CREATE THE RIGHT CULTURE
A term taken from ecology and applied to our beauty regimes, “rewilding”refers to the concept of nurturing the skin’s natural microbiome, which comprises bacteria and other micro-organisms (also known as skin flora).
“Your skin is an extraordinary ecosystem,” says the Ren founder Rob Calcraft, whose new venture, Cultured, is among the brands experimenting with rewilding. “Like the warp and weft of fabric, the microbiome is intrinsically entwined with every element of our skin’s biological actions, making it central to dermal health.” When the microbiome is thriving, skin looks and feels healthier. However, it can become imbalanced by a poor diet, stress, pollution, UV light and even products such as soap (the microbiome needs a pH of about five, but most soaps are pH 10). Any of these factors can result in a lack of diversity in micro-organisms, leading to irritation, dullness, breakouts or flare-ups of conditions such as rosacea. There is a strong correlation between gut and skin health—the biomes in each communicate as part of the body’s immune response and, in both cases, taking a daily supplement such as the liquid formula Symprove can help boost our natural defences. As with the gut, probiotic-rich formulations support the skin microbiome, while prebiotics, a food source for bacteria, are increasingly found in serums (try Lancôme Génifique Yeux). Research into the role of postbiotics, the by-product of micro-organisms, is still in its infancy but likely to play an important role in our understanding of how to look after skin flora. For now, those prone to sensitivity or irritation should try the organic-skincare brand Esse’s game-changing range, which marries key biotics with ingredients including hyaluronic acid to bring back biodiversity to the skin.