Our new Clarifying range takes an evolutionary approach to addressing acne, a condition that affects more than 80% of teens and around 4 % of adults. It is evident that acne is a modern affliction, impacting more heavily where lifestyles stray further away from the nature-intertwined existences our ancestors lived.
Research conducted in communities across the world has shown that those living hunter-gatherer lifestyles do not suffer from acne like we do. From Katava in Papua New Guinea to the Aché people in Eastern Peru, studies have revealed that, for those who have retained natural or “wild” lifestyles, acne is essentially non-existent.
Esse is harnessing the power of biotechnology to mimic the conditions for which our skin evolved. We can’t all become hunter-gatherers again, but we can use new research to better understand what healthy, acne-free skin looks like at the microbial level. We can apply this understanding to create products that work at restoring our ancestral skin state.
The new Clarifying range focuses on 3 main ingredients:
- A consortium of 4 strains of live probiotics that reduce bacterial overgrowth and inflammation, while restoring your skin’s microbiome;
- Provitamin D for immune response regulation and improved barrier function; and
- Bakuchiol that acts as a retinoid replacement but without the nasty side effects.
The range includes 4 products, both for everyday use and as targeted treatments for flare-ups that require a more intense regime.
Clarifying Cleanser
Gently detoxifying, this non-foaming and non-stripping charcoal-infused cleanser soothes with probiotic extracts.
2% Salicylic Acid is included to gently exfoliate and balance skin pH.
Clarifying Oil
The range’s Hero product. A light, easily absorbed facial oil to act as a sebum support and reduce the skin’s oil production.
A synergistic mix of Live Probiotics shifts the microbiome and Pro-vitamin D helps to boost an essential component of healthy skin.
Clarifying Serum
A skin supplement with 2% Salicylic Acid to help keep pores clear and Niacinamide to calm inflammation. Probiotic extracts and prebiotic nutrients boost skin’s barrier function.
For best results, this product needs to be used in combination with the Clarifying Oil and applied after the Oil for improved absorption.
Clarifying Spot Treatment
A targeted spot treatment packed with Salicylic Acid, Bakuchiol and Niacinamide to ensure spot and inflammation relief.
It is only to be used on small areas on the skin.
At first glance, the range may appear to be missing a moisturiser, but there’s some calculated product design at play here. Moisturisers contain both oil- and water-based ingredients. We’ve split the oil and water components into two products – the Clarifying Oil and the Clarifying Serum. Together, they perform the same roles that a moisturiser would… and more:
Because oil and water don’t naturally mix, moisturisers have to contain emulsifiers, which help the two components mix to form a cream. Emulsifiers, while generally well-tolerated, can be disruptive if the skin is in a compromised state. Excluding them from our acne range reduces the chances of triggering unwanted inflammation.
Separating the moisturiser also allows some personalisation when you use the resulting products. Because the Oil and the Serum are separate, you can adjust the amount of oil in your routine. This makes the product combination versatile – it can be tailored to your skin, even when the weather changes with the seasons or the region.
Finally, the Oil and Serum product duo add up to more than just a regular moisturiser. Keeping them apart allowed us the freedom of formulation to really pack each one with benefits. To give one example, the live probiotics in the Clarifying Oil wouldn’t be stable in the presence of water, but because the water-based Serum is separate, the Oil can provide its premium probiotic benefits.
