Is this the new skin saviour?
Probiotics could be the answer to solving problem skin. Sonia Haria looks at the growing popularity of a new kind of beauty product
Probiotics have long been known to have a positive impact on digestive health, but when it comes to skincare, there have been very few beauty products to harness that impact. But that’s all changing. Of all the skincare labelled “probiotic” launched globally in the past three years, 27 per cent was introduced in 2014, 34.4 per cent in 2015 and 38.7 per cent in 2016.
It’s an incline that data insight group Mintel predict will continue as part of the £1.13billion facial skincare market in the UK.
When the skincare brand Aurelia launched in 2013, it was one of the first to hail probiotics as skin saviours. “Probiotics as a category is growing, which is testament to the efficacy of this innovate ingredient,” says Claire Vero, the brand founder, whose label has become a pioneer “in harnessing this new, natural technology”. In developing the brand, Vero wanted to help the skin regain its natural balance in the same way that probiotics help to rebalance the gut; within two years of launch, Aurelia has won more than 20 beauty awards.
The idea is that by applying probiotics to the surface of the skin, or adding them to products that repair the skin at a cellular level, good bacteria will help to strengthen the skin’s own immunity and calm any existing inflammations. This is especially exciting for people who suffer with acne or very sensitive skin.
It was because of her own “hyperreactive, dry and blemished” skin that Dr Marie Drago, the French pharmacist, founded her brand Gallinée in April last year. She wanted a targeted alternative to strong disinfectants on the market that killed all the bacteria on the skin – including the good. “The use of probiotics is revolutionary for problem skin,” she says. “They help to rebuild the skin barrier, which is hugely beneficial for skin conditions like eczema. Probiotics can also have a purifying effect, so the way we treat acne is going to change totally in the next few years. We are switching to a strategy where we help
the good bacteria to grow, naturally filling the space occupied by the P. acnes [the bacteria responsible for acne].” The appeal for skincare that works within the skin’s own ecosystem can be seen as natural skincare 2.0.
Many of these new brands have robust clinical data to back up their results, which are achieved while still keeping the skin in a natural, calm state. Interestingly, the beauty giant Johnson & Johnson has recently expanded its Innovation portfolio to include two companies that focus on research in treating skin conditions with good bacteria.
The L’oréal Group, which owns skincare heavyweight Lancôme, has also pushed research in this new field of skincare. Today, Lancôme launches its latest innovation, Advanced Genifique Sensitive. The brand describes this £59 serum as an “emergency response” product, to be used for one month when your skin is going through a bout of sensitivity. The mix of lactobacillus bacteria and the potent antioxidant ferulic acid aims to treat the skin and reduce sensitivity, and is designed to be used at night when the skin is in “repair mode”.
Although big corporations are
‘Bacteria is the ultimate natural beauty ingredient. It’s a game-changer’
increasingly investing in probiotic research, it is still largely a market led by niche beauty brands. Last month saw the launch of new luxury vegan skincare brand Orveda, stocked in Harvey Nichols. It was founded by Sue Y Nabi, coincidentally the ex-president of Lancôme (a position she held for four years, as part of 20 years in total at the L’oréal group). For the launch of her brand, Nabi wanted to create a version of renewal energy for the skin.
“By using bacteria, yeast and enzymes, we cause no harm to the natural environment – but crucially, the products have a proven efficacy in a way that is kind to skin, by considering it as an ecosystem.” In developing the products, Nabi conducted more than 20 clinical tests on 330 participants globally, to prove the products work.
Nabi sees the future of beauty as about being kind to the skin and its natural form, and Dr Drago agrees. “I see the industry as moving from ‘ingredient beauty’, where you bring a foreign agent to your skin, such as retinol or alpha hydroxy acids, to ‘ecosystem beauty’, where you help to support a living and breathing ecosystem. Bacteria is the ultimate natural beauty ingredient. It’s a game-changer.”