Our skin

Our Skin: A Powerful Protective Barrier

Your skin is far more than just a covering—it is a living, breathing organ that serves as the first line of defense against external threats. Designed to be relatively impenetrable, it shields you from injury, UV radiation, infections, pollution, and toxins while helping to regulate body temperature and maintain moisture balance.

Despite being the largest organ of the human body, skin is often overlooked when it comes to overall health. We think about our heart, lungs, and brain, but healthy skin is just as vital to our well-being and longevity. Taking proper care of this remarkable barrier means nourishing it from the inside out, maintaining its natural defenses, and avoiding unnecessary disruptions.

At Lumanitas, we believe in working with your skin’s natural biology, not against it. The skin’s complex ecosystem of cells, lipids, and microbes functions best when left undisturbed by harsh cleansers, antibacterial agents, and excessive skincare routines.

Let’s start by learning a bit about the building blocks of your skin.

The Skin’s Structure: Three Layers, One Mission

Each layer has a specific function, and caring for your skin means supporting all three, not just the surface.

The Epidermis: Your Protective Shield

The epidermis—the outermost layer of your skin—is a protective shield made of keratin, lipids, and microbiota that keep moisture in and harmful pathogens out. This delicate layer renews itself every 28 days, but as we age, this process slows, leading to dullness and fine lines.

Key Facts About Your Epidermis:

The outermost layer, the stratum corneum, consists of dead skin cells that continually shed and renew.
Melanocytes, specialized cells in the epidermis, produce melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color. Melanin acts as a natural shield against UV damage, helping to prevent sun-induced aging and discoloration. When skin isn’t adequately protected from the sun, age spots can develop due to uneven melanin production.
The stratum basale, the deepest part of the epidermis, is where new, fresh cells are created and pushed upward towards skin’s surface.
The microbiome communicates with immune cells in the epidermis to help regulate inflammatory responses.

Why It Matters:

Many cleansers strip your skin of protective oils, disrupting the natural lipid barrier that helps retain moisture and defend against environmental stressors. This can lead to dryness, irritation, and an overproduction of oil as the skin attempts to compensate for the loss.

Using too many skincare products can overload and disrupt your microbiome, making your skin more sensitive over time.
Sun exposure & pollution accelerate aging, making a robust, protective skin barrier essential.
Microbiome imbalances are linked to inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and rosacea. The good organisms on your skin are your friends!

The Dermis: Where Collagen and Elastin Keep Skin Youthful

Beneath the epidermis lies the dermis, a critical layer that provides firmness, elasticity, and structure to the skin. It is composed of collagen and elastin fibers, which maintain skin’s strength and flexibility. Over time, collagen production slows and elastin weakens, leading to visible signs of aging such as sagging, fine lines, and wrinkles.

What Speeds Up Skin Aging in the Dermis?

Sun exposure
Poor diet (high in processed foods, sugar, and alcohol)
Lack of sleep and chronic stress
Overuse of harsh skincare products
Microbial imbalances leading to inflammation and oxidative stress.

The Hypodermis: The Foundation of Plump, Healthy Skin

The hypodermis, or subcutaneous layer, is where your skin stores fat, giving it a plump, youthful look. As we age, this layer thins, leading to volume loss, sagging, and hollow areas.

No skincare product can truly replace lost volume, but supporting your skin’s health from within—through healthy lifestyle choices and microbiome care—can keep it looking fuller for longer.

With the functions of these three layers in mind, what can we do to protect and nourish our skin for a beautiful complexion at every stage?

First and foremost – do less! We often overcomplicate skincare, applying too many products or using harsh treatments that disrupt the skin’s natural balance. In reality, your skin thrives when left to function naturally—overdoing it can lead to exacerbated eczema and acne, premature aging, and a stripped microbiome that make things worse instead of better.

The Lumanitas Approach: Less Disruption, More Nourishment

Your skin is home to over 500 bacterial species (that we know of so far) that play a critical role your skin’s ability to function.

Rather than relying on aggressive exfoliants, synthetic chemicals, or over-complicated routines, Lumanitas Superfood Facials work with your skin to:

Balance the microbiome for a healthier, more resilient complexion.
Gently exfoliate with fruit enzymes and lactic acid to encourage natural cell turnover.
Strengthen the skin barrier with nutrient-dense, pH-balanced formulas.

Why You Shouldn’t Over-Wash Your Skin

Sebum: Your Skin’s Built-in Moisturizer

You might think of sebum as the enemy of clear skin, but this natural oil is essential for hydration and protection. It contains vitamin E and fatty acids, creating your skin’s “acid mantle”—a slightly acidic barrier that defends against bacteria, pollution, and dryness. It’s also crucial to maintaining a thriving microbiome.

