Last Updated: January 16, 2025
You probably already know that your favorite fermented foods are a gold mine of probiotics that keep your gut microbiome happy and healthy. But did you know that fermented ingredients in your skin, scalp and hair care products can be just as beneficial? Fermented skin care may have started as a K-beauty trend, but the science is solid and the results are pretty darn incredible. Turns out, these living formulations are exactly what your skin microbiome needs. Here’s why fermented skin, scalp and hair care is no passing trend, and how living formulations are changing the game one chronic skin issue at a time.
What is fermented skin care?
Great question! Broadly speaking, fermentation describes how a particular substance is broken down into simpler, separate compounds. In food, microorganisms like yeast and bacteria break down ingredients into acids and gases and alcohols that contribute to the finished product’s taste, texture, aroma and appearance—think kimchi, yogurt, beer and wine. In skin care products, the same process applies. Carefully chosen ingredients are broken down into smaller molecules, like amino acids, enzymes and peptides, which makes them more potent and precise for enhanced bioavailability. In other words, they penetrate more effectively and absorb more readily into the skin—which is exactly what you want in a skincare product.
Plus, there’s the probiotic factor. The fermentation process creates beneficial probiotics—teensy microorganisms that can be consumed or, in the case of skin care, applied, for a range of health benefits. Keep in mind that your body is home to countless ecosystems of good viruses, fungi and bacteria. Your skin’s microbiome is finely tuned, and when it’s balanced, it helps regulate inflammation and defends against pathogens. But chronic inflammation, stress, your diet, pH imbalances and other factors can throw that balance off, leading to any number of skin issues, from acne to eczema. Probiotics, along with prebiotics and postbiotics—which can also be created via fermentation—can help bring skin microbes back into balance for healthier, happier, glowier skin.
Who benefits from fermented skin care?
The beauty of fermented skin care is its versatility. Because it’s designed to support your skin’s ecosystem with potent nutrients, it’s beneficial for all skin types. Sensitized skin in particular does incredibly well with fermented skin care products, because the process breaks down active ingredients and makes them less likely to cause irritation. But dry, oily and mature skin types alike all benefit from skin care products that balance the microbiome, instead of stripping it.
Here’s something wild: Research has drawn a line between what’s happening on your skin with what’s happening in your gut, and it’s fascinating. There’s a strong link between your gut health and your skin health, which is why oral probiotics have been shown to calm systemic inflammation and help improve the skin. Some research even suggests that eating prebiotic foods can reduce the chances of developing skin conditions like eczema. But in terms of treating your skin’s microbiome directly, a topical approach is the most effective way to get these compounds right where you need them.
Shopping fermented skin care: a guide to finding safe, effective products
While fermented and microbiome-focused skin care has a lot going for it, no individual products have yet to receive the FDA’s golden stamp of approval. That means the onus is on the consumer to shop wisely. Of course, anything you put on your skin—the body’s largest organ—can alter your skin’s microbiome for better or for worse, so it’s important to choose with care.
If the goal is using fermented skin care products to reap their benefits, a little due diligence is in order. In the absence of the FDA’s blessing (and quick reminder that the FDA is largely reactionary—they reach out after a product has been shown to be harmful, not before), a sign-off from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is your best bet. The EWG’s Made Safe certification—the only third-party product certification program focusing on both human health and the ecosystem—signifies a product’s safety, superiority and sustainability. The rigorous process screens for over 6,500 banned and restricted substances and goes beyond ingredients alone, requiring manufacturing transparency as well. In short, Made Safe is a sign that zero compromises have been made from start to finish in terms of quality, purity and sustainability. Without it, you’re simply trusting a company’s claims about its fermented process.
We’ll go ahead and take this opportunity to point out that Shimmer Chef’s curated collection of raw, organic and, yes, fermented skin and scalp products are Made Safe certified. And unlike fermented skin care products that are doctored in a lab, Shimmer Chef’s plasters and balms come straight from the kitchen. Five of our formulas are made with our proprietary Vitamin C fermentation technique—a nine-day labor of love that converts a rotating crop of organic citrus peels into powerhouse nutrients with a little help from organic apple cider vinegar. The result? Living microbial magic in a bottle! This is the secret behind our bio-accessible formulas. Inspired by Mexican folk medicine, we pair it with superfoods, plant butters, nutrient-rich oils and carefully selected seeds and herbs to create our preservative-free, living formulas that are so fresh, they go in the fridge—not the medicine cabinet. Refrigeration is all our products need to stay stable, potent and effective.
The Bottom Line
At this point, the benefits of fermented skin care mean this trend is here to stay. And we applaud it! Still, we caution you to choose your fermented skin care products with care. At Shimmer Chef, we’ve perfected the art of fermented skin, scalp and hair care. The active nutrition in our organic, living formulas is as bio-compatible as it gets, flooding your skin barrier, balancing the acid mantle and defending against environmental stressors for skin that’s truly thriving. Plus, our root-to-stem philosophy ensures a zero-waste process. As researchers continue to study the hows and whys of fermented skin care, we’ll continue crafting our plasters and balms with fresh, organic superfoods and botanicals and let the magic of fermentation do its thing.
Chef Jennifer Sanford, the visionary behind Shimmer Chef, fuses her talents as a Health Supportive Culinary Arts Chef and licensed esthetician to develop formulas that radically transform your skin, scalp and hair. Jennifer brings a holistic approach to beauty and wellness, drawing on the wisdom of Mexican Folk Medicine passed down through her family, as well as studies of the ancient art of Ayurveda through her yoga and meditation certifications.
