Can topical probiotics live up to the hype?  First, up
TULA Probiotic Skincare

 

 

 

 

What Attracted Me to the Line:  I have seen probiotics do amazing things for health when taken internally, so the idea of applying them topically was very intriguing to me.  The idea is that topical probiotics can strengthen the skin barrier and microbiome. It struck me as a smart innovation in theory, but I did not know if it would actually “work.”  As I read more, I discovered that the TULA line was created by a leading gastroenterologist and internist, Dr. Roshini Raj, and that there is a lot of medical knowledge that went into the line’s probiotic technology.  In addition to probiotics, the serum incorporates incredibly nutritious ingredients like yogurt extract, rice nutripeptides, chicory root extract, turmeric, white tea, blueberry extract, vitamins such as A, C, and E, and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids from flax oil.

 

First Impressions: The packaging and bottles are lovely and designed in serene, calming shades of aqua that bring to mind a spa experience.  All of the ingredients are listed on the box, so you can inspect and know every single thing you are putting on your skin. The bottle is made of thick glass. The scent of TULA products is a barely noticeable, but pleasant, fragrance.

TULA’s special probiotic complex is supposed to stimulate the production of vital defense cells, making skin healthier, less sensitive/inflamed, and more resistant to environmental stressors and the aging process.  At first, I was intrigued enough to want to try it, but also a little skeptical, because how many times have I read about some new “innovation” in skin care only to end up disappointed?  Well, if you read on, you’ll see that TULA represents one of those rare, amazing times when an innovation actually lives up to its claims.

I wondered if I would immediately need to refrigerate TULA. I looked into this, and it does not require refrigeration because TULA’s probiotics are no longer alive.  As Dr. Raj explained in an interview with Forbes, “They’ve been broken down to release only their most useful elements ….[giving them] a longer shelf life without losing their powerful benefits on the skin.”

My Experience Using TULA: As I mentioned, I was intrigued, yet a little skeptical about what TULA’s “probiotic technology” could actually do for my dry, aging, sensitive skin.  Since my skin is parched, sensitive, and reactive, I am a tough test subject for skin care; I want visible results like anyone else, but harsh products do me more harm than good. To put the line to the test, I applied everything to my entire face and, more importantly, a wound on my neck where I’d had a biopsy–an area that wasn’t healing and seemed that it might scar.

 

Results? I saw the first improvement in my wound within just a couple of days; the red mark from the biopsy faded more over 2 days with TULA products than it had in weeks with other creams.  In just days, my face, too, started looking healthier and “glowier.”  What’s more, after using TULA just days, my skin tone was even enough that I didn’t even have to consider foundation or concealer (a big deal given my skin’s usual reactivity/redness).  No other product line I’ve tried (and there have been many) has given me visible improvements this rapidly. With Tula, I really do feel like my skin has a radiance it didn’t have before, and what really impresses me is that the radiance lasts all day–not just for the first five minutes after I apply it!  Best of all, after using TULA a few weeks, I got carded!  (Hasn’t happened in a while….)

The Players

TULA Exfoliating Treatment Mask – $54.00This dual phase treatment provides both a chemical and physical exfoliation to gently slough off dead skin cells to reveal a polished and glowing complexion.

My Experience with Exfoliating Treatment Mask–The Exfoliating Treatment Mask uses both physical and chemical exfolation to reveal softer, brighter skin.  I found this left my skin smooth and fresh, and despite the inclusion of clay, it is not too drying for my parched, sensitive skin.  The Mask delivers smoothing and brightening exfoliation that is gentle enough for sensitive skin.

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TULA Illuminating Face Serum – $78.00This light, easily absorbed formula helps to promote softer, even-toned skin, diminish the appearance of dark spots and helps to maintain a fresh, youthful-looking glow.

My Experience with Illuminating Face Serum–The Illuminating Face Serum is very light and absorbable, and it leaves skin gently luminous.  The glow is really remarkable because it is not a superficial shimmer nor an oily sheen, but rather a subtle, natural-looking brightness and luminosity.  Not just a temporary effect, this Serum truly seems to illuminate the complexion in a way that lasts all day and into the night.

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TULA Hydrating Day & Night Cream – $52.00Like a multivitamin for your skin, this rich, age-defying cream delivers intense sustained hydration and antioxidants protection to reduce fine lines and help improve the youthful appearance of the skin.

