PRODUCT REVIEW: SYNERGIE SKIN DERMIOTIC PRE-SERUM ELIXIR WITH PREBIOTIC AND PROBIOTIC COMPLEX - BEST PROBIOTIC SERUM TO FIX THE MICROBIOME
This product review was originally part of my blog article titled, Brands I'm into: Synergie Skin - Clean, Clinical, Cruelty Free Skincare from Australia - Best Mineral Sunscreen, Best Niacinamide Serum for Clogged Pores. You can catch the full piece here.
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My favorite skincare discoveries are from brands that harness the latest scientific advances and ingredient insights. Most often, that means clean, clinical, high-performance skincare. With clean, clinical-strength formulas, Synergie Skin fits that to a tee.
I discovered the cool, nerdy science brand from Down Under just a few weeks ago when I featured Synergie Skin in my most recent article on new Niacinamide serums titled, Niacinamide Is the Game Changer You Need to Defend Against Skin Damage and Maintain Optimal Skin Health.
NIACINAMIDE SERUMS TO GET YOUR COMPLEXION GOING AND GLOWING SS21 FROM NATURIUM, SYNERGIE SKIN & MORE
The piece included five of my favorite new Niacinamide serums, one of which continues to be a staple in my daily “pore maintenance” routine — Synergie Skin’s Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum. More on this gem below!
With really well-formulated, cruelty-free skincare that’s highly pro-skin health, Synergie Skin seems to have nailed it. Founded in 2005 by biological scientist and cosmetic chemist Terri Vinson, Synergie Skin formulates its uniquely intriguing skincare by harnessing the synergy of science and nature.
From the brand:
Terri is both managing director and cosmetic chemist, possessing a rich understanding of science with a passion to educate. Her academic background in biological science enables her to formulate with a holistic understanding of all ingredients, their functions, and their efficacy on the skin. From the initial concept to the final product, she oversees the evolution of every product she creates.
Terri is always at the forefront of the cosmetic industry and seeks to formulate only with the latest in active, ethical, and safe ingredients, according to her Clean Science philosophy. Key ingredients in our formulations are verified by clinical data and supported by sound science, not the latest fad.
Synergie Skin’s range of nerdy, high-potency products come in recyclable brown glass pharmaceutical bottles with names like XCell B, TriDration B and ÜberZinc — one of the uber-coolest mineral sunscreens I’ve discovered over the past year.
I’m particularly impressed with the brand’s commitment to sustainability and ethical manufacturing, something that’s clearly delineated on the brand’s website: “Synergie Skin is dedicated to creating an environmentally positive manufacturing facility. We are committed to a sustainable waste management system and manufacturing processes and are proud to pledge that our Australian facility will be run entirely by solar energy by 2022.”
While I love just about everything I’ve experienced from Synergie Skin, three of the brand’s products stand out for me. One of the most intriguing is the Synergie Skin Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir — a superbly pro-skin health, microbiome balancing elixir that should be part of every skincare regimen.
The Synergie Skin ÜberZinc is a new personal favorite. How do I know when I love a sunscreen? Because I get excited to apply it! (Psst…if you love it, you’ll wear it!) And, of course, Synergie Skin’s Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum really made a splash in my latest deep dive into Niacinamide serums.
With that, let’s take a look at the three Synergie Skin products that have impressed me most — each of which has made it into my daily skincare routines…
Synergie Skin | Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir with Prebiotic and Probiotic Complex
I think many skincare users, whether novices or serious skincare junkies, can get caught up in the idea that you need to see immediate visible results in order to know if a skincare product is actually working for your skin.
There’s a lot of danger inherent in that premise. Very often, the signs that something is “working” are really signs that skin is being irritated, not that it’s being treated to something that’s promoting skin health. A prime example of that would be the tingling effect we feel when applying skincare that somehow signals the product is doing something. That tingling is most frequently a sign that skin is being irritated — often by fragrance or something even more sensitizing.
With direct acids like Glycolic Acid at high concentrations, sure that tingling is legitimate. Hey, if you don’t experience intense tingling when using the Paula’s Choice 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel, you’re dead inside. It’s one of the most potent exfoliating treatments I’ve come across. And it works. Looking for immediate skin smoothing and a brighter complexion? The Paula’s Choice 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel is the best Glycolic Acid serum for immediately igniting glow.
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE 25% AHA + 2% BHA EXFOLIANT PEEL – BEST AHA EXFOLIATING TREATMENT
And while acids like Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid and others certainly deliver instant results, ingredients like antioxidants, probiotics, peptides and even sunscreen filters don’t. Their effects on the skin are long-term. You see little, if any, immediate benefits. That’s what a healthy skincare routine is all about — slow and steady.
Probiotics are among the most intriguing of this latest class of supremely pro-skin health actives.
What Are Prebiotics and Are Prebiotics Good for Skin?
Prebiotics, probiotics and post-biotics are a legitimate trend in skincare over the past two to three years — with probiotics, or good bacteria, leading the way. So what exactly are prebiotics and what is their benefit to the skin?
According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, prebiotic are becoming increasingly important in the maintenance of skin health. The team outlines its unique benefits to the skin and body in an article titled simply, What Are Prebiotics for Skin?
