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 Clean Skincare, Rob Calcraft, has to be the most souped-up version of probiotic skincare going.

First, let’s answer the obvious question: 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 that (alongside fungi and viruses) make up the skin microbiome. The species that are present totally depends 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 (ie there are too many ‘bad’ bacteria or not enough ‘good’ bacteria) it weakens the general health of the skin and can lead to 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 hardworking products, 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.

“You are this amazing walking ecosystem of microbes and bacteria, all going on at the same time,” Calcraft explains. “Your skin is an extraordinary, alive thing and beating it into submission with acids or scrubbing the hell out of it – that’s one way. But now, there’s much more of a sense of being the guardian of your skin and looking after it because it’s part of you. It’s not like clothes that you send to the dry cleaner.”

What’s the goal? To balance out the temperamental skin biome, thus strengthening your skin barrier and boosting its resilience to the daily onslaught of 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 glow but also ensuring you’re less likely to see any unwanted concerns or issues crop up.

So, what’s made Cultured Biomecare such a cult product for people with chronic skin conditions or reactive, sensitised or sensitive skin? 

“When your skin is sensitive, it’s like it’s in a bad mood,” describes Calcraft. “When you’re tired and you haven’t slept, you overreact – that’s what your skin is like when it’s sensitive. Your microbiome is constantly sending signals and telling your skin to ‘do’ this or ‘react’ like that because something is happening; it’s in a heightened state of alert.”

“The microbiome is very important in that process. The more you can make your microbiome calm down by making it more even and balanced, the less it tends to react. One of the main characteristics of prebiotics and probiotics is soothing the skin and minimising the triggers that keep your skin on red alert.” 

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.

Images: courtesy of brand