My Esse Probiotics Skincare Top Picks
I think it was the beginning of 2019 I fell in love with the brand. I thought, how genius! Skincare that nurtures and protects our skins complex microbiome. They are natural, organic, cruelty-free, vegan and carbon neutral. #thankyou What I love about Esse is they are providing sustainable skincare that has very little impact on the environment, but not only that, their skincare is brilliant and you can see the results almost immediately unlike many other "clean, natural or organic" products and skincare brands. In this blog I have selected my top products that I personally love & have tested. I have also given you a little bit of background on the company. Enjoy!
Their Ethics
Certified Organic. Cruelty Free. Vegan. Carbon Neutral. Certified Organic: Ecocert enforce minimum organic percentages and ban ingredients that they deem to be unsafe or unsustainable.
Esse has subscribed with Ecocert who also regulate their packaging. They ensure that the materials that are used are safe for the consumer as well as oversee the recyclability of the packaging.
Cruelty Free:'We do not test our products on animals and will not source ingredients from suppliers who do.'Esse belongs to PeTA’s cruelty-free company program and is accredited as a cruelty-free company and is also accredited through Beauty Without Cruelty, an animal rights organisation with the primary objective to educate and inform the public about the exploitation, abuse and suffering of animals.
Vegan: Esse is accredited by The Vegan Society, meaning no animal products or by products are used in their ranges.
Carbon Neutral: I have had the pleasure of exploring the grounds of Esse at their factory and I have to say it is beautiful landscaped with indigenous plants and their builds are solar powered - these where just two things that stood out for me.
"I am Probiotic"
We need to understand that our microbes are symbiotic meaning a relationship between individuals of two species in which one species obtains food (our microbes) or other benefits from the other (us) without harming each other. They are known to protect our skin from pathogens and toxins. Esse believes that products should not contain synthetic ingredients and harsh preservatives that pollute and destabilise our skin microbiome.They believe in feeding our microbes and use treatments that seed our skins with beneficial probiotic species to help ease sensitivity and slow the rate of ageing.
What are Probiotics and what do they do for my skin?
Probiotics are live microbes, they have the ability to shift the skin’s ecology to favour a diverse and harmonious ecosystem that is healthy enough to resist attacks from pathogens and to reduce the impacts of ageing on the skin. With Esse Probiotic Skincare you will naturally seed/feed the skin with beneficial microbes that compete with pro-ageing species. Through prebiotic nutrients Esse Probiotic Skincare selects microbes that improve the microbial ecology on skin.
What ticks my boxes:
pH balanced: Number one on my list for almost all skincare, so this makes me happy. If products aren't close to our natural pH of our skins it leaves our acid mantle stripped, dry, sensitive, tight... the list goes on. Esse pH ranges from 4-5. (our skins are around a pH of 5.5)
Use mild preservatives: perfect for sensitive skins or those that suffer from eczema & dermatitis
Reusable/ sustainable packaging: Our industry I feel contributes massively to pollution and waste, which makes me sad. Even if I rinse out a bottle or tube and recycle it, how do I know its going to be tossed or really recycled? With Esse packaging I can rinse and reuse the bottles over and over. I have used them for traveling too.. perfect for shampoo and conditioner!
Cleansers:
Sensitive Cleanser
This product aims to minimize the chance of any allergic reactions. So if you are someone who is sensitive, has eczema, dermatitis or a dry combination skin type you'll absolutely love this! Funny enough I loved the product more when I was breaking out and it reduced the inflammation and healed the breakout within 2 weeks. Naturally when we oily we pick the gel cleansers but some times a soothing milk cleanser can do the trick
Your actives are Lactobacillus which is your probiotic and Aloe Vera Gel, which is brilliant for treating acne, bacterial infections, aids in relief of sunburns, it is moisture binding leaving your skin not dry nor tight. The gentle foaming milk feels super silky- would repurchase in an instant!
Exfoliators
Esse has two exfoliators that are both brilliant and are a personal fav! But lately I've been absolutely loving their Microderm exfoliator It is super creamy and refined as it uses micro-particles to gently polish and refine the skin’s surface. It contains Jojoba Oil which ensures skin is left hydrated and smooth. I particular love the scent of the exfoliator. Its very fresh and fruity (frankincense & orange)
You have your rooibos which delivers potent anti-oxidant properties to detoxify and renew the skin. The exfoliator has Calcium Carbonate and Kaolin which are both mildly exfoliating to help lift dead skin cells. Your skin feels sooo smooth afterwards, considering the fact you don't
even feel any granules or particles on the skin. So if you someone that enjoys a little bit more of a mechanical exfoliator I'd go with the cocoa exfoliator as it has more of a rougher granule. However that being said this is still so effective, its got anti-ageing & anti-inflammatory effects so particularly great for your premature ageing, ageing & breakout prone skins.
