Healthy Barrier
Strong mortar, tight bricks
Eczema Relief Skin Barrier Supplement
Fortifies the skin barrier to reduce water loss, smooth roughness, and protect against flare-ups.
$25
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Eczema Relief Kids Gummies
Contain L-histidine (to build skin barrier protein filaggrin and NMF, as well as key vitamins and minerals.
$25
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ANTÜ Skin Barrier Support Supplement
Contains L-histidine to build filaggrin and NMF and M3+ plant antioxidants.
$52
$48
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Cooling Skin Recovery Gel
A fast-absorbing gel developed to quickly hydrate and soothe skin stressed by sunburn or radiation therapy.
$45
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Bia Unscented Soap Duo
Fragrance-free, pH-balanced, microbiome-supporting soap. Protect and soften without irritation.
$28
$22
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Waschies Washing Gloves
Super-soft fibre allows the skin to be cleansed with just water without irritating or drying it out.
$28
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What is TSW?
A reaction that can occur when the skin has relied on medium- to high-potency steroid creams for too long, and those treatments are reduced or stopped.
It may feel more severe and overwhelming than the original eczema it was treating.
TSW is a real, distinct reaction. Recognizing it is the first step toward supporting recovery.
People with TSW often experience:
Redness & burning
Intense, often beyond treated areas
Spreading symptoms
Beyond original treated areas.
Itching & peeling
Persistent, hard to soothe.
Fatigue & sleep loss
Temperature sensitivity too.
FROM OUR BLOG
Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW): Why It's Suddenly Everywhere
After years of being dismissed, topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) is getting its own U.S. diagnostic codes in 2027. The new designation recognizes TSW as a distinct condition rather than simply a flare of a person's existing eczema.
Who is most affected?
TSW has been most reported by a few overlapping groups — but no one is fully exempt.
Adults, especially women The most commonly reported demographic in patient communities and case series.
Moderate- to high-potency steroid users Long-term or repeated use of stronger formulations carries the highest reported risk.
Long-term use on thin skin The face and other thin-skinned areas are often involved.
The loop: steroid dependence
Step 1
Apply steroid
Symptoms suppressed quickly
Step 2
Skin adapts
Barrier thins, tolerance builds
Step 3
Symptoms rebound
Often worse than before
Step 4
Stronger, more use
To regain control
Steroid use can become a self-reinforcing cycle
Recent research points to a distinct inflammatory pathway activated after steroids are stopped — explaining the burning and hypersensitivity that go beyond a typical flare.
As the skin adapts, symptoms can rebound each time treatment eases, driving a loop of stronger, more frequent use.
What steroids do to the barrier
Long-term use gradually creates a thinner, more fragile skin barrier that holds less moisture and lets in more allergens.
Holds less moisture — drier, flakier skin
Lets more allergens in — more reactive
Lower structural proteins & slower renewal
How the "brick wall" changes
The bricks are skin cells. The mortar is the ceramides and lipids that hold them together. Long-term steroid use thins both.
After Long-Term Use
Thinned mortar, looser bricks
Rebound vessel dilation
Constricted vessels dilate sharply — driving deep, persistent redness.
Compromised barrier
The thinned wall can't hold water in or keep irritants out.
Disrupted control
The skin's own cortisol-and-immune feedback is impaired.
Important: Don't stop prescribed steroid treatments on your own. Talk to your dermatologist about a step-down plan and barrier support during the transition.
Is it TSW or an eczema flare?
They can look very similar. Applying steroids can temporarily ease TSW too — which is exactly what makes it hard to recognize.
Telling them apart
Diagnosis of TSW is clinical and often one of exclusion — there is no single lab test. A dermatologist familiar with the condition is the best place to start.
Typical eczema flare
What it usually looks like
- Itch is the dominant sensation
- Stays within known trigger areas
- Responds predictably to steroids
- Temperature regulation intact
- Improves when triggers are removed
TSW signs to watch for
What’s different
- Redness spreading where steroids were never applied
- A dominant burning sensation, not just itch
- Loss of temperature regulation
- Skin that worsens after stopping steroids
- Needing stronger / more frequent applications
What does recovery look like?
Progress is often non-linear, with periods of improvement and setback. Setting realistic expectations is part of the process.
How long can it take?
Timelines vary widely, depending on potency, duration of prior steroid use, and individual response.
What the skin needs to do
What the skin needs to do
Rebuild its barrier structure
Consistent barrier support — ceramide-rich topicals, gentle cleansing, protection from environmental stress.
Stay healthy
Ongoing infection monitoring — a compromised barrier is more vulnerable to colonization.