Sebum’s Role in Skin Health:

Moisturizes and lubricates skin cells by creating a protective layer that locks in hydration, prevents transepidermal water loss, and maintains skin suppleness. This natural moisture barrier helps reduce flakiness, irritation, and the appearance of fine lines, ensuring skin stays smooth and resilient.
Protects against external damage and infections like acne and dermatitis by forming an acid mantle.
Maintains the skin’s natural pH of around 5, which helps good bacteria thrive, crowding out the bad microorganisms that can cause all kinds of maladies (more about that later).
Helps skin absorb beneficial nutrients, including antioxidants, retinoids, and other essential compounds that support cellular repair, boost collagen production, and enhance overall skin resilience. These nutrients play a crucial role in reducing oxidative stress, preventing premature aging, and maintaining a balanced, healthy complexion.
Sebum nourishes beneficial bacteria by providing them with essential nutrients, including dead skin cells and natural oils. These microbes thrive in this environment, forming a self-sustaining ecosystem that strengthens your skin’s natural defenses and supports overall skin health.

When you wash your skin too often and with harsher-than-necessary cleansers, you strip all the sebum away, leaving skin unprotected and kneecapping your microbiomes’ ability to keep bad bacteria at bay.

If you find that you are washing quite a bit, a Lumanitas Facial will repopulate your microbiome with tons of pre, post, and probiotic goodness, as well as antioxidants and other skin nourishing ingredients.

Your Skin’s pH: Why It’s Key to a Healthy Glow

Your skin likes the slightly acidic pH it naturally has – around 5 – which supports beneficial bacteria while keeping harmful microbes at bay. Unfortunately, many cleansers, toners, and even moisturizers have a higher pH, disrupting this delicate balance.

How High-pH Products Harm Your Skin:

True soaps have a pH around 9-10, which strips your skin’s protective acidity. These products should never come in contact with your skin.
Even “gentle” cleansers can be too alkaline, allowing bad bacteria to flourish.

How to Maintain a Healthy Skin pH:

Choose pH-balanced skincare (below 5) to support your microbiome.
Avoid soaps, high-pH cleansers, and physical exfoliators (shell powders, sugar, pumice) which strip your skin’s acid mantle.
Opt for gentle, probiotic-rich products like Lumanitas Facials to maintain equilibrium.

Excessive Cleansing – Your Microbiome’s Worst Enemy

Excessive cleansing disturbs your skin’s microbiome by stripping away essential beneficial bacteria and natural oils. This weakens the skin’s protective barrier, making it more vulnerable to dryness, irritation, acne, inflammatory responses environmental stressors, and premature aging. Over time, this imbalance can compromise the skin’s ability to maintain a healthy, balanced, and glowing complexion.

How to Strengthen Your Skin Barrier:

Use fewer products on your skin to allow its natural processes to function optimally. Wash with a gentle cleanser to remove makeup, sunscreen, excess sebum, and accumulated dead skin cells without stripping your protective barrier. Apply a clean-label moisturizer only when necessary to maintain balance, and if you’re over 40, consider using a retinoid to support consistent cell renewal and maintain a youthful, smooth appearance.
Protect and nourish the incredible community of beneficial microbes that inhabit your skin by using Lumanitas Facials instead of your regular cleanser a couple times a week.
Always wear sunscreen to prevent damage from UV exposure.
Avoid over-exfoliation— excessive scrubbing or using harsh exfoliants can strip away essential oils and damage the skin barrier, leading to increased sensitivity, dryness, and inflammation. Instead, allow your skin’s natural renewal process to function as intended by opting for gentle exfoliation only when necessary and focusing on hydration and nourishment.
Incorporate probiotics into both your skincare regime and diet to support a diverse and resilient microbiome.

Rather than slathering on a small army of expensive cleansers, creams, and serums, focus on what has been scientifically proven and is in your control:

Eat a Mediterranean-style diet rich in antioxidants, healthy fats, and lean proteins.
Prioritize sleep and stress management to support skin renewal.
Exercise regularly to boost circulation, clear waste products from your body, and bring nutrients to skin cells.
Use gentle, probiotic skincare strategically to support collagen production and maintain elasticity.
Apply a retinoid nightly (especially if you’re over 40) to boost cell turnover.

For these reasons, Lumanitas Facials are thoughtfully formulated with whole food foods and natural acids to contribute positively to your skin’s acid mantle and never altering its natural pH. Unlike traditional cleansers that strip away this beneficial ecosystem, our facials add to it. They infuse your skin with a diverse range of pre-, post-, and probiotics, reinforcing its protective barrier while gently removing excess sebum, oil, and impurities, leaving your complexion balanced and resilient.

The Bottom Line:

Stop over-cleansing and let your skin’s natural defenses work.
Skip the harsh exfoliants and opt for gentle, probiotic skincare instead.
Protect your collagen, elastin, and hydration levels by making smart lifestyle and skincare choices.