Your barrier’s on the mend—but now what? In this week’s episode, Ella breaks down how to tell when your skin is truly healing and how to safely reintroduce actives like exfoliants, retinoids, and vitamin C without undoing your progress.

You’ll learn: ✨ The top signs your skin barrier is bouncing back (beyond just “it feels less dry”) ✨ How to reintroduce actives like a pro—without flaking, burning, or purging all over again ✨ Three must-know skincare tweaks to survive the seasonal shift and keep your glow steady

Whether you’ve been on a full skin detox or just trying to baby your barrier through the colder months, this episode will help you get back to actives confidently and keep your skin calm, clear, and hydrated.

Let’s stay connected:

💻 Book Your 1:1 Virtual Consultation Today!

📲 Come say hi on TikTok & Instagram @your.estie.ella

💌 Join the Clear by New Year email list for bonus tips & exclusive resources

🛍️ Shop everything mentioned in this video here: https://shopmy.us/collections/2766760

🧪 Barrier Loving Ingredients to Know

Beta-Glucan: A powerful humectant that deeply hydrates and soothes irritation while strengthening the skin barrier.

Centella Asiatica (Cica): A calming botanical that speeds up healing, reduces redness, and supports collagen production.

Panthenol (Vitamin B5): A moisture magnet that softens, smooths, and restores the skin’s protective barrier.

Ectoin: A stress-protective molecule that shields skin from pollution, temperature changes, and dehydration.

Allantoin: A gentle soothing agent that helps calm irritation and promote skin cell regeneration.

Peptides: Short chains of amino acids that signal your skin to produce more collagen and elastin for firmer, smoother texture.

Growth Factors: Bio-identical proteins that encourage cell renewal and repair, improving tone, texture, and resilience.

Is your skin barrier actually damaged — or is it just throwing a little tantrum? In this episode, Ella breaks down one of the most misunderstood topics in skincare: how to tell the difference between temporary irritation and true barrier damage. You’ll learn what your barrier really is, how it protects you, the common mistakes that wreck it, and simple, science-backed steps to heal and strengthen your skin again.

🛍 Shop Ella’s Barrier-Safe Picks: ShopMyShelf Barrier Collection

💕 Connect with Ella:

• Instagram: @Your.Estie.Ella
• TikTok: @Your.Estie.Ella
• Clear by New Year Hub
• 1:1 Skin Consultations: Book Here

✨ If You Loved This Episode:

• Share it with a friend who’s overdoing their exfoliation!
• Tag Ella in your stories and let her know your biggest takeaway @your.estie.ella
• Leave a review — it helps more people learn how to simplify skincare the smart way.

🧴 Ingredients to Know

Surfactants (Cleansing Agents)

These are the ingredients that make cleansers foam and remove dirt, oil, and makeup. The right surfactant will cleanse without stripping your skin’s natural oils.

Gentle surfactants to look for:

• Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
• Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate
• Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
• Coco-Glucoside / Decyl Glucoside
• Disodium / Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate

Stripping surfactants to avoid (especially as the first ingredient):

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
• Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
• TEA-Lauryl Sulfate

Humectants (Hydration Magnets)

Humectants are ingredients that attract and hold onto water in the skin — kind of like a sponge pulling moisture from your environment or your deeper skin layers. They keep your complexion plump, soft, and hydrated.

Common humectants to look for:

• Glycerin
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Beta-Glucan
• Panthenol (Vitamin B5)
• Sodium PCA

Soothing + Calming Ingredients

When your barrier is feeling sensitive or reactive, these ingredients help calm inflammation and support repair. They can be found in toners, serums, or moisturizers.

Soothing superstars:

• Centella Asiatica (Cica)
• Ectoin
• Allantoin
• Madecassoside
• Bisabolol
• Green Tea Extract
• PDRN (for advanced skin repair)

In today’s episode, we’ll walk through all four phases of the cycle — menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal — and break down what’s happening hormonally, how your skin tends to behave during each phase, and how to better support your skin and body with targeted care, foods, movement, supplements, and habits.

Whether you’re dealing with monthly breakouts, dullness, dryness, or inflammation — understanding your cycle can be the missing link in building a routine that actually works with your skin, not against it.

PLUS, this episode also marks the soft launch of my Clear by New Year Challenge, a free 90-day skin health reset starting October 1st. AND I’ve got the inside scoop on the Clearstem 23% off sitewide sale, happening Sept 29–30 only 👀

Join the Clear by New Year Challenge today!! Join HERE

Clear by New Year Bundle Flash Sale through Friday 10/3

ClearStem Flash Sale 9/29 & 9/30 23% off with code YOURESTIEELLA

Shop everything mentioned in this video here: https://shopmy.us/collections/2457168

Murad Acne Control Rapid Relief Acne Sulfur Mask: https://go.shopmy.us/p-26384657

TOPICALS | Clearly Clarifying & Calming Mask : https://go.shopmy.us/p-26384670

Mindbodyskin: https://go.shopmy.us/p-26384718

Mindbodyskin 2: https://go.shopmy.us/p-26384743

ZITSTICKA | Undercover: https://go.shopmy.us/p-26384755

Shop more of my favorite products here: https://shopmy.us/ellaelston