What are probiotics and how can they be used in skincare?
Probiotic skincare is leading the way in radically transforming how we approach caring for the skin. Scientific innovation, together with education, is shaping what we know about the skin’s microbial ecology and showing that a balanced microbiome protects the skin from pathogens and slows the rate of inflammation-related ageing.
There are an estimated one trillion individual microbes from hundreds of species living in and on the skin, so caring for them is what determines the health and radiance of the skin while slowing down ageing.
In skincare, defining a probiotic is not easy. Like many things, there is a wide spectrum of use of probiotic ingredients, ranging from the use of a liquid microbial broth (in which the microbes were grown), to lysates (probiotic extracts) and tyndallised microbes (killed by heat), through to the use of various strains and species of live probiotics with either low or high CFU counts. Check out this video which explains four ways to deliver probiotics in skincare.
The mode of action and efficacy to effectively impact the skin microbiome differs immensely along this spectrum. Yet, all will claim probiotic technology. While the use of live probiotics is the most beneficial, it presents the most difficult challenges for the industry as there are formulation, preservation, and storage challenges. As a result, there are very few brands worldwide offering this most advanced, live probiotic technology.
What to look for in a good probiotic skincare range?
Esse Skincare is one of the very few brands in the world to harness microbiome science to deliver the most advanced probiotic products using high-level live probiotics to boost the skin’s microbiome for maximum results.
The Esse BIOME+ technology is the result of more than 10 years of work on the relationship between the skin and the microbes living in and on it. Trevor Steyn, biochemist and founder, has pioneered a highly advanced and patented formulation process which uses live microbes to colonise once applied to the skin.
By exploring the microbiome of healthy skin, we can pinpoint where things go wrong in problem or ageing skin. With this knowledge, Esse has been able to identify key microbe species and populations that have the ability to boost skin health and repair barrier function.
How does the Esse Plus Range work?
Esse Plus is a six-piece product collection presenting pioneering formulations and technologies which seed the skin with living probiotic bacteria and feed its beneficial bacteria with prebiotic nutrients.
The best-selling Probiotic Serum is the only serum in the world to contain 50 million live bacteria per drop and is the pinnacle of the BIOME+ technology. These living cells compliment the natural microbial diversity and helps slow the ageing process.
In a consumer study, Probiotic Serum improved skin firmness by an average of 16% in 28 days, with 100% of the test subjects showing an improvement to the skin (found a cosmetic study by Derma Consult Concept by GMBH-Germany).
What products are in the Esse Plus Range?
- Probiotic Serum – The world’s first live probiotic serum and it represents the pinnacle of the Esse BIOME+ technology
- Intensity Serum – The answer to wrinkle reduction using mafane extract, which has the effect of relaxing muscle and improving the appearance of lines and wrinkles over the long term
- Eye Contour Cream – An all-round eye cream to address the main concerns around the eye area: crow’s feet, dark circles and puffiness
- Defence Moisturiser – Gives daytime protection from pollutants in a nourishing but light formulation
- Restorative Moisturiser – An intensely moisturising formulation that is suitable for night-time for repair and restoration
- Ageless Serum – The firming and lifting effects of this age-defying serum are enhanced with long-term use.
For more information, visit Esse Skincare or become an Esse stockist by emailing [email protected].
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