As a beauty blogger (it still feels funny to say that, even 4 years in), I try a lot of skincare. Most of the time, my skin deals with the variety just fine. But occasionally, I use the wrong thing, exfoliate too much, or mess things up in some other way. At that point, restoring the damaged barrier becomes a priority. I kept hearing such great things about Krave Beauty that I simply had to try one of their star products - Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief serum.
The serum came to me as part of the AMT (Asia Master Trade) box - watch my unboxing video here. The boxes are not currently sold to the public, but their contents can be purchased individually. The Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief is sold on* Krave website and Stylevana.
The AMT #1 BARRIER PROTECTION Box Contained:
AXIS-Y Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule 30ml (read the review here)
Dr. Jart+ DERMASK™ Water Jet Vital Hydra Solution 2x
KRAVE Beauty Great Skin Barrier Relief
Reusable Cotton Pads 2x
To learn more about AMT, visit their Instagram. All of the boxes in the series were made in collaboration with AXIS-Y. You can find them on Instagram as well.
Great Barrier Relief is a creamy “serum” (that is more of an emulsion, texture-wise) that promises to soothe the skin without a greasy feeling. The main function of the skin barrier is to keep the good things in and the damaging things out. This serum helps repair the barrier and restore the skin to its healthy glory.
How to use:
Apply to clean skin (use more if the skin is very dry)
Follow with moisturizer and SPF (in the morning)
Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief is made without fragrance, essential oils and colorants. It is vegan and cruelty free.
My impressions
I feel like I’m finally part of the not-so-secret society of Krave Beauty fans. I can definitely see why people love this serum - it feels like a calming hug for angry, irritated skin. The texture is beautiful - light but creamy, soothing, and so pleasant to use. It absorbs beautifully without being heavy or greasy. I have combination skin, so it is always a balancing act of nourishing the dry areas without overwhelming the oily ones.
The formula contains 10% tamanu oil - an ingredient known for stimulating collagen production to promote wound healing. It can also be beneficial in treating acne. One thing to note about tamanu oil is its potent, unique smell. I actually struggled with that in another formula (different brand). When it comes to Great Barrier Relief, I recognize the earthy tamanu scent, but it’s a lot less robust than the other product I had, and I don’t mind it. I mention it here as a friendly reminder that fragrance free doesn’t always mean scent-free.
My combination skin really enjoys this product. I like that it could almost be a one-step solution - just apply after cleansing, finish with moisturizer, go to bed (or add SPF and slay the day). While I absolutely adore the multistep kbeauty routine, if my skin is irritated, then less is more.
I’ve noticed soothed skin, less redness, improved texture (if my skin is irritated, it can feel rough and/or bumpy). Perhaps most importantly, I can FINALLY say I tried this iconic product for myself!
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*Affiliate links
This product was sent to me for free. This is not a sponsored review.
Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief Serum ingredients: Water, Propanediol, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil (10%), Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Polysorbate 60, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Glyceryl Oleate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Oleate, Octyldodecanol, Glycerin, Butylene glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Serine, Acetyl Glutamine, Glycine, Ceramide NP, Oleic Acid, Sodium PCA, Glycosyl Trehalose, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols, Saccharide Isomerate, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Lactic Acid, Xanthan gum, Urea, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Magnesium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Caprylate, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA