The Problem I Kept Seeing in Clinic
After two decades in clinic, there's a recurring pattern I've seen time and time again. A patient, usually with oily or combination skin, comes in with a barrier that's clearly compromised. Sensitivity. Reactivity. Breakouts that won't resolve. A complexion that's really struggling. And when I ask about their hydration habits, the answer is almost always the same.
"I don't really use moisturisers. Everything I've tried either breaks me out or feels too heavy."
I understand exactly why they've given up. Barrier repair moisturisers have historically been formulated for dry skin - rich, occlusive, deeply nourishing. Everything about them signals: this is not for you. So when oily and blemish-prone skin overdoes the actives, their barrier goes unmoisturised, and stays compromised; the irritable breakout cycle continues.
Why Oily Skin Needs Barrier Repair Too
Oily skin is not the same as well-moisturised skin. Sebum and water are entirely different things, and the skin barrier - built from ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids - has nothing to do with what your sebaceous glands are producing. You can have skin that generates significant amounts of oil and still have a compromised barrier. In fact, the two often go together.
This matters especially when you're using actives. Retinoids, acids, and exfoliants are effective precisely because they drive change at the skin surface - but that same activity can deplete the skin's water content and progressively impair the barrier. When the barrier is compromised, transepidermal water loss increases: the skin loses moisture faster than it should. And here's where it gets counterintuitive. The skin often responds to that water loss by producing more sebum, in a compensatory attempt to seal the surface. So, the actives you're using to treat breakouts can end up driving the oiliness and congestion that makes them worse. The barrier impairment also creates a pro-inflammatory environment - which is precisely the wrong condition for skin that's already blemish-prone.
The answer isn't to skip moisturiser. For oily and blemish-prone skin, the right hydration isn't optional - it's integral to treatment.
The Science I Wanted to Address
Flawless Moisturiser Balance started from a clear brief: to bring the barrier repair and skin longevity science of award-winning Flawless Moisturiser Intense to oily, blemish-prone, and combination skin - and to anyone who simply prefers a lighter texture. The question was how to deliver the same meaningful science in a formula that wouldn't feel heavy and wouldn't set blemish-prone skin back.
We know that mitochondria are the energy engines of every skin cell. We know that NAD⁺ - the coenzyme that fuels mitochondrial function - declines with age and is depleted by UV exposure, stress, and a compromised barrier. That science underpins both Flawless Moisturiser Intense and Flawless Moisturiser Balance, and I've written about it in depth in the skin longevity guide.
What the research into SSE revealed - specifically through the work of Professor Mark Birch-Machin who has studied mitochondria for nearly 30 years, was something more targeted still: the importance of spare respiratory capacity.
Mitochondria don't just produce energy at a fixed rate. They have a reserve - a capacity to surge energy output when the cell comes under sudden stress. Scientists call this spare respiratory capacity, and it's one of the most meaningful measures of a cell's resilience. It's the difference between a cell that can cope with UV damage, repair itself, and recover - and one that functions at baseline but has nothing left when demand suddenly spikes...
UV radiation attacks this reserve directly. When UV hits skin, it damages mitochondrial DNA - weakening the cell's power system and collapsing its energy ceiling. Collagen production slows. DNA repair stalls. Barrier restoration is delayed. And over time, that cumulative deficit shows up on the surface as accelerated ageing.
The Research Behind Sunflower Shoot Extract
At the heart of Flawless Moisturiser Balance is 2% sunflower shoot extract (SSE) - the same NAD⁺-boosting ingredient at the core of Flawless Moisturiser Intense, but here investigated through a more specific and, I think, genuinely exciting lens.
Professor Mark Birch-Machin used the Seahorse XFe Analyser - the gold standard device for measuring mitochondrial fitness in living cells - to study SSE's effect on skin cells under UV stress. In two independent studies commissioned by Dr Sam’s SSE at 2% was shown to result in:
- 34% less UV-induced mitochondrial DNA damage in human skin cells
- +19% preservation of mitochondrial maximal respiration under UV stress
- +18% preservation of spare respiratory capacity under UV stress
Professor Birch-Machin has described these as cutting-edge findings. What I find particularly compelling is the specificity of the results: SSE had no measurable effect on cells not under UV stress. It works precisely when the skin needs it most - under the conditions that deplete the cell's energy reserve. Both studies have been submitted for publication in the Journal of Cosmetic Science.
Why Milk Thistle Extract (Silymarin)
The other ingredient I want to talk about is Milk Thistle Extract (silymarin) - at 3%, it's the formula's second hero and one I'm hugely excited about.
Milk Thistle Extract (silymarin) is a powerful antioxidant that targets cellular senescence. Senescent cells - sometimes called zombie cells - are cells that have stopped dividing and stopped functioning properly but haven't been cleared by the body. They accumulate with age and under UV stress, and they drive chronic low-grade inflammation that accelerates the visible signs of ageing. This is one of the recognised hallmarks of ageing, and it's a mechanism that very few skincare ingredients address directly.
Milk Thistle Extract (silymarin) works alongside sunflower shoot extract in the formula: SSE preserves the cell's energy reserve under UV stress, while silymarin targets one of the key downstream consequences of cellular ageing.
