feels tight after cleansing, a familiar product starts to sting, dry patches appear, or your skin seems irritated by everything. That is when the words skin barrier...