Kombucha Skincare: Glass skin, but make it local
Hello, fellow earthlings!
It’s been a while, life has been full, but I am excited to be writing this post about something I have spent a substantial amount of time researching and testing in my own life. As I have been leaning more and more into producing what I can for myself, I have at times found the wide world of information on personal care, skincare especially, overwhelming. If you’ve spent as much time as I have on the skincare side of the internet, though, you may have noticed the same growing fascination with fermented ingredients that caught my attention.
Before we dive in, a quick note: everyone’s skin is different, and it’s important to make sure that you are making informed decisions about what you are putting on your skin. It is your body’s largest organ, after all. I am a homesteader, not a medical professional, and with any herbal or holistic lifestyle change, I will aways encourage for each individual to make educated and responsible choices with regard to their health, including consulting with licensed medical professionals, as appropriate. Balance is key. I always recommend patch testing and diluting as needed for your skin’s comfort when working with even light chemical exfoliants.
That said, you do not need skincare brands shipped from across the world to enjoy the ample benefits of probiotic skincare! Let’s talk about a familiar ingredient around my homestead that has been drawing attention in the skincare industry and glass skin algorithms as of late - kombucha! If you’re not familiar with kombucha, it is a fermented tea beverage; a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), fed with sweetened green and/or black tea, often consumed as a carbonated, probiotic beverage. As with all fermented products, kombucha is created when the SCOBY’s natural organic processes break down the sugar in the tea, increasing the bioavailability (or accessibility to the body) of nutrients and resulting in the creation of trace amounts of alcohol, gases, and acids. Science!!
I have been brewing my own kombucha at home for a couple of years now, and I l have come to appreciate my home-brewed kombucha as a low-cost, low-impact, and beneficial substitute for sugary sodas. That $3 premium health food beverage at the grocery store? It’s easy to make with a little patience and it costs pennies, which is why it’s so satisfying to learn that you can also repurpose this liquid gold into skincare.
Left to ferment without additional feeding, the SCOBY will continue to acidify the environment until it has metabolized all those sugary carbohydrates. What remains is kombucha vinegar, a nutrient-dense, probiotic, and antioxidant-rich jack-of-all trades. Kombucha vinegar is regularly used similarly to apple cider vinegar for a wide variety of household uses, including cooking, marinades, hair rinses, and even as a natural cleaning agent. We love a versatile character around here, and I am excited to tell you about one of my favorite uses for my home fermented, probiotic vinegar: facial toners. Kombucha vinegar has made its way into several high-end skincare lines due to its unique blend of organic acids, antioxidants, and postbiotic compounds. [1] That is to say, skincare brands are catching on to what some home fermenters have known for years, and I’m hoping to show you that you don’t need high-end brands to reap the benefits of this probiotic powerhouse ingredient.
Okay, so there is a lot of holistic, organic, crunchy-sounding language happening, but what’s the real story? Can weird, sour hippie tea actually make a difference in your skin? The research increasingly shows that the answer is yes!
I’ve been using kombucha vinegar on regular rotation in my skincare suite for almost as long as I’ve been brewing booch, and I can honestly say I have found it comparable in terms of results to commercial toners I’ve tried with active ingredients like BHA and glycolic acid. Where kombucha skincare wins for me is its versatility, sustainability, and simple, natural ingredients list.
What’s so great about fermented tea?
Outside of my own personal experiments with kombucha in my own routine, I’ve done the research. I’ll summarize it here, but I’ve linked a few articles for further reading below if you are interested. It can be exciting to learn that you can have all the benefits of a carefully curated skincare routine that is easy to make yourself or source locally. Here are some key takeaways:
It supports the skin’s microbiome.
Researchers are increasingly uncovering the deep interconnection between mind, body, and microorganisms. Your microbiome influences how you look, smell, feel, what foods you crave, and even how your genes are expressed. [2] Kombucha’s symbiotic cultures are well-equipped to support the natural biological exchanges that keep you looking and feeling your best.
It provides antioxidant protection and natural exfoliation.
Kombucha is rich in polyphenols from tea leaves and the process of fermentation produces organic acids like lactic, acetic, and gluconic acid. [1] These are naturally occurring chemical exfoliants that can penetrate the skin to release built-up oil, dirt, and other debris. [3]
It may improve skin over time through regulating, calming, and balancing the moisture barrier.
Regular use can help smooth the texture and brighten tone by encouraging cell turnover and reducing signs of oxidative stress that lead to aging, tired-looking skin. [4]
Kombucha toners sit at the perfect skincare crossroads of pH balance, microbiome support, and leave-on, minimal ingredient simplicity. Unlike wash-off products with unrecognizable preservatives, kombucha toners allow organic acids and antioxidants to work their magic with minimal effort and the added bonus of being locally made, low-impact, and easy to DIY
In conclusion, kombucha is more than just the pop sensation of the probiotic beverage world, it is also a powerful, multi-purpose tool in your wellness arsenal. Let me know if you are interested in learning more about brewing kombucha for drinking or making these toners at home; I’d be happy to share my recipes. Thank you for reading!
Love & light,
Lauren
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