Rebalance skin with the transformative and healing benefits of fermentation

Fermented skincare dates back to ancient Egypt, where sour milk and patchouli were common treatments for acne. Some five millennia on, a number of brands are tapping into the transformative power of fermented ingredients (albeit in a slightly more palatable way). FKA Haeckels has just released its Fermented Corneum Renewal, a lightweight cream that gently peels dead skin to reveal a clearer, firmer complexion. It is formulated with the company’s signature Spiraglow ingredient, made from spirulina that is slow-fermented in-house at the brand’s headquarters in Margate, Kent, to enhance its antioxidant power, calm inflammation and boost radiance. Even better, the cream comes in 100% compostable packaging.

Like FKA Haeckels, The Nue Co. is known for its innovative, ingredient-conscious approach to all-round wellness. The company rose to fame with its gut-health supplements, which combine clean ingredients with cutting-edge science and Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine teachings. With its Barrier Clear Treatment (£45), the brand translates its expertise into a topical cream that combats acne without irritating skin. It is formulated with live probiotics scientifically proven to inhibit skin bacteria, as well as bio-fermented essential minerals, including zinc, iron, silicon, copper and magnesium, to improve barrier function against pollutants and act as an anti-inflammatory.

For make-up lovers, the Isamaya Microbial Gel from Isamaya French is a prebiotic primer that is both make-up and skincare in one. It is formulated with prebiotics to shield skin against environmental pollutants and is enhanced with four different types of hyaluronic acid, soothing botanicals

Former beauty editor-turned-skincare founder, facialist and acupuncturist Joanna Ellner has made fermented ingredients a foundation of her skincare line and holistic health practice. According to Ellner, fermentation makes for uniquely effective skincare. ‘The benefits are three-fold,’ she says. ‘Firstly, you have the increased compatibility of ingredients with the skin, since fermentation breaks raw ingredients down into smaller, more bioavailable molecules that the skin can absorb more efficiently.

‘Secondly, despite the notion of it being all compost bins and huge leaps, fermentation is an incredibly sophisticated process with incredibly potent ingredients; the fermentation process essentially sharpens ingredients, removing what isn’t needed, and proliferating what is. And finally, and possibly the most important aspect of this, is increased skin tolerance. Our skin barriers are continually compromised and we are always searching for a band aid. Biotechnology, and fermentation as an extension of that, removes the band aid and builds a hospital instead. It’s an entirely new way to view skin science, and it’s built with the aim of not destroying and then rebuilding skin, but gently guiding it back to optimal balance.’

Ellner capitalises on the benefits of fermented ingredients with her brand Reome. Its signature Active Recovery Broth (£125) uses 16 clinically proven bio-fermented and biomimetic actives to enhance barrier function and provide supercharged hydration, while the new Firming Eye Treatment, with DHK-3, harnesses the power of a biotech-fermented triple flavonoid, known for its skin-repairing and firming properties. It also incorporates fermented minerals, botanical extracts and adaptogens that have been through controlled fermentation to enhance bioactivity while remaining highly tolerable across skin types.

Beyond skincare, Ellner recommends maintaining a healthy, ferment-filled diet. ‘My degree in Chinese medicine has taught me that our skin is a beacon of our physical and emotional health,’ she says. ‘The skin tells us what the body cannot. There is, however, no “one size fits all”.’

However you get your ferments, one thing is evident – they are the key to clear, healthy-looking skin.