It’s time for a fresh start—and that includes your skincare

Let’s be honest… Last week was a doozy. It’s miracle I didn’t bite all of my nails off, but just about everything else was out of balance. Now that it feels like at least one big part of our lives can move forward in a more positive direction, I’m ready to turn some my attention back to keeping my skin in balance—and that’s where the recently-launched brand Symbiome comes in.

To back up for a second, I’ve spoken to many dermatologists and written a lot about the skin’s microbiome, which is basically the balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria that exists on every square inch of every person’s skin—and science is coming to learn this ecosystem may be an extension of our gut microbiome (but I won’t bog you down with all those details). Research has found that this bacterial “snapshot” can be associated with a variety of skin concerns ranging from chronic dryness and acne to even eczema and psoriasis, so this is some major stuff that is just starting to become more mainstream.

Symbiome totally gets this skin microbiome “movement,” and in, fact, they’re all about it. Centered on the premise that it’s possible to achieve healthy skin through an approach that combines a limited number of minimally-processed, natural, plant-based ingredients with modern science, Symbiome make skincare simple again.

I received six products to test, and truth be told, I only need four of them to complete my Symbiome routine. (Imagine that!) I’ve been using The Renewal Daily Cleanser, and this gel-to-milk formula totally removes makeup and excess oil without disrupting the skin’s microbiome.

Morning and night, I apply The One Restorative Cream—which magically rivals any other hydrator I’ve used with only three ingredients: Water, sanoma leaf oil and Lactobacillus ferment (a probiotic that helps the “good” bacteria on the skin flourish while keeping the “bad” bacteria in check).

In the morning, I top this is a few drops of the Respond 004 Postbiomic Oil, which is a blend of three botanically-based fermented oils that help fortify and soothe sensitive and blemish-prone skin. (Of course I wrap up my routine with sunscreen.)

At night, I swap out The Respond oil for the Rewind 003 Postbiomic Oil—because of course I still want to keep those fine lines, wrinkles and spots at bay. This particular blend features fermented cumaru, sanoma leaf and buriti oils to brighten, calm, hydrate and protect the skin with antioxidants.

And just like that, I’m optimistic about the future of my skin, and I think it’s breathing a sigh of relief, too.