Probiotic Serum Review – Great for Acne Treatment

This probiotic serum review will take into account the following;

1. the unique benefits of probiotic in skincare.
2. its effect on acne.
3. the use of serum as a significant part of advanced (next level) skincare routine for optimal benefits.
4. my intention to help you make informed decision regarding which serum product is best.

Two popular leading serum products under review

For this purpose, I’ll be comparing two leading, popular brands you may have come across or heard of.

• Lancome Advanced Genifique Serum

• Eminence Clear Skin Willow Bark Booster (serum)

(As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Full discolsure…)

Why Probiotic Serum?

Probiotics cosmetics highlights the current and future direction in the cosmetic industry. It’s also attracted a lot of medical interests, research and investment.

You may be wondering what probiotic serum is about, especially if this is a new area for you. So, to understand this in context, I have broken it down into two questions, including their benefits: 1) what’s probiotic? 2) what’s a serum?

What’s probiotic?

Definition: Probiotics are live non–harmful microbes that are beneficial in a number of ways.

Benefits of Probiotic for the Skin

Immune booster: They help to restore the skin microbial balance. A healthy and balanced skin microbiome will help you fight against harmful pathogens and acts as immune booster.

Helps problem skin: Fights acne, dry skin, wrinkles etc.

Improves skin appearance: Improves your skin tone/complexion, moisturizes your skin, makes your skin feel smooth, soft and look luminous.

What’s a serum?

Definition: A serum is skincare product you apply on your bare skin after cleansing your skin and before using your moisturizer. They help to deliver smaller molecules or ingredients into the skin

Benefits of using a serum

Enables faster and better result: So, when you use serum that the amount of active ingredients your skin will receive while using serum will be higher. This is because the molecules are smaller and penetrate deeper. As a result of better and deeper delivery of the ingredients, you can achieve faster result.

Used for different purposes: You may already know that serum is used for a variety of purpose. It can help with problem skin such as dry skin, acne, wrinkled skin etc. So it’s if you are buying a serum, it’s important to know the relevance of that serum to what you want to achieve.

Next level skin care routine

The use of serum indicates a next level skin care routine. It can serve as a layer for your moisturizer, make-up or oil. While serum is meant for regular use, exfoliant and mask are used infrequently in accordance with manufacturer’s direction.

Table: Two Top Probiotic Serums at a Glance

Ingredients & Benefits: Lancome Advanced Genifique Serum

Contains probiotic and prebiotics: Yeast-& Bifidus-Extract

These extracts help with the following;

• serves as antioxidants.
• boosts your skin barrier.
• improves your skin texture.
• strengthen the elasticity and firmness of the skin.
• enhances the radiance of your skin

Full ingredients (Lancome Advanced Genifique Serum

AQUA/ WATER● BIFIDA FERMENT LYSATE ● GLYCERIN ● ALCOHOL DENAT ● DIMETHICONE ● HYDROXYETHYLPIPERAZINE ETHANE SULFONIC ACID ● ASCORBYL GLUCOSIDE ● LACTOBACILLUS ● TOCOPHEROL ● SODIUM HYALURONATE ● SODIUM HYDROXIDE ● SODIUM BENZOATE ● PHENOXYETHANOL ● ADENOSINE ● FAEX EXTRACT / YEAST EXTRACT ● PEG-20 METHYL GLUCOSE SESQUISTEARATE ● PEG-60 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL ● POLYMNIA SONCHIFOLIA ROOT JUICE ● MALTODEXTRIN ● SALICYLOYL PHYTOSPHINGOSINE ● AMMONIUM POLYACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE ● LIMONENE ● MANNOSE ● XANTHAN GUM ● PENTYLENE GLYCOL ● PROPYLENE GLYCOL ● CAPRYLYL GLYCOL ● ALPHA-GLUCAN OLIGOSACCHARIDE ● SORBITOL ● DISODIUM EDTA ● ROSA GALLICA FLOWER EXTRACT ● OCTYLDODECANOL ● CITRONELLOL ● PARFUM / FRAGRANCE ● (F.I.L.: B226135/1)]

