Rewilding the skin: a 30 day journey to balancing the microbiome

*Commercial collaboration with Esse Skincare

Rewilding the skin - a 30 day journey to balancing the microbiome of my skin

Confession: I’ve never been diligent or good at taking care of my skin (or hair) for that matter as I’ve been quite lucky with having healthy skin. However, after moving back to Finland about three years ago, I noticed my skin did not like the shift from a tropical climate to a dry and cold environment. I slowly started to become aware of how this change took a toll on my skin, as it started getting dry and dull, not to mention the impurities and zits that would surface. I realized I needed to do something about it.

Pic: Johanna Keto Photography

Another confession: I’ve only been to a facial three times in my life. Once in Mexico and twice to Jolie Spa in Helsinki. I booked these spa visits in hope of a quick fix for my skin problems. Spoiler alert: turns out there’s no quick fix. That being said, I truly loved the way my skin felt after the visits, which was also the reason I went back. During these visits I learned that the line they use for their facials is called Esse Skincare. It’s worthwhile to mention that Esse Skincare is only sold by cosmetologists. Fast forward a couple months after my second spa visit, and I receive an inquiry about collaborating with Esse Skincare. At this point I was already familiar with some of their products as I used their cleanser and toner, but I still mixed them with other conventional beauty products. But this challenge was to to only use Esse Skincare products for 30 days and report back about my experience. The universe always has a funny way of creating these synchronicities when we are open to receiving. So of course I said yes. I was also excited to commit to a skin care regimen, as I sometimes (like mentioned) can be a bit sloppy with stuff like this.

About the line

The Esse Skincare line is inspired by nature and the idea with this challenge is to rewild the skin (hence the name of the challenge), which simply means that it’s all about bringing back the natural pH of the skin and rebuilding it with the help of probiotics. Interestingly it has been noted how we only have certain skin issues in Western cultures (results from poor diet, stress, pollution, disconnection from nature, hormonal issues, but also from toxic beauty products and too many “deep cleanses”). Skin deceases like acne or eczema are almost non-existent in hunter-gatherer communities. It’s also fascinating how for years, the industrial beauty standard has suggested that we get “healthy glowing skin” by deep cleansing and by applying synthetic chemicals to “treat” any problems. The problem with this solution however is how it strips our skin from all its natural oils.

The 30 day challenge gives your skin enough time to recreate harmony and to restore that symbiotic state between microbes and the skin. Microbes are often associated with the gut, but they also live on your skin. Your microbiome is actually a crucial part of your health, as it protects you from pathogens and is essential for healthy-looking skin. The line is 100% certified organic (by Ecocert) and infused with prebiotic nutrients to create an intervention of microbes that balance the ecology of the skin. All products hold a pH at 5.

The products I used in the 30 day challenge:

• Esse Sensitive Cleanser - an ultra-gentle cleanser designed for sensitive skin that uses probiotic extracts

• Esse Sensitive Toner - made for sensitive skin, this toner uses probiotic extracts and prebiotic nutrients to support a state of equilibrium in the skin’s microbiome

• Esse Sensitive Nourish Moisturiser - a moisturiser that combines probiotic extracts and prebiotic nutrients to boost barrier function for sensitive skin.

• Esse Sensitive Resurrect Serum - an anti-ageing hydrating and plumping serum for sensitive skin

• Esse Sensitive Protect Oil - an oil that shields sensitive skin, offering it all round protection from environmental stresses

My experience

Day 1

Thoughts: Okay, I am ready to embark on this journey of taking care of my skin and being more systematic. I start my day by washing my face with cold water, by adding the toner, serum and moisturiser and some natural concealer to conceal my impurities. I only cleanse my face at night before adding the resurrect serum. I also decided to limit my makeup to only use organic cosmetics during this time to avoid any extra “stress” on my skin. My starting point was that my skin felt dry (especially the forehead), tired and tight and that I had lots of zits and impurities on my cheeks.

Day 10

Alright, 10 days of only using Esse Skincare and I can tell that the skin on my forehead is not feeling as “tight” anymore. Even if I still have impurities and pimples I feel that my skin is starting to get deeply nourished (it’s almost as if this feeling of quenching a thirst you’ve had for a long time). I notice that I appreciate this new softness and find myself adding moisturiser even twice a day. It’s funny how I used to avoid oil based skincare as I thought it would create more impurities or clog my pores. That’s not the case with this protection oil at all and it leaves a very “light feeling” on my skin.

Day 20

It’s interesting what you notice when you become acutely aware of your skin. I can see some improvement in my impurities but the biggest difference is in the change of how my skin feels more hydrated. Using these products at this time of the journey has become a natural part of my day and almost like a ritual.

Pic: Johanna Keto Photography

Day 30

30 days went by quick, I guess it’s not hard to commit to a new program after all. Now I am very used to using all these products and I wouldn’t trade them for something else. The biggest change I can tell visually is that the skin looks healthier and not only feels but looks less “tired”. There are also less impurities which is amazing. The biggest difference I can is the level of moist that my skin now holds and it feels like the moist is not just on the surface, but deeper if that makes sense. I feel like when I used to cleanse my skin before it would always end up feeling dry and “thirsty”, this sensation is long gone and I can feel an actual texture change in my skin. I obviously. intend to keep going with this regimen.

Are you familiar with this line?

Whatever your skin concerns are I recommend starting with the 30 day kit, it’s an easy way to change your skin care regimen in one go.