An excerpt from the piece:
Prebiotics are an intriguing group of ingredients making skin care headlines because of the important role they can play in addressing a variety of skin concerns. Their gut-health benefits when consumed orally are well-established through research, and now emerging studies are shedding fascinating light on how topical prebiotics can help when applied to skin.
Prebiotics are essentially foods consumed by probiotics. Probiotics are the good bacteria in and on the body that keep our bodies balanced and healthy inside and out (1).
Experts around the world consider probiotics fundamental to being healthy and youthful, and since prebiotics are the natural partner to probiotics, having both gives you the best of both worlds. As it turns out, the benefits of prebiotics and probiotics in our gut are also apparent when these ingredients are applied to skin (2).
Applying prebiotics to skin helps probiotics thrive so they can:
Keep the surface of skin—its first line of defense—balanced, younger-looking, and strong (3).
Offset factors that lead to redness, dryness, and a weakened surface (4).
Ward off signs of aging skin (4).
Restore a healthy microbiome balance (good bacteria) (2).
What Prebiotic Ingredients Should I Look for In Skin Care?
Look for skin care products with prebiotic plant sugars, such as xylitol, rhamnose, and a large group of ingredients known as fructooligosaccharides (including raspberry oligosaccharides) (4). Glucomannan is a particularly interesting prebiotic due to the way it works with a wide range of probiotics that help control acne (5).
Foods with prebiotics include garlic, onions, oats, barley, wheat bran, asparagus, bananas, and flaxseed as well as a plant fiber known as inulin, found in chicory root (1). Some of these plant extracts or their derivatives are also included in skin care products where you can easily reap the benefits of applying prebiotics to skin.
Serums or moisturizers with prebiotics such as these may already be in your routine (check your ingredient labels to make sure).
As I said, the Synergie Skin Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir is a superbly pro-skin health, microbiome balancing treatment that should be part of every skincare regimen. It’s been a part of mine for about two months now.
Do I notice a difference in my skin every day? Of course not. That’s not the point. The point is that it’s delivering many of the actives, the nutrients that my skin needs, to maintain optimal skin health.
What’s so special about Synergie Skin’s Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir? To start, the formula’s two prebiotic and probiotic complexes help to restore and maintain a healthy surface microbiome.
What Is the Microbiome?
I found an insightful article on the NIH website simply titled, The Skin Microbiome. This segment is helpful in understanding what the skin’s microbiome is and its role in the health of the skin:
An enhanced understanding of the skin microbiome is necessary to gain insight into microbial involvement in human skin disorders and to enable novel promicrobial and antimicrobial therapeutic approaches for their treatment.
The skin is an ecosystem composed of 1.8 m2 of diverse habitats with an abundance of folds, invaginations and specialized niches that support a wide range of microorganisms. The primary role of the skin is to serve as a physical barrier, protecting our bodies from potential assault by foreign organisms or toxic substances. The skin is also an interface with the outside environment and, as such, is colonized by a diverse collection of microorganisms — including bacteria, fungi and viruses.
The formula’s prebiotic complex comes in the form of alpha-glucan oligosaccharide. It feeds the good bacteria in the microbiome, aiding in their proliferation and helping to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause irritation, acne, sensitivity and redness.
Products like Synergie Skin’s Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir and Layers’ skin-renewing Probiotic Serum are new daily essentials for me this year.
PRODUCT REVIEW: LAYERS PROBIOTIC SERUM – BEST LACTIC ACID SERUM, BEST MICROBIOME SKINCARE
The probiotic complex of Bifida Ferment Lysate, Lactose and milk proteins in the Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir helps to rebalance the microbiome to reduce skin stress, irritation and redness — and protect overall skin health. Beyond these actives, there’s also a healthy dose of antioxidants including Niacinamide at what’s likely a 10% concentration.
Its light, watery serum texture makes it super easy to layer into the water-based serum step of any skincare routine — immediately after toning and before oil-based serums. I can’t get enough of Synergie Skin’s Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Synergie Skin Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir for $51 here.
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The Ingredient List of the Synergie Skin Dermiotic Pre-Serum Elixir:
Water (Aqua), Niacinamide, Glycerin, Inulin, Betaine, Methylpropanediol, Hydrolyzed Tomato Skin, Sodium Pca, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactose, Milk Protein, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenylpropanol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate.
The Ingredient List of the Synergie Skin ÜberZinc Broad Spectrum SPF 15 PA+++:
Water (Aqua), Zinc Oxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Isoamyl Laurate, Methylpropanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Tomato Skin, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Caprylyl Glycol, Ceteareth 20, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Phenylpropanol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Alcohol (Grain Derived), Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Citral, D-Limonene, Linalool.
The Ingredient List of the Synergie Skin Vitamin B 13% Essential Niacinamide Serum:
cci|sb|aacne|h, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Panthenol (Vitamin B5) 
so|h 0 0, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Sodium PCA sii|h 0 0, Pelargonium Capitatum (Rose Geranium) Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 80 emu|surf 0 0, Phospholipids sii|emo, Aroma (Natural), Hydroxyethylcellulose vc, Alcohol (Grain Derived) 
amic|solv|vc, Caramel (Natural Colour) col, Citronellol perf, Geraniol perf, Linalool perf
