Just like your skin, stone has pores. The size of its pores, their orientation, how well they are networked and the stone's finish are important contributing factors to its overall absorbency.

Barrier-Coat Polishing fills pores to leave fewer exposed, making a less absorbent surface and providing a gloss or semi-gloss maintainable finish. Slique specialist stone polishes add a sacrificial barrier coating to isolate the stone from damaging spills or wear – it will wear down over time, but is easy to maintain and reapply.