 

My Experience with Hydrating Day & Night Cream–Day & Night Cream provides light but effective hydration that I find perfect for daytime and under other products, as it absorbs so well it leaves little behind. For normal skin types, this would be an excellent double-tasking product for day and night, Personally, as dry as my skin is, I prefer something heavier and more deeply hydrating for night, but this suits me during the day under SPF.

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TULA Advanced Neck Cream – $80.00This super hydrating balm-like cream works to firm the delicate skin on the neck and decolletage while attacking fine lines, wrinkles and crepey skin.

My Experience with Advanced Neck Cream–-Advanced Neck Cream delivers amazing hydrating, rich and luxurious moisture that has been very healing to my parched skin.  Truly sumptuous, this is definitely one of my favorite products of the line (I like it so much I use it all over my face as well!).

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TULA Volume Defense Serum – $98.00This weightless, milky serum feels like a burst of hydration on your skin. Packed with vitamin C and retinol, this anti-aging powerhouse will leave your skin plumper and bring back its youthful bounce.

 

My Experience with Volume Defense Serum—Volume Defense Serum combines probiotic technology and Tula’s other beneficial ingredients with anti-aging Retinol to dramatically reduce wrinkles and sag.  This Serum is definitely effective; I have seen some softening of lines with just short-term use.  The inclusion of soothing and healing probiotic makes it more tolerable for my sensitive skin than other Retinol products I have used.  All in all, a highly effective anti-aging serum gentle enough for dry, sensitive skin.

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                                                  CONCLUSION

Overall Pros, Benefits, Cons:  Using TULA has lead to a dramatic improvement in the softness, evenness, hydration, and “glow” of my skin.  I have seen these improvements faster than I have with any other line.  With TULA, I am starting to see my worry lines soften as much as they ever did with prescription Retin-A (which left my skin a red, flaky mess). All the products I tried were suitable even for my sensitive, reactive, aging skin.  In fact, TULA achieved these “turnaround” results while *reducing* irritation and skin sensitivity!

BOTTOM LINE:  Highly recommended.  Slightly pricey, but worth the cost.  In my opinion, a FIND for anyone with sensitive skin.  Plus, TULA just came out with a new Overnight Rescue Treatment that promises to be even more potent, with three carefully selected strains as opposed to just one.  I have not tried it yet, but I would bet money that it’s fantastic.

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GLOWBIOTICS MD is the first ever medical-grade probiotic skin care line–recently rebranded GLOWBIOTICS MD from mybody in order to better represent the transformative effects of their probiotic formulas.  What caught my attention about GLOWBIOTICS MD is that the probiotic element is just one facet of their formulations; they blend their immune-boosting probiotics with targeted bioactives (several patented) that enable cellular regeneration without traditional irritation.  Their formulas target and treat a number of skin conditions, such as: fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, redness/Rosacea,  acne, excessive dryness, and sagging skin.
I had the opportunity to test MYHERO Triple-Action Age Reversal Serum and MYHERO Probiotic Firming + Replenishing Lotion.

Although GLOWBIOTICS MD has named the product MYHERO Triple-Action Age Reversal Serum, the three featured anti-aging ingredients are only the top of the iceburg, as the product actually has several key ingredients. It features: a Smart Retinoid Complex that delivers the results of retinol without the traditional irritation; Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, a highly stable form of Vitamin C to brighten skin, reduce pigmentation, and prevent free radical damage; Smart Peptides 239/240, safe biomimetic peptides that promote collagen production to firm skin; Renovage; as well as Skin Tightener ST, a unique marine peptide complex that tightens slack skin. Several things have proved special about MYHERO Triple-Action Age Reversal Serum. First, I am seeing true benefits of retinol on wrinkles and skin texture with absolutely no irritation (unheard of for my sensitive, reactive skin). I wanted to know how this was possible, because Retin-A and retinol have always ravaged my skin, so I sent my question to GLOWBIOTIC MD’s Director of Education, Daniel Clary, and he explained:

• Due to the acid moiety (arm) of the retinoic acid molecule (Vitamin A), when applied topically it literally dismantles and destroys the skin’s protective barrier in order to penetrate. Barrier disruption, to ANY degree, causes the inflammatory response to activate. Retin-A keeps the skin in a vicious and perpetual cycle of inflammation. This will age skin fast.
• Our Smart Retinoid Complex contains GDR (Glycerl Diretinoate), a retinoic acid ester, a biproduct of reacting retinoic acid with glycerin.  This represents the only bioactive form of Vitamin A  (retinoic acid) that the cell can actually utilize WITHOUT disrupting the skin’s barrier [and without triggering the vicious cycle of inflammation that will age skin]. This is the gold standard now in retinoid augmentation. Skin integrity intact, and no inflammation activated.