Additional benefits (Lancome Advanced Genifique Serum)

In addition to the probiotic benefits noted above, Lancome Advanced Genifique Serum boasts of benefits in the following areas after use of a single bottle;

• radiance
• skin texture
• resiliency
• skin elasticity
• firm elasticity
• firmness
• saggy skin
• fine lines
• wrinkles
• skin clarity
• even skin tone

Ingredients and Benefits: Eminence Clear Skin Willow Bark Booster Serum

Probiotic: Lactic acid

Organic lactic acid are produced by lactic acid bacteria. Common lactic acid producing bacteria utilized as probiotics belong to the genera namely lactobacilli, bifidobacteira and streptococa

The lactic acid of these bacteria helps with the following;

• prevents and or treats diseases
• immune boosters to the skin barrier function.
• anti-inflammatory/antioxidant.

List of Ingredients (Eminence Clear Skin Willow Bark Booster serum)

WILLOW BARK*WALNUT LEAF●ANISE*TEA TREE OIL●ESSENTIAL BIOCOMPLEX●VITAMIN A● ESTER C, E●COENZYME Q10●ALPHA LIPOIC ACID.

Additional benefits (Eminence Clear Skin Willow Bark Booster serum)

• Helps heal irritation
• Reduces the appearance of problem skin – thanks to willow bark extract and tea tree oil,

Frequency of application of both Serums

• Eminence Clear Skin Willow Bark Booster (serum): recommends 1-3 times a day. .

• Lancome Advanced Genifique Serum: recommends morning and night.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Lancome Advanced Genifique Serum

• Enhances skin barrier (thanks to probiotic) : YES
• Worth the money: YES
• High quality: YES
• Gives younger, healthy looking skin: YES
• Brightens and helps uneven skin tone: YES
• Helps wrinkles: YES but not might take time
• Helps with pores: YES
• Helps with acne: YES (thanks to probiotic)
• Light fragrance: YES
• Light weight and easily absorbed into the skin: YES

Pros: Eminence Clear Skin Willow Bark Booster (serum);

• Enhances skin barrier (thanks to probiotic) – YES
• Worth the money: YES
• High quality – YES
• Gives younger, healthy looking skin: YES
• Helps with hyperpigmentation: YES
• Helps to unclog pores: YES
• Helps with acne: YES (thanks to probiotic, tea tree oil, willow …extract,)
• Fragrance free: YES (its scent is from the willow extract)

Cons: Lancome Advanced Genifique Serum

• It contains light fragrance – though evaluated to be safe.
• Packed with too many ingredients – increases risk of sensitivity for sensitive skin).
• High in alcohol: if you have sensitive skin, you may want to be cautious.
• Too many bogus claims
• Claims it helps with saggy skin: I’ll be very wary about this claim as I am yet to come across any evidence that supports this claim.

Cons: Eminence Clear Skin Willow Bark Booster (serum

• It’s a light gel – makes it a bit thicker than regular serum (but more economical)

Verdict: Revealing the winner

The WINNER for me is Eminence Clear Skin Willow Bark Booster (serum)

Reason: after carefully analyzing both products and customers’ feedback, it was quite hard for me to pick one product over the other. However, I was able to stream line it down to a few fine lines to enable me pick the winner. In my opinion, the fact that Eminence Clear Skin Willow Bark Booster Serum is marginally cheaper, does not make larger than life claims to hype their product make it a better product to buy

However, if you have acne, you may want to consider Eminence Clear Skin Willow Bark Booster Serum as a better choice, but if you have uneven skin tone, then Lancome Advanced Genifique Serum may be your go to.

Conclusion: Take home points from this review

In saying that, both products have probiotics that help with acne, protect your skin from pathogenic organisms, enhance your skin microbiome that may have been altered due to use of harsh skin care product, excessive cleansing etc.. They both work wonders in terms of giving you a smoother, stronger and younger looking skin.

That being said, always a good practice to consult with your dermatologist for advise.

I like to hear your THOUGHTS, so please leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you ASAP.