Fermented skincare: What Bifida and Galactomyces mean
Understanding fermentation on the label: What Bifida and Galactomyces reveal, how essence and cream differ and what the microbiome promise leaves open.
Fermented skincare: What Bifida and Galactomyces mean
“Bifida Ferment Extract” initially reads like a name on a bottle that you would rather skip. A few lines further on it might say “Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate”. These terms do reveal something helpful: where an ingredient comes from and how it was processed.
You don’t have to memorize the names. To make a selection, it is enough to recognize a few parts of the word and then look at the entire product. A watery essence with one ferment and a rich cream with several ferments can ultimately fulfill very different care needs.
What does fermented mean in cosmetics?
During fermentation, microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast change a starting material through their metabolic processes. Which components are created depends, among other things, on the starting material, the microorganisms used and the processing. Ingredients for cosmetics can be obtained from this process.
The familiar kitchen term helps you get started, but an essence is not a liquid food for the skin. Cosmetic ferment ingredients are processed into a recipe and combined with other ingredients. You cannot tell from the word “fermented” whether the finished product contains living microorganisms. The scientific association ISAPP therefore expressly separates fermentation and probiotics from each other. ISAPP: Terms related to fermentation and biotics
The common idea that everything fermented has to penetrate better or deeper into the skin is also of little help when making a selection. To do this, the specific product would have to be examined with a suitable comparison recipe. The manufacturing step alone is not a universal performance promise.
Learning to read Bifida, Galactomyces, filtrate and lysate
The names Bifida and Galactomyces refer to different microorganisms: Bifida to the connection with bifidobacteria, Galactomyces to a yeast fungus. The words behind it describe the extracted component in more detail.
A filtrate is the fraction obtained after filtering. A lysate comes from disrupted cells and contains corresponding cell components. Extract denotes an extract. These word parts are not a ranking from weak to strong. In particular, “lysate” does not stand for live bacteria.
The ISAPP explicitly describes inactivated microorganisms or their components in postbiotic preparations. The scientific name requires proven benefits; The name alone does not automatically make a ferment or lysate a proven postbiotic. ISAPP: What is a postbiotic?
So you can read the terms like a small note of origin. When it comes to the practical question of whether the care product is right for you, the texture, other ingredients and application are then taken into account.
Are ferments automatically good for the skin microbiome?
The skin microbiome is an exciting field of research. As a purchase promise, “balances your microbiome” is much more far-reaching than the statement “contains a ferment ingredient”. In addition, living microorganisms are only probiotics in the scientific sense if they provide proven health benefits in appropriate quantities. ISAPP: Consensus Definitions
You don’t need to turn this into your own microbiome project for your routine. What is initially interesting is whether a care product provides the desired moisture and a pleasant feeling on the skin. Appropriate experience with a cream would be valuable even if you don’t know how much of it is due to the ferment complex.
If an advertisement promises very large effects, look for information about the product tested, the comparison group and the duration. A raw material test or a study with a different care range only answers the question about your specific cream to a limited extent.
A short list of ingredients: Mixsoon Bifida Ferment Essence
The Mixsoon Bifida Ferment Essence is a clear example of a watery care step. The tested list of manufacturers includes water, butylene glycol, bifida ferment extract and glycerin. This means it is neither a bottle full of live bacteria nor a pure ferment raw material. Mixsoon: Bifida Ferment Essence
The essence is distributed after cleansing and, if necessary, after a toner; then your cream follows. If you like thin care, it’s an easy way to get to know Bifida Ferment in your usual routine.
We explain the difference between these product names in more detail in Toner and Essence .
Several ferments in one cream: AXIS-Y
The AXIS-Y Biome Ultimate Indulging Cream shows a different recipe idea. The matching lists from the shop and manufacturer include Galactomyces Ferment Filtrates, Bifida Ferment Lysates and Lactobacillus Ferment. There are also glycerin, squalane, ceramides and cholesterol. AXIS-Y: Biome Ultimate Indulging Cream
This product takes care of the cream step. It is distributed in an appropriate amount on the face and neck. If you’re looking for a nourishing cream, you’re looking at something other than a thin essence to layer underneath.
The formula also contains essential oils, including cedar and patchouli oil. If you want to specifically avoid fragrance ingredients, this information is just as important to the decision as the ferments. A long list of interesting ingredients does not automatically make a cream more suitable for sensitive skin.
Our article about the right moisturizer will help you choose the right care feeling. The thin essence is ideal for getting started with fermented care; The AXIS-Y cream is interesting if you prefer to start with a cream step.
How do I try fermented care?
First, add a new product to your usual routine. A manageable experiment will help you assess tolerance and texture. If you start several ferment products at the same time, it will be difficult to tell later which change belongs to which product.
Observe specific things: Does the skin feel pleasant after application? Does the care fit under your cream? Does it remain uncomplicated even on ordinary days? Packaging with scientific-sounding terms has to answer the same everyday questions in the bathroom as any other care product.
Store the product according to the package instructions and remove it cleanly. Do not add water or home-made ferments. The FDA explains that subsequent dilution can compromise preservation and introduce microorganisms. FDA: Microbiological safety of cosmetics
If you are interested in the connection to other plant ingredients, read on for ginseng, rice and green tea. Our ingredient overview will help you classify the topic into your actual care concerns.
What we know for sure
- Fermentation describes a process and does not guarantee a specific cosmetic effect.
- Fermented cosmetics do not automatically contain live probiotics.
- Filtrate, extract and lysate are different names, not quality levels.
- The rest of the recipe determines the feeling of care and tolerability.
- Percentages of raw materials do not replace testing of the finished product.