As someone whose skin tends to turn red as a beet at the mere first touch of Retin-A or retinol, I am highly impressed with this Smart Retinoid Complex.  My skin is gradually looking firmer, and lines are fainter.  Again, all this has been achieved without any irritation or drying of my temperamental skin. GLOWBIOTICS MD MYHERO Triple-Action Age Reversal Serum, with its Smart Retinoid Complex and abundance of anti-aging actives, is my favorite retinol product ever; because there is no drying or inflammation, I finally see the benefits retinol is “supposed” to deliver.

MYHERO Probiotic Firming + Replenishing Lotion is another gem.  The key ingredients that caught my attention were the probiotic bioactives, beta glucan, and smart peptides (including Septilift DPHP).  The probiotic bioactives are anti-inflammatory and help promote key structural protein gene expression of collagen and elastin. These probiotic bioactives are combined with beta glucan, a prebiotic that is powerfully synergistic and creates a match made in skin care (and chemistry) heaven to deliver maximum benefits. The smart peptides in turn, have been proven to significantly reduce wrinkle depth, act as potent antioxidants, protect the dermal matrix, and firm collagen. I found MYHERO Probiotic Firming + Replenishing Lotion to be an ultra-light yet hydrating moisturizer that absorbs easily, minimizes inflammation, and softens signs of aging.

After rapidly losing weight due to a lupus flare, I had found myself troubled by slack facial skin with marionette lines and sagging below the mouth.  MYHERO Triple-Action Age Reversal Serum and Probiotic Firming + Replenishing Lotion are the first products I have found that made a significant difference in sagging.  I especially saw an improvement in my nasolabial folds and sag under the corners of my mouth (see Before and After).  I still have some progress to make, but I can honestly say that I began to see glimmers of improvement within the first week of using these GLOWBIOTICS MD products, and I have no doubt the improvement will keep coming.  In less than a month, my face has tightened up to be much more like what I remember.  I consider that a significant achievement, and I would say that MYHERO Triple-Action Age Reversal and Firming + Replenishing Lotion are among the best anti-aging products I have ever tried. They both deserve a lot of credit. Together, they are a very powerful anti-aging combination and actually seem to reduce skin irritation rather than contributing to it.

Last but not least, I love that GLOWBIOTICS MD donates 1% of profits to mental health charities. This is a company that is also on the cutting-edge of science with their formulations. Thanks to Daniel Clary, Director of Education at GLOWBIOTICS MD, who helped me understand how the ingredients in each blend work together to deliver maximum benefits.  This is a company that has heart and is also on top of its game.

CONCLUSION:  I give GLOWBIOTICS MD my highest recommendation.  They offer unique targeted formulas that yield real results.

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BeBella Probiotic Difference

 

If there’s someone you want to pamper in your life (yourself!?), you should consider taking a look at the BeBella line from Bebe & Bella, the first ever line to combine oral and topical probiotics. BeBe & Bella is a minority women-owned business started in 2013, and the effort they put into their products (and the customer experience) shines. Just look at the gorgeous way they pack their boxes (above), and you get a glimpse of the care they put into every aspect of their line. BeBella’s approach to skin care is comprehensive and, when used as suggested, provides rapid improvements in healing skin inflammation and skin softness. This is not just my opinion. Controlled clinical testing that demonstrated that BeBella: significantly reduced wrinkles, reversed photodamage, increased the skin’s moisture barrier, and boosted skin softness--in just 4 weeks of use, twice a day. What’s remarkable is that BeBella’s results are achieved without any harsh, skin-irritating ingredients.

TOPICALS

The BeBella topical skin care line is based on the Japanese tradition of layering, in which a series of products are applied in a specific sequence to achieve maximum results. The suggested order of application for BeBella is: Probiotic Facial Cleanser, Probiotic Purifying Facial Toner, Probiotic Facial Essence, Probiotic Eye Cream, and last the Probiotic Hydrating Night Cream.

