Frequently Asked Questions

Barrier Shield Serum is a lipid-dense gel-serum formulated to help your skin look and feel more hydrated, calm, and resilient. It is built around a multi-ceramide complex, rice ferment filtrate, niacinamide, and centella asiatica — each selected for its documented role in supporting the appearance of a healthy moisture barrier. It is manufactured in a Korean GMP-certified facility and designed for year-round use.

Barrier Shield Serum is designed for all skin types, with a particular focus on skin that looks or feels dry, reactive, or sensitive to seasonal changes. The gel-serum texture is lightweight enough for combination skin yet rich enough for dry and dehydrated complexions. It is fragrance-free and non-comedogenic.

Most drugstore ceramide products use a single ceramide in a heavy cream base. Barrier Shield Serum contains three ceramides — NP, AP, and EOP — in the physiological 3:1:1 ratio alongside cholesterol and phytosphingosine. It is formulated in Korea using advanced lipid delivery systems, and it includes rice ferment filtrate, niacinamide, and centella asiatica as part of a complete system. The difference is in the formulation architecture, not just the ingredient list.

Yes. Barrier Shield Serum contains no synthetic fragrance, no natural fragrance, and no essential oils. We believe luxury should never come at the cost of irritation. The formula has a neutral, clean scent from its base ingredients only.

Yes. Barrier Shield Serum is 100% vegan and is never tested on animals. Our manufacturing partner adheres to cruelty-free standards.

The texture is a translucent, lightweight gel that absorbs quickly without leaving a sticky or greasy residue. It sits between a traditional serum and a light moisturizer — dense enough to deliver lipids, light enough to layer under your existing products. In winter, we recommend following with a richer cream to seal everything in.

One 30ml bottle lasts approximately 6 to 8 weeks with twice-daily use (2 to 3 pumps per application). The airless pump ensures that every drop is dispensed cleanly and that the formula stays fresh until the last use.

Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin — often described as a “bricks and mortar” structure. The bricks are your skin cells, and the mortar is a lipid matrix made of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. When this matrix is intact, your skin holds onto moisture and stays protected from environmental stressors. When it is compromised — by harsh weather, over-cleansing, or aggressive active ingredients — your skin can look dry, red, and reactive. Supporting the appearance of this barrier is the foundation of everything we do.

The 3:1:1 ratio refers to the proportion of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids in our formula. Research suggests that this ratio closely mirrors the natural composition of the skin’s own lipid matrix. Rather than using a single ceramide, we include three — ceramide NP, AP, and EOP — alongside cholesterol and phytosphingosine, designed to work as a complete system rather than isolated ingredients.

Rice ferment filtrate is rice that has undergone a fermentation process, not simply water in which rice has been soaked. Fermentation breaks down molecules into smaller, more bioavailable forms and produces beneficial byproducts like amino acids and peptides. It is a traditional Korean ingredient with centuries of use in skincare, and it constitutes a significant portion of our formula’s aqueous phase. Rice water, by comparison, is a simpler extract with fewer of these benefits.

We exclude synthetic fragrances, denatured alcohols, essential oils, parabens, sulfates, PEGs, mineral oil, and phthalates. We also formulate without ultra-low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (below 20 kDa), which some research suggests may cause irritation. Every exclusion is based on formulation science, not marketing trends.

We always recommend consulting your healthcare provider before introducing any new skincare product during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Our formula does not contain retinoids, salicylic acid, or other ingredients commonly flagged during pregnancy, but your doctor knows your individual situation best.

Yes. We ship to all provinces and territories across Canada. Standard shipping takes 5 to 7 business days and is complimentary on orders over $75 CAD.

Yes. We offer standard shipping to the United States with delivery in 7 to 10 business days. Shipping rates are calculated at checkout. Please note that international orders may be subject to customs duties and taxes, which are the responsibility of the recipient.

We offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, you may return unused and unopened products within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We want you to feel confident in your decision — and if it is not the right fit, we will make it right.

No. The Founding Member rate of $59 CAD is not a promotional discount — it is a permanently locked price for our earliest supporters. Once you become a Founding Member, that rate stays with you for every future purchase, even as the standard retail price of $69 CAD applies to new customers. It is our way of recognizing the trust you place in a brand at the very beginning of its journey.

Barrier Shield Serum is currently in the final stages of formulation and manufacturing. Founding Member orders will ship as soon as production is complete. We will keep you informed of every milestone along the way. If you have joined the waitlist, you will be the first to know when orders open.

Maple Asia Beauty is a registered Canadian business based in Manitoba, Canada. Our products are formulated and manufactured in South Korea at a GMP-certified facility, and all business operations, customer support, and brand development are based in Canada.

By choice. We believe that launching one product and doing it exceptionally well is more valuable than launching a full line of adequate products. Barrier Shield Serum represents our core philosophy: barrier-first formulation, scientific rigor, and intentional simplicity. Future products will follow the same standard — they will be launched only when we are confident they meet the same level of formulation quality.

We do not have a fixed timeline for our next product. Our approach is to listen to our community, study the science, and develop only what genuinely fills a gap. We would rather be known for one exceptional product than for a large catalog of interchangeable ones. When we do launch something new, our Founding Members will be the first to know.

That is a fair question, and we appreciate you asking it directly. We are new, and trust is earned — not assumed. Here is what we can offer: we publish our full ingredient list and explain the reasoning behind every formulation decision. We share our pricing transparently. We manufacture with a Korean GMP-certified partner with decades of experience. And our Founding Member program exists precisely because we believe in building relationships before building scale. We would rather have 150 people who genuinely trust us than 15,000 who have never heard our name.

Yes. As a Canadian company, we take our bilingual responsibilities seriously. French-language support is on our roadmap and will be implemented as we grow. Our product packaging will include bilingual EN/FR labeling in compliance with federal requirements from day one.