It replenishes the skin’s natural barrier by mimicking its lipid composition. Cold-pressed oils rich in linoleic acid, along with milk fats and banana sterols, fill micro-cracks and restore softness. These bio-identical lipids rebuild the skin’s ceramide network, essential for locking in hydration and preventing trans-epidermal water loss—leaving skin supple, smooth, and bounce-rich.

It creates a moisture mesh that goes beyond superficial hydration. Honey, oats, yogurt, and milk draw water deep into the dermis while forming a nutrient-studded barrier that prevents rapid evaporation. This hydration mimics the skin’s own Natural Moisturizing Factors (NMFs), keeping even flaky or parched skin hydrated and comforted for hours.

It maintains skin’s ideal slightly acidic pH, to optimise enzyme activity needed for ceramide production and gentle exfoliation. At the same time, anti-inflammatory flavonoids and B vitamins soothe irritation and prevent oxidative stress, strengthening the skin’s ability to retain and absorb moisture effectively.

It nourishes the skin from within. Banana, oats, and licorice deliver amino acids, sugars, and minerals that support fibroblast health and collagen function. Improved microcirculation ensures these nutrients reach the deeper dermal cells, strengthening the skin matrix and boosting elasticity, so your skin glows not just from hydration, but from internal vitality.

As the lepa sets on skin, it forms a soft occlusive barrier that traps natural heat and moisture. This mild thermal effect gently dilates superficial blood vessels, enhancing microcirculation and initiating a cascade of dermal activity. The micro-climate beneath the pack mimics the skin’s ideal healing environment - warm, moist, and oxygen-rich - allowing metabolic processes to speed up. This not only supports detoxification through increased lymphatic flow but also primes the skin to better receive and absorb topical nutrients.

Under occlusion, the skin’s intercellular lipids soften slightly, loosening the tightly packed stratum corneum without disrupting its integrity. This temporary softening enhances permeability. Nutrients that are normally blocked by the skin’s natural barrier now find deeper access pathways, allowing for more effective delivery of actives into the viable epidermis. This phase is critical for delivering bioavailable phytonutrients, lacto-compounds, and fatty acids to the cells that need them most.

As circulation improves under the warmth of the lepa, the capillaries become more active, boosting oxygenation and waste removal at a cellular level. This enhances the skin’s metabolic exchange, ensuring a two-way flow—nutrients are pulled in, toxins are flushed out. The dermal vasculature essentially "wakes up," fueling cell turnover and encouraging fibroblast activity, which supports collagen synthesis and overall dermal renewal. The result is skin that is not just nourished, but functionally revitalised.

With the skin barrier relaxed and microcirculation heightened, nutrient absorption peaks. This is when skin drinks in vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, and prebiotic actives from the face pack. These molecules interact with skin cells in real time—lactic acid encourages cell renewal, natural fats reinforce lipid layers, and herbal bioactives modulate inflammation and pigmentation. Each compound finds its target pathway, working either on the surface, within cells, or at the skin’s microbiome level to support radiance and resilience

As the pack begins to dry, it gradually re-establishes the skin’s acidic mantle. The slight tightening helps seal in nutrients while reducing puffiness and superficial redness. Simultaneously, yogurt and enzymatic compounds present in the lepa help regulate skin’s microbial diversity - supporting beneficial strains while inhibiting dysbiosis. This rebalancing of the skin ecosystem enhances immune defense and reduces chronic low-grade inflammation, a hidden enemy of glow.

Once the lepa is removed, the skin enters a post-treatment rebound phase - its texture is visibly smoother, circulation remains elevated, and the skin's receptivity to hydration and emollients is heightened. Barrier function is reset, cell signaling is active, and the skin exhibits improved reflectivity due to enhanced surface uniformity.

The stratum corneum, the outermost layer of facial skin, functions as a barrier made up of corneocytes (dead skin cells) embedded in lipid “mortar”—a mix of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. When this barrier is disrupted—due to over-cleansing, harsh weather, or aging—it can no longer retain moisture effectively. This leads to increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL), resulting in tightness, flaking, and even micro-inflammation. Repairing this barrier with lipid-replenishing ingredients like ceramides and plant oils restores its integrity and dramatically reduces chronic facial dryness.

The skin naturally produces Natural Moisturizing Factors (NMFs) such as urea, lactic acid, PCA, and amino acids, which draw and hold water within the stratum corneum. These NMFs are especially vulnerable to stripping agents like alcohol-based toners or foaming cleansers, as well as UV damage. A deficiency in NMFs impairs the skin’s ability to retain moisture even if water is externally applied. Replenishing NMFs through topical humectants helps rebuild the water-binding capacity of the skin, restoring its plumpness and reducing sensitivity linked to dryness.

Sebum, the skin’s natural oil, provides occlusive benefits—it slows water evaporation and enhances skin softness. Dry skin types often have genetically lower sebum output, especially in colder months or with age. Without this lipid coating, the skin lacks a protective film to seal in hydration, making even mild water loss feel severe. Introducing non-comedogenic facial oils (like jojoba, rosehip, or marula) into a dry skin routine mimics natural sebum, cushioning the skin surface and locking in hydration without clogging pores. This is especially helpful overnight, when TEWL increases.

Aquaporins are protein channels in skin cell membranes that transport water between cells. In dry or aged skin, the activity of these water channels—particularly Aquaporin-3 (AQP3)—diminishes, leading to uneven hydration across skin layers. Some skincare ingredients like aloe vera help stimulate or mimic aquaporin function, encouraging even distribution of moisture from deeper layers to the epidermis. This ensures that hydration isn’t just present—it’s well-dispersed, reducing dry patches, dullness, and uneven texture on the face.

Dry skin is often accompanied by subclinical inflammation, even if redness isn’t visible. External stressors like UV exposure, pollution, or fragrance allergens activate inflammatory pathways, which in turn impair barrier enzymes and accelerate water loss. This becomes a cycle: inflammation leads to dryness, and dryness increases sensitivity. Calming actives reduce this hidden inflammation, allowing the skin’s repair systems to function optimally and water levels to stabilize.

Healthy skin maintains a slightly acidic pH (4.5–5.5), which supports the function of enzymes that build barrier lipids and NMFs. Overuse of alkaline products (e.g., soap-based cleansers) or harsh exfoliation raises skin pH, disrupting the skin microbiome and enzymatic balance. This leads to lipid degradation, impaired barrier synthesis, and dryness. Restoring pH with acidic toners, lactic acid, or mildly acidic moisturizers reactivates these repair enzymes and rebalances the microbiome, which collectively enhance water retention and barrier strength.