Restore inflammatory control
The skin's regulatory systems need time to come back online. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one emerging option being studied
Normalize blood vessel tone
Rebound dilation gradually settles as local circulation re-regulates.
Codex Labs founder and scientist Dr. Barbara Paldus explains why the company is funding an exploratory Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy study for TSW, the science behind the research, and our mission to better understand this devastating condition.
The support routine
Supporting recovery, inside & out
Recovery is about rebuilding the barrier, not suppressing symptoms. A steroid-free routine works in three steps — cleanse gently, replenish and seal, then feed the barrier from within.
Cleanser • Daily
Codex Labs Unscented Soap
Cleanse without stripping
Our Unscented Soap gently cleanses without stripping the lipids and natural moisturizing factors filaggrin produces. Unlike harsh, fragranced cleansers that raise skin pH and disrupt filaggrin processing, it helps preserve the skin's natural barrier.
Fragrance-free & non-stripping
Cleans without dissolving the ceramide “mortar” or the filaggrin breakdown products that hold water.
Respects the acid mantle
A pH-conscious formula keeps the slightly acidic surface filaggrin needs to be processed correctly.
Topical • Daily
Nourishing Facial Oil & Gentle Cleansing Oil
Replenish and seal
Our award-winning oils seal the skin barrier and deliver essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. The water-free, fast-absorbing formula locks in moisture and is clinically proven to soften, smooth, and balance.
Water-free for the most sensitive skin
A water-free formula helps avoid stinging while comforting and conditioning.
Calms inflammation
Soothing botanicals quiet the signals that keep skin reactive.
Seals in lasting moisture
Fast-absorbing oils reinforce the skin barrier, lock in hydration, and leave skin balances
Supplement • Daily
Skin Barrier Support Supplements
Support from within
Topicals work at the surface. To give recovering skin the raw material it needs to rebuild filaggrin and its natural moisturizing factors, feed the barrier from within with supplements.
Delivers age-appropriate dose of L-Histidine
The amino-acid building block the body uses to make filaggrin and its natural moisturizing factors.
Antioxidant support
Antioxidants such as vitamins C & E and M3 (Maqui, Matico, and Murtilla) help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation that can impair filaggrin expression and skin barrier function.
Clinically studied results
A 34% reduction in SCORAD eczema-severity score reported after 30 days of daily use with the supplement alone.
A steroid-free routine in three steps
Gentle, consisten and built around the barrier – not around suppression.
STEP 1
CLEANSE GENTLY
Fragrance-free & pH-balanced soap. Lukewarm water. Codex Labs’ Unscented Soap doesn’t strip skin hydration, oils or the skin microbiome.
STEP 2
SUPPORT TOPICALLY
Apply a nourishing oil that stimulates filaggrin production and seals in moisture, twice daily.
STEP 3
FEED IT FROM WITHIN
Daily L-Histidine at the studied dose, alongside any prescribed treatments.
BEST SELLERS
Clinically-Proven Eczema Relief Protocols for Every Age
SKIN BARRIER PROTOCOL
Infants, 3m - 12m
Eczema relief for the most sensitive skin, with L-Histidine to rebuild the skin barrier.
SKIN BARRIER PROTOCOL
Toddlers 1y -3y
Eczema relief for the the most sensitive skin, with L-Histidine to rebuild the skin barrier.
SKIN BARRIER PROTOCOL
Kids, 3y -12y
All the eczema relieving power of our L-Histidine powder supplements, now in gummy form.
SKIN BARRIER PROTOCOL
Teens 12y - 18y
Eczema relief for teenagers - rebuild the skin barrier's filaggrin with L-Histidine.
SKIN BARRIER PROTOCOL
Adults
Eczema relief for adults - rebuild the skin barrier’s filaggrin with L-Histidine
Recovery starts with a stronger barrier
Codex Labs' barrier-support routine pairs ceramide-rich topicals with internal nutrition — built for skin that's been through a lot. Steroid-free, dermatologist-formulated, and designed for the long road of recovery.
Five things to remember
TSW is a real, distinct reaction — not just an eczema flare. It can occur when medium- to high-potency creams are reduced or stopped after long-term use.
Symptoms often feel more severe than the original eczema — burning, redness, spreading, fatigue, and disrupted sleep.
Adults, especially women using potent steroids long-term on thin skin are most affected, but TSW can occur elsewhere and in children.
Long-term steroid use thins the barrier — lowering ceramides, structural proteins, and renewal — which is why barrier support matters.
Recovery is non-linear and can take weeks to years — rebuilding the barrier, staying infection-free, and restoring control.
