“At Prequel, my goal is to create skin protectants that not only work effectively but feel amazing on the skin. Our Skin Utility Balm is formulated with dimethicone that aids in the recovery of the skin barrier. It’s a water based balm that is rich enough to moisturize and restore but light enough to not feel heavy or greasy on the skin. I reach for this every night and hope you’ll love it as much as I do.” - Founder Dr. Sam Ellis
Our goal at Prequel is to provide a variety of skin protectant products that are both efficacious, feel amazing, and work for your skin. There is not a one-size-fits-all regarding skin protectants so we developed our Skin Utility platform that utilizes various active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) listed on the FDA’s Over-the-Counter (OTC) Monograph M016: Skin Protectant Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use. The collective goal of our Skin Utility platform is to protect the skin from external aggressors and accelerate skin barrier recovery. This is achievable with different APIs as well as product formats. Our newest addition to the Skin Utility family is the Skin Utility Balm Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant to offer skin protection in a water based occlusive balm for dry, sensitized or compromised skin.
Our Skin Utility Balm contains 5.25% dimethicone as the API, an ingredient that can be found in both cosmetics and OTC products. At a cosmetic level it is used to reduce surface tension allowing better slip and spread on the skin. It can also help reduce “soaping” or whitening that sometimes happens when spreading silicone-free emulsions on the skin. Dimethicone encompasses a family of ingredients and the INCI itself doesn’t indicate the chain length (degree of polymerization) or the viscosity so the feel of dimethicone can vary based on these two properties. Dimethicone has high gas permeability so it creates a porous breathable film that can minimize transepidermal water loss and protect the skin from external irritants without clogging pores or hindering penetration of most ingredients. In an OTC skin protectant the dimethicone used is a USP grade and has a higher viscosity such as 350cst to create a breathable barrier. Learn more about the benefits of dimethicone in our blog.
Formulated with 5.25% dimethicone, shea butter, cica, and our lipid complex, our Skin Utility Balm relieves dehydrated, sensitized and compromised skin. It locks in moisture while reinforcing a healthier skin barrier for long-lasting comfort. Cica, also known as centella asiatica or tiger grass, soothes and provides visual improvements to skin. Learn more about cica in our blog. Shea butter has a unique fatty acid profile that conditions the skin while our lipid complex containing cholesterol, fatty acids, and ceramide NP in an optimized ratio maintains skin moisture balance. We also utilize a unique ingredient that functions as a smart lipophilic skin hydrator. It stimulates the skin’s endogenous or internal hydration network to restore osmotic equilibrium to compromised skin and maintain a healthy skin barrier function. It truly helps deliver hydration to where the skin needs it most.
The Skin Utility Balm Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant is fragrance free, hypoallergenic, allergy tested, suitable for all skin types, safe or sensitive skin, safe for eczema prone skin, and non-greasy. It also received the National Psoriasis Seal of Recognition.
How Does the Skin Utility Balm Differ From the Skin Utility Ointment?
Both the Skin Utility Ointment Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant and Skin Utility Balm Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant temporarily protect and help relieve chafed, chapped, or cracked skin. They both protect the skin from the drying effects of wind and cold weather. The ointment utilizes 45% Petrolatum USP as the API which can also temporarily protect minor cuts, scrapes, and burns. The oil solubility of petrolatum and viscosity lend it best to ointment and opaque emulsion formats which is great for nighttime slugging or very dry skin and lips. The Skin Utility Balm Multi-Purpose Skin Protectant, like the Skin Utility Ointment, can also be used from head to toe but the Skin Utility Balm is a water-based occlusive balm with 5.25% Dimethicone USP. It is less occlusive than the Skin Utility Ointment but more occlusive than Skin Utility Gel. The Skin Utility Balm can be used for nighttime slugging in place of Skin Utility Ointment for those that do not want to use an ointment or petrolatum.
DISCLAIMER: All skin care articles are intended to help educate on specific ingredients and skin care topics. Our articles are written to be informative and informational. Any reference to a specific patient experience is not a medical suggestion for treatment. Please note that any Prequel products with referenced ingredients are formulated for Cosmetic Use Only and NOT intended as replacements for physician advice and/or pharmaceutical product recommendations.
