The name might be confusing, but its impressive benefits are not. We uncover what the fermented ingredient is, how it transforms skin, and the best skincare products featuring it.
Bifida Ferment Lysate: A long, complicated name with powerful, skin-bettering benefits. This probiotic ingredient may be under the radar now, but get familiar with the reparative product because it’s about to be a household name. We uncover what the fermented ingredient is, how it transforms skin, and the best Japanese skincare products featuring it. Happier skin starts now.
What is Bifida Ferment Lysate?
Bifida Ferment Lysate is a probiotic ingredient found in skincare obtained from fermenting bifidobacterium. What makes this specific bacteria so special is that it is one of the most important microbes in the gastrointestinal tract that exerts positive effects on us—aka it’s one of the famed ‘good bacteria’ found in probiotics that support a healthy gut. Why would you want a probiotic, fermented ingredient in your skincare? Just as a thoughtfully crafted probiotic strengthens the flora of your stomach, a carefully fermented skincare ingredient can drastically strengthen and improve the health of your skin.
What Does Bifida Ferment Lysate Do for the Skin?
While it is an emerging ingredient, scientific studies have already shown impressive results when Bifida Ferment Lysate is present in skincare formulas. One in vitro study from 2023 found that Bifida Ferment Lysate is effective in reducing acne and improving skin barrier function. Another 2022 study found that the probiotic ingredient had strong antioxidant properties on the skin and confirmed that it did indeed strengthen skin barrier function.
Why is supporting the skin barrier function important? A healthy skin barrier literally equates to healthy skin. According to a 2018 study, the skin barrier is “important to human life” due to its vital tasks of protection (from external threats and water loss internally). The study added that the “importance of skin barrier cannot be overemphasized.”
In addition to barrier support, Bifida Ferment Lysate has been linked to a reduction in dryness, redness, and skin sensitivity. The probiotic has also been shown to encourage skin to visibly repair itself and provide a mild exfoliating experience, which can give the face a healthier-looking appearance.
Best Fermented Skincare Products
Fermented skincare ingredients have been shown to have one major thing in common: they help to strengthen the skin’s natural moisture barrier regardless of your skin type. Here’s one of our favorite fermented skincare products that is shown to improve skin’s hydration and overall appearance.
The Essence
Similar to Bifida Ferment Lysate, Tatcha has a proprietary double-fermented ingredient: Hadasei-3. The bestselling and revolutionary Essence is made up of 100 percent Hadasei-3—a trio of fermented Japanese superfoods, which has been clinically proven to resurface, hydrate, and impressively boost the potency of skincare products applied afterward.
To create the magical Essence, the Tatcha Institute in Tokyo perfected the formula with Akita rice, Okinawa algae, and Uji green tea. The rice is fermented with a specially selected yeast strain, similar to Bifida Ferment Lysate, which helps to deliver these probiotic benefits and nutrients directly to the skin. The moisture-retaining algae is then added to help replenish the skin barrier, as well as the green tea to provide antioxidant protection and support. This harmonious trio is then fermented once more, boosting their potency and providing amino acids and AHAs, which support the barrier and provide natural surface cell turnover for smoother skin.
In consumer studies, The Essence demonstrated a +621 percent improvement in skin moisturization* and a 100 percent improvement in softness, suppleness, smoothness, and radiance**.
While curating your specific skincare ritual is a personal journey, consider adding a fermented skincare ingredient, whether that be the emerging Bifida Ferment Lysate or a similar formula like The Essence. Not only will your barrier appreciate the TLC, but your skin’s overall radiance will too.
*Based on an instrumentation study conducted on 30 panelists in 2022
**Based on an expert grading study on 30 panelists in October 2021