Barrier Repair Eye Cream
Ingredients
aqua, glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride, dipropylene glycol, caprylic/capric/succinic triglyceride, butylene glycol, phenyl trimethicone, cetyl ethylhexanoate, polyglyceryl-2 stearate, cetearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate, stearyl alcohol, hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, sodium hyaluronate, ectoin, propanediol, copper tripeptide-1, butyrospermum parkii butter, theobroma cacao seed extract, glycereth-26, ammonium polyacryloyldimethyl taurate, thamnolia vermicularis leaf extract, vinyl dimethicone, coptis japonica root extract, hydroxyacetophenone, acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, dextrin, sphingolipids, tromethamine, ethylhexylglycerin, ceramide np, disodium edta, xanthan gum, 1, 2-hexanediol, glycine
Technically this is an eye cream, but as with any eye cream, I use it just as a regular moisturiser for my whole face, because why wouldn't I? I chose it specifically because it looked hydrating without being overly occlusive.
And the texture matched my expectations. It's moisturising without feeling heavy or greasy, with a combination of glycerin, several glycols and three forms of hyaluronic acid providing plenty of hydration. It also contains ceramide NP and sphingolipids, which fit nicely with Byoma's focus on barrier support.
The two ingredients Byoma specifically highlights beyond its barrier-repair system are ectoin and copper tripeptide-1, and both are genuinely interesting additions.
Ectoin is an extremolyte: a molecule produced by microorganisms to survive environmental stress. In skincare, it's used for its protective and hydrating properties, helping the skin cope with environmental stress while supporting its moisture balance. I particularly like the idea of it in a moisturiser that I'm using alongside active ingredients (I use this cream as my night moisturiser, after applying a retinol serum).
Copper tripeptide-1 is the more explicitly anti-ageing ingredient. It's associated with skin repair and processes involved in collagen production. The science behind copper peptides is interesting, although the evidence for visible anti-ageing effects from topical cosmetic formulations isn't nearly as established as it is for retinoids.
I've been using this alongside retinol (nighttime) and vitamin C (daytime), and I've had no sensitivity. I suspect the combination of the moisturising and barrier-supporting ingredients plays at least some role in that. I wouldn't say this product magically makes strong actives non-irritating, but my skin has been remarkably comfortable using all of them together.
And that's really what I like about this. I wanted something moisturising and supportive enough to be used alongside an active-heavy routine, but not so occlusive that it feels like it's going to congest my skin. This hits that balance very well for me.