What Else Is in the Formula
Getting the supporting cast right was just as important as the hero ingredients - particularly for a moisturiser designed for blemish-prone skin, where texture and compatibility with actives are non-negotiable.
Ectoin at 1% - one of my favourite barrier ingredients and still underrated in mainstream skincare. Ectoin is a natural extremolyte: a small molecule, originally discovered in microorganisms that survive in extreme environments, that works by forming a stable hydration shell around skin cells and proteins. It binds water in a way that protects cell membranes from stress - whether that's UV, pollution, or environmental exposure - and has good evidence behind it for calming reactive and sensitised skin. It's in Flawless Moisturiser Balance for the same reason I included it in Flawless Moisturiser Intense: it's genuinely valuable for skin under pressure.
Ceramides - the skin barrier depends on its lipid architecture: a precise ratio of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids that holds skin cells together and prevents water loss. Ceramides are the most abundant of those lipids and replenishing them in a compromised barrier helps restore its structure and function.
Centella asiatica and allantoin - both well-regarded for their soothing and skin-calming properties. Centella asiatica has a long history of use in wound healing and skin repair; allantoin is known for its ability to soothe redness and support skin recovery. In a formula designed for reactive and blemish-prone skin, having both felt important.
The result is a formula that feels lightweight and fast-absorbing, leaves no residue, and layers seamlessly under SPF and make-up without pilling.
The Clinical Results
Clinical validation matters, when a product makes claims about barrier repair. Flawless Moisturiser Balance was tested specifically on the skin it was designed for, and the results speak for themselves.
Flawless Moisturiser Balance is clinically proven to improve the skin's natural barrier in just 14 days.*
100% agree it hydrates without clogging pores**, 97% agree stressed, sensitive skin feels soothed after use, and 100% agree it works well alongside actives.
*Clinical in-use study on 32 subjects assessing transepidermal water loss at baseline and day 14.
**Clinical in-use study on 32 subjects with oily and blemish-prone combination skin, using the product daily for two weeks.
How Flawless Moisturiser Balance Fits into the Range
Flawless Moisturiser Balance and Flawless Moisturiser Intense share the same core science - sunflower shoot extract, barrier-repairing actives, and a genuine commitment to skin longevity - but are optimised for different skin needs and preferences.
Flawless Moisturiser Balance is for oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin - and for anyone who prefers a lighter texture. Lightweight, silky, non-comedogenic. Serious barrier repair, without the breakouts.
Flawless Moisturiser Intense is for dry, dehydrated, and compromised skin. Rich, nourishing, deeply restorative.
They work well independently or together. If you love Flawless Moisturiser Balance during the day but want something richer overnight, Flawless Moisturiser Intense is the natural partner for your evening routine - the same longevity science, with a texture designed for comfort and repair while you sleep.
Who Flawless Moisturiser Balance Is For
If any of these sound familiar, this is the moisturiser I've been trying to create for you:
- "Everything feels too heavy."
- "Moisturisers always break me out."
- "My skin feels sensitive but I'm scared to add more."
- "I use a lot of actives and I don't know what to layer on top."
Flawless Moisturiser Balance is the answer to all of those. Lightweight feel. Heavyweight benefits.
How to Use It
Flawless Moisturiser Balance is Step 3 in the Dr Sam System: Cleanse, Activate, Hydrate, Protect.
Step 1: Apply after cleansing and serums, but before sunscreen and make-up - use as little or as much as you need.
Step 2: Apply using the 13 Dot Technique™ for an even layer that absorbs into your face, not your hands.
Step 3: Apply to the eye area and neck too - skin is skin. Wait for Flawless Moisturiser Balance to fully absorb before applying sunscreen.
If your skin prefers a richer moisturiser at night, save Flawless Moisturiser Balance for the daytime and use Flawless Moisturiser Intense overnight for a night-time longevity boost. The two formulas are designed to work together as well as independently.
Not Just for Oily Skin
One more thing worth saying. Flawless Moisturiser Balance was primarily designed for oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin - but it doesn't stop there. If you love Flawless Moisturiser Intense but want something lighter for the daytime, for summer, or for days when you're working out - this is that product. The same science. A different texture.
A Final Note
"Mitochondrial resilience - specifically the skin cell's ability to maintain its energy levels under UV stress - is one of the most important, and often overlooked, factors in how skin ages. With Flawless Moisturiser Balance, I've built a formula that works with that biology, in a texture that oil-prone skin has been waiting for." - Dr Sam Bunting MA Cantab MBBS MRCP
Flawless Moisturiser Balance is the product I've wanted to create for every patient who walked out of clinic without a moisturiser because nothing on the market felt right for their skin. The science behind it is the most advanced we've put into a moisturiser formula. And the texture - finally - does justice to it.
I hope it changes things for you the way I know it can.
Explore more:
Flawless Moisturiser Balance →
Flawless Moisturiser Intense →
The Science of Skin Longevity: A Complete Guide →
Dr Sam Bunting MA Cantab MBBS MRCP is a cosmetic dermatologist and founder of Dr Sam's Skincare.
