Our story

For years, dermatologist Dr. Leslie Baumann saw the same problem in her patients and in her own skin: dryness that kept coming back, even after moisturizing.

She believed the issue was not a lack of moisture, but a weakened skin barrier.

At a dermatology conference in Seoul, Dr. Baumann met Dr. Jong-Kyung Youm, a Korean skin barrier scientist whose research focused on the lipid structure that helps healthy skin retain moisture.

Together, they developed Zerafite: barrier-focused skincare built around Korean lipid technology and shaped by decades of clinical dermatology experience.

More than a decade later, Zerafite is recommended by dermatologists and carried in clinics across the country because it was created for dry skin that needs more than temporary relief.

The science behind our products

Moisturizers that mimic the skin's natural barrier show a Maltese Cross Pattern when viewed under a cross-polarized microscope. This is because they have the exact ratio of lipids your skin needs.

Compare the competition

How do our competitors look when viewed under a cross-polarized microscope?

Maltese Cross patterns present throughout the entire sample. This means that Zerafite has the exact lipid ratio needed to hydrate and strengthen your skin barrier.

The Maltese cross pattern is weak and irregular which is not ideal to protect the skin from dehydration and irritation.

There is no maltese cross pattern at all because this cream does not use the optimal 1:1:1 ratio of lipids.

This is a gel formulation and does not display a maltese cross pattern. Some recrystallization of ingredients can be seen which can injure the skin barrier.

There is no maltese cross pattern and there is some crystallization of ingredients that can interfere with the natural skin barrier.

There is no maltese cross patten. It looks like there is precipitation of some of the ingredients that would interfere with the skin barrier.

Learn About The Maltese Cross Pattern

This podcast showcases our founders, Dr. Leslie Baumann and Dr. Jong-Kyung Youm explaining why having Maltese Cross patterns in your moisturizer is key to having a strong and healthy skin barrier that stops recurring dryness.