Cultured is a new pro-biome brand developed by Rob Calcraft, who founded clean skincare success story Ren. But can he do it all over again — and does the science stack up?

The skin microbiome is the name for the ecosystem of bacteria on the skin’s surface. High-profile names, ranging from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to Barack Obama, are supporting research into microbiome science. Is the time right for the beauty industry to participate?

Rob Calcraft, who co-founded Ren Clean Skincare with Antony Buck in London in 2000, certainly thinks so — despite a lack of conclusive evidence that microbiome skincare treatments work.

Ren, which was acquired by consumer goods giant Unilever in 2015, won over consumers worldwide with its emphasis on natural ingredients and popular hero products, including Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic and Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm. Calcraft believes the next evolution of natural skincare is the skin microbiome, the focus of Cultured, his new London-based skincare brand.

Research into the skin microbiome is still in its infancy, but a handful of pro-biome products are already in the market. Tula, founded by gastroenterologist Dr Roshini Raj in 2014 and funded by L Catterton in 2017, was an early leader in the microbiome skincare space. The Nue Co, which recently raised $25 million in a Series B funding round, sells products containing prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics, which are designed to protect and repair the skin’s barrier, as well as “replenish its topical microbiome”, the brand says. 111Skin, Haeckels and Sunday Riley also sell products that claim to strengthen the microbiome of the skin.

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