They’re calming, anti-inflammatory and can help boost your skin barrier. Here’s our pick of the best probiotic face creams for helping you get your daily dose of good bacteria
Can probiotics be as good for your skin as they are for your gut health ? While there’s more evidence for the latter, topical options are accumulating a growing fan base, with niche and mainstream beauty brands banding together to try and give bacteria a good name.
With consumers increasingly looking to strengthen their defences against the likes of UV, pollution and stress , it’s little wonder that the anti-inflammatory and skin barrier boosting claims of probiotic skincare products have piqued the interest of many a shopper (including ours). Aiming to support the microflora that naturally occur on the skin to increase resiliency against environmental damage, products with probiotics in them tend to be more soothing in nature in our experience (which makes their inclusion in a daily moisturiser particularly appealing).
It’s still an emerging category though, and as a result, the choice is somewhat limited, (it unfortunately tends to veer towards the more expensive side of things). However, it seems to be infecting (sorry, couldn’t resist) our skincare at pretty rapid speed and hopefully more budget-friendly options will shortly follow suit.
Here are 6 of the best.
Vichy Slow Age Fluid Moisturiser, £30 for 50ml
Bifidus is the probiotic-derived ingredient of choice in this pick, selected for its ability to support barrier function against the daily onslaught of external aggressors. Also containing an antioxidant cocktail of vitamin E, vitamin C and baïcalin, (whose origins stem from traditional Chinese medicine), an SPF of 25 and Vichy’s signature Thermal Spa Water, it protects, hydrates and strengthens.
Aurelia Cell Revitalise Day Moisturiser, £58 for 60ml
Leaving skin softer, suppler and just generally more healthy-looking, it’s easy to see why this moisturiser is a multi award-winner. With a lightweight texture that melts into skin, it contains an interesting roster of ingredients that range from skin calming probiotics to essential oils like jasmine and mandarin, and soothing botanicals like baobab and aloe vera . It’s pretty multi-sensory and wide-ranging in its appeal.
Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion, £19.99 for 50g
This purse-friendlier and more deeply moisturising option combines clary sage with probiotic tech (such as lactobacillus) for long-lasting hydration. At £20, it provides great value for money and a little goes a long way too.
Eminence Clear Skin Probiotic Moisturiser, £45 for 60ml
The blemish-prone and those with oily skin types are likely to gain the most from this ultra light moisturiser that’s formulated to strengthen skin’s defences and reduce inflammation. With a refreshing scent, it’s instantly cooling (that’ll be the cucumber juice in it) and its clarifying combo of willow bark extract and tea tree oil is paired well with more nourishing numbers such as probiotic-rich yoghurt, shea butter and calendula oil.
Tula Hydrating Day & Night Cream, £40 for 48g
With a texture that’s comfortable enough to be worn during the day, but hydrating enough for night, we were pleasantly surprised by the versatility that this cream offered. Containing probiotics from yoghurt and milk extracts combined with nutripeptides from hydrolyzed rice, vitamins A, C and E, antioxidants like turmeric , white tea and blueberry extract and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids too, it’s packed with goodies and is ideal for combination and dry skin types.
Glowbiotics Probiotic Ultra Rich Brightening Cream, £31.50 for 50ml
For a more intensely hydrating day or night treatment, opt for this richer textured alternative instead. Ideal for those looking for greater luminosity, it contains both probiotics and prebiotics (to feed the probiotics that already naturally reside on the skin), in addition to humectants to keep hydration locked in and conditioning fatty acids - a good choice for those with very dry and mature skin types in particular.