Certain products or treatments can, at least in theory, help maintain that balance and provide specific benefits. After all, that old beauty trick, a simple yogurt mask, was used by the Greeks millennia ago and has been adopted by many other cultures ever since. The lactic acid produced by probiotics in food can break down dead skin cells, gently exfoliate the skin and brighten its tone.
While a yogurt treat remains affordable and accessible—just stop by the dairy aisle at your local grocery store—new products promise exfoliation and more. This spring, New York-based skincare brand Holifrog launched its Utopia Toner, a watery formula designed to be applied after cleansing that, unlike traditional toners, doesn’t damage the skin. Contains isolates of Lactobacillus bulgarius, a probiotic, and oligosaccharides, prebiotics, which according to the brand will improve skin tone and elasticity by promoting cell renewal, accelerating skin repair and increasing collagen synthesis. Swiss brand Valmont uses similar ingredients in its Primary line, specifically devised to protect and promote balance in the skin’s microbiome. Its Primary Cream, a light formula that calms and strengthens, is especially suitable for acne-prone skin due to its inclusion of panthenol (also known as vitamin B5) and lactic acid.
Los Angeles-based skincare brand Venn’s products, many of which contain prebiotics and postbiotics, are the result of decades of microbiome research conducted in South Korea by the label’s scientific advisory board . Its synbiotic defense mist improves on typical water-based facial mists, which evaporate quickly, leaving skin feeling dry again. “We replaced the water with probiotic ferments,” says Venn founder Brian Oh. “Probiotics break down into postbiotics, including hyaluronic acid, vitamins and peptides, which nourish and hydrate.”
Oh’s isn’t the only company experimenting with fermentation, or the process by which microbes like probiotics break down organic molecules. “Because fermentation makes the molecules smaller, the product can penetrate the skin’s surface more deeply,” says Jeff Rosevear, head of skincare research and development for new brands at Unilever; the company’s new line, Ferver, has a serum made from fermented collagen. Symbiome also uses some fermented ingredients, like with their new Premise body oil. It contains just six ingredients, five of them postbiotic oils that, before being fermented, are sustainably sourced from the Amazon.
Source: www.nytimes.com