Jan 20, 2023

Fermentation is not a new process, especially when it comes to food. From the likes of Kombucha to Kimchi, fermented foods have definitely left a mark. But, where does fermentation stand in skincare? Similar to food, ingredients in skincare are fermented––in doing so, it breaks down molecules, allowing them to dive deep into your pores. The tinier the molecules, the more potent the ingredient. This enables your skincare products to work better and more efficiently on your skin. Fermentation in skincare, however, doesn’t quite follow the same process as how kimchi or kombucha are made. Here’s everything you need to know about this k-beauty trend and all the benefits you can reap from adding fermented products into your skincare routine.

What Is Fermented Skincare?

It’s simple––grapes are fermented in yeast to make wine, cabbage is fermented in salt to make kimchi. Similarly, fermentation in skincare involves natural ingredients such as ginseng root, mushrooms, rice, or honey, being exposed to microorganisms like bacteria or yeast. The bacteria interferes with the ingredient’s molecules and breaks it down into a smaller size. Just like a glass of wine, these fermented ingredients then become more potent and produce chemical byproducts such as antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids, peptides, enzymes, and other essential minerals, which are easily absorbed into the skin.

The Benefits Of Fermented Skincare

Just like fermentation, let’s break this down for you. When active ingredients break down into smaller molecules, they have a better chance of penetrating into your pores. This makes the active ingredients far more efficient than before. Other than increasing the potency of the ingredient, fermentation is also helpful in maintaining your skin’s microbiome system. It’s like consuming probiotics and prebiotics…but, for your skin. This helps strengthen your skin’s barrier and support its overall health––which reduces inflammation and chances of developing sensitive skin.

- Strengthens skin barrier

- Antioxidant that fights free radical damage, and prevents the signs of ageing

- Promotes healthier skin

- Improves skin’s microbiome

- Treats inflammation such as redness and acne

- Desensitises the skin

- Calms & soothes the skin

- Hydrates the skin and prevents dryness and dullness

Fermented Skincare & Haruharu

At Haruharu, we use a patented fermented black rice and fermented bamboo shoot bark extract, both of which contain higher flavonoid content. This content is high as compared with non-fermented ingredients, which entails that it has tremendous antioxidant effects on the skin. Our patented liposome technology enables these active ingredients and strengthens them four times, post fermentation. This also allows the ingredients to penetrate and deliver the nutrients deep within your pores.