If you want to care for your skin microbiome, here’s where to start

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If it isn’t already a mainstay in your bathroom cabinet, you’ll have at least heard of probiotic skincare by now. Cultured Biomecare, the new skincare brand on the block, takes caring for the skin’s microbiome to the next level.

The past few years have brought a seismic shift in the way we approach our skin. No longer is our sole concern what our skin looks like, these days we’re much more preoccupied with how our skin performs. In other words, skin health has become our top priority.

Naturally, this new school of thought has brought with it a raft of new product and skincare ingredient trends. We’ve cast aside products that do little more than boost the aesthetics of the most superficial skin layers in favour of formulations and technology that go a little deeper. We’re using ceramides to boost our skin barrier, antioxidants to ward off free radical damage, and more recently, we’ve finally wised up to the wonders of the skin microbiome, opening up the floodgates to a steady (if not gushing) stream of probiotic skincare products.

But I’m calling it: Cultured Biomecare, the new skincare brand created by the founder of REN Skincare, Rob Calcraft, has to be the most souped-up version of probiotic skincare going.

First, let’s answer the obvious: what does probiotic skincare even do? To answer that, you first need to understand that – much like the gut – the surface of your skin is home to millions (if not trillions) of bacteria which (alongside fungi and viruses) make up the skin microbiome. The species present totally depend on the environment in question, for instance, whether it’s covered in hair or if it’s particularly dry or oily. When the bacterial balance goes off-kilter (i.e. there’s too many ‘bad’ bacteria or not enough ‘good’ bacteria) it weakens the general health of skin and can lead to skin issues like inflammation, eczema and potentially even acne. Probiotic skincare, then, plies skin with microbes that help improve its immune response.

But Cultured Biomecare is about so much more than just probiotics.

A line-up of just three hardworking products (a serum, a cleanser and a mask), each formula contains a balanced blend of prebiotics, postbiotics, ferments, counter-preservatives and micro-algae extracts that work in tandem to care for the skin microbiome as a whole.

The goal? To balance out the temperamental skin biome and thus strengthening your skin barrier and boosting its resilience to the daily onslaught on aggressors. Think of it like your daily Yakult (or for the more sophisticated among us, your daily probiotic supplement). It simply keeps the health of the skin in order, not only resulting in that elusive skin glow but also ensuring you’re less likely to see any unwanted concerns or issues crop up.

With dry skin constantly on the verge of an eczema flare up, I put the formulas to the test, and I have to say, I’ve been thoroughly impressed.

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Cultured Biomecare review

  • The cleanser

    Cultured Biome One Cleansing Balm

    No matter how satisfying that super clean feeling can be, the problem with so many traditional cleansers is that alongside all the dirt, make-up and pollution, they can strip away important bacteria and lipids. Not this one. A cleansing balm in liquid form (honestly, it’s so satisfyingly decadent), it peels away the bad stuff while plying it with the rebalancing good stuff like algae and fermented oils. It leaves skin feeling comfortable, not squeaky, without short-changing you on the all-important freshness factor, either.

    Shop Cultured Biomecare Biome One Cleansing Balm at Cult Beauty, £32

    BUY NOW

  • The serum

    Cultured Biome One Cleansing Balm

    Be warned, this milky serum is quite runny, so you do have to move fast. It contains the triple whammy of pre-, pro- and postbiotics to nurse skin back to full health. There are kombucha ferments in there, alongside hydrating hyaluronic acid and lactobacillus to reset skin’s bacterial balance. I’ve been dealing with a bout of perioral dermatitis (or eczema around the mouth) and this has helped clear it up without my usual copious amounts of lip balm.

    Shop Cultured Biomecare Biome One Serum at Cult Beauty, £55

    BUY NOW

  • The mask

    Cultured Biome One Mask

    I’m usually too lazy to keep up a stringent face mask routine, but this one is so good, it’s kept me coming back for more. It contains a gentle blend of skin acids to exfoliate without upsetting the barrier function as well as pre- and postbiotics for good measure. Plus, there’s a clever ingredient called potassium azeloyl in there to calm any sensitivity or irritation. It truly leaves your skin gleaming.

    Shop Cultured Biomecare Biome One Mask at Cult Beauty, £48

    BUY NOW

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Images: courtesy of brand.

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