Stressed out skin

Esse’s Ageless Serum is a must-have for stressed skin. Suma Root, Muira Puama Bark, and Madonna Lily extracts. Devil’s Claw. The ingredients list alone makes you want to buy it. What clinches the deal is that it’s probiotic skincare that treats your skin as an ecosystem, using an organic biotech to create an environment that allows biodiversity to return, allowing your skin’s natural microbes to flourish. If you want more science, inactivated probiotic Lactobacillus cells are added to stimulate the skin’s production of β-defensins (proteins in the antimicrobial defence brigade). These peptides shift the skin’s microbe populations to favour the species that outcompete the pro-ageing ones. Expensive, yes. But just know that it’s the natural way to restore balance, firmness and let your skin thrive.

Up your vitamins

Somewhat ironically called The Pill, The Nue Co’s latest topical supplement is a powerful face solution that includes complex AHAs to Hyaluronic Acid and Tiger Grass: a single daily dose of every key nutrient for the skin, and a potent combo of clinical and natural. It tackles inflammation (whether from diet, lifestyle or pandemic stress) with anti-inflammatory grape-seed, bilberry and liquorice root extract. Best of all you get hydration from non-toxic ingredients that don’t hurt you or the planet. A great one-step solution, it takes the hassle out of skincare layering. Get it on prescription.