I began using BeBella products when my skin was especially irritated and dry (the kind of irritated where almost any product stings my face), so I really put BeBella to a tough test. Fortunately, BeBella is free of any sulfates or added fragrance, and it ended up being extremely soothing and hydrating. Here are my thoughts on each product in their layering system…

Probiotic Facial Cleanser ($65):  I am not one to rave about (or want to spend money on) cleansers, but this is a rare exception. I generally stick to plain water to clean my face, because most cleansers are too harsh and drying for my skin; Bebella Facial Cleanser was a creamy, luxurious exception:  no stinging, no drying–instead a very gentle, yet effective moisturizing cleanser.  BeBella Probiotic Facial Cleanser felt so good on my skin, I let it sit on my skin a good while and almost did not want to wash it off. I am not sure if I have ever liked a cleanser this much!

Purifying Facial Toner ($52): Used second in the layering system, this helps remove any residue and enables skin to better absorb the actives in the next layering steps. What I liked about the Purifying Facial Toner was that it managed to take clean to a new level and my minimize my pores without stinging, drying me out, or causing any irritation!  Toner is generally something I avoid due to dryness and sensitivity, but BeBella’s Purifying Facial Toner was perfectly suited for my sensitive skin.

Probiotic Facial Essence ($70): After all residue has been cleansed away, skin is ready for the Probiotic Facial Essence layer. BeBella Probiotic Facial Essence has a light, easily spreadable consistency somewhere between gel and water (and is called an essence because it is water-based rather than oil-based like a serum). It contains the most actives of any BeBella product and includes high levels of hyaluronic acid and ferment filtrates.  The whole layering system works in complement, yet there’s no doubt that the Probiotic Facial Essence is one of the superstars of the BeBella line. I could feel the actives in Probiotic Facial Essence working with a gentle tingle as my skin absorbed all the beneficial actives.

Probiotic Eye Cream ($55): This is a rich, luxurious cream and so soothing, rich and moisturizing that I was tempted to slather it on my entire face and neck. The Probiotic Eye Cream feels wonderful on sensitive or dry skin. It contains two probiotic filtrates and Vitamin E to deeply repair and moisturize skin. It is wonderfully hydrating.

Probiotic Hydrating Night Cream ($98): This is a creamy, not-too-heavy moisturizer that spreads and absorbs easily and offers serious hydration. Usually, my skin requires something thick (almost like an ointment) to maintain hydration, so I was slightly amazed to wake up the morning after first applying Probiotic Hydrating Night Cream to find my skin more supple and hydrated–as well as markedly softer and smoother to the touch–than it had been the night before. This cream very effectively hydrates skin without leaving behind the usual sticky or oily residue.Probiotic Facial Essence Stick ($65): A convenient way to refresh skin on the go (packaged like a lipstick), BeBella Probiotic Facial Essence Stick provides all the of the Facial Essence actives in a water-based formula that also includes lipid polymers. It is soothing and hydrating, yet absorbs well enough that it works under or over makeup. The Essence Stick is a great way to give skin a boost throughout the day.SUPPLEMENTS
In addition to their fantastic layering line of topicals, BeBella offers two nutritional supplements designed to further boost skin benefits.  These supplements are: Collagen Pro ($27.60) and BeClara Skin Lightening ($27.60). Both contain the probiotic l. casei, which has been proven to reduce skin inflammation.  In addition to this probiotic, Collagen Pro includes: hydrolyzed fish collagen peptide, hyaluronic acid, and biotin, among others, while  BeClara includes: reduced glutathione, NAC, ALA, vitamin C, and collagen. Together, Collagen Pro and BeClara Skin Lightening are designed to boost the effects of their topical skin care by nourishing, hydrating, and brightening the complexion.  Having tried both supplements, they are easy to swallow and easy on the GI system and likely deserve some of the credit for the great effects I had while using the BeBella system.


CONCLUSION: Highly recommended. BeBella is an excellent line, perhaps especially for those of us dealing with temperamental skin (lupus-related or otherwise). I started using this during a bought of skin irritation, and none of the products ever stung or felt harsh; instead they soothed my skin and rapidly reduced redness and irritation.  Taking Collagen Pro and BeClara while layering BeBella’s topical skin care–even for a short time–left my skin incredibly soft and made a big difference in reducing inflammation. My skin was about as soft as it’s ever felt. With longer use, I am sure the results would only continue and that I would begin to see a softening of fine lines. The entire system works very well in concert.  If the investment makes you hesitate, BeBe & Bella offers a Probiotic Essentials Starter Kit ($65), which is a great way to sample all the topical products and get a sense of their benefits for your skin. Having said that, if you are able and willing to splurge a bit, BeBella is worth getting in a full-sized set, because if you are like me, you will be sad to run out of it!

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