Toners
Sensitive Toner
This is a toner I grab when i'm feeling dehydrated, inflamed or needing a moisture boost. It has an advanced level of probiotic extracts which help in strengthening your barrier function. So this is ideal for those that are just starting out with skincare and could easily be incorporated with out brands. It has your Lactobacillus probiotics to stimulate the production of antimicrobial peptides that shift the ecology of your skin microbiome making it more healthy.
It contains Yacon Root which feed the correct microbes and strengthen their ability to fend off opportunistic pathogens, brilliant for calming breakouts. What I also like about it is you can use it throughout the day to calm and hydrate the skin.
You will also find Aloe Vera and Lactic Acid (AHA) which is plumping & hydrating.
Serums
Hyaluronic Acid Serum
My absolute go to when it comes to filling up my skins hydration reserves! Did you know Skin ageing can also be associated with loss of skin moisture. The key molecule involved in skin moisture is hyaluronan or hyaluronic acid (HA), a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) with a unique capacity to bind and retain water molecules. When we age we loose a lot of this lovely plumping, hydrating molecule which means that our collagen and elastin fibres have no lubricant to slide and move effectively. This leads to a whole bunch of ageing signs (wrinkles, loss of structure and that's a big no no!) So, back to this amazing product...
The hyaluronic serum is jam packed with
Probiotics and prebiotics to support a balanced skin microbiome.
It's oil free & has a light-weight formulation perfect for all skin types.
It improves the appearance of fine lines,
penetration of follow-on products and its spreadability is great. It also contains Myrothamnus extract – this extract of the Namibian Resurrection plant is very high in antioxidants and has a rapid moisturisation effect that lasts for 24 hours. (interesting fact about this plant it can remain dormant & look completely dead. In the rainy seasons it 'resurrects' itself & flourishes.)
Rooibos and Olive Leaf Extracts provide the antioxidants and protect collagen and elastin in the skin.
Probiotic Serum
As the Esse Probiotic Serum touches your face, 50 million live probiotics per drop are activated by the moisture on your skin. These living cells complement your natural microbial diversity and help to slow the ageing process.Testing has proven that this product increases skin firmness by 16% in 28 days with positive results being shown in 100% of test subjects.
It is the most divine texture, almost runny honey & let me not forget the smell! If you someone who loves a warm nutty fragrance this is just heavenly! The serum leaves a beautiful silky glow on the skin but sinks right in. If you are someone who is wanting to repair your barrier or not too sure where your microbiome is at, then this is a great product to kick start your microbes on your skin. Introduce it slowly, use it for about a week and bit and then slowly go off again and use it as maintenance thereafter. So definitely value for money.
Moisturisers
Hydro Moisturiser
My absolute favourite... I could happily have this in my stash forever. Hydro Moisturiser uses prebiotics and probiotic extracts in an ultra-mild formulation to favour beneficial microbes. It is beautifully light, silky textured cream that leaves your skin feeling hydrated, fuller and healthier while balancing your skins microbiome. It contains one of my favorite ingredients, Hyaluronic Acid which boosts moisturisation. I also love the ingredient α-glucanoligosaccharides which improves roughness, redness and reduces irritation in skins.
Omega Deep Moisturiser
These are known as the little bottles of magic! The omega deep moisturisers come in a pack of 5 10ml glass containers. This is purely because of the formulation of high amounts of omegas this protects the products integrity as well as your skin. If it was in a large container the product runs a risk of degrading before you are finished with your jar. I can not tell you how I love the look of my skin afterwards. It leaves it so radiant and is even ideal as a base to makeup. This is for your normal to combination skins as it is balancing moisturiser which restores and protects while keeping skin looking radiant and smooth.
Masks
Clay Mask
Oooh, if you've been following me for awhile you'll know I love a non drying clay mask. Theres just something I love about them, maybe cause I don't look like a salt pan or zombie like when I have on on? ahaha, who knows. But this mask is high on the list for me.
It contains Kaolin and Bentonite clays which gently draws out impurities and toxins associated with environmental and dietary pollution. The Olive Leaf Extract combats environmental stresses and hydrates tired skin. #takemymoney
And thats a wrap of my favourites from Esse Probiotic Skincare for now ;)
I hope you enjoyed this review & if you did and would like to purchase any pop onto Esse's Pop up store and use my unique discount code at checkout to receive 10% off - "AMANDA"
Stay Safe, Radiant & Happy
"Invest in your skin. It is going to represent you for a very long time."
Lots of Love,
Amanda