If I’m going to name the bald spot in my brow Raul, I should also christen any bacteria that I’m purposefully putting on my face. It’s the right thing to do.
So, every time I use any products from Tula Skincare, I’m going to say hi to Brandon and Brenda — also known as Bifida Ferment Lysate and Lactococcus Ferment Lysate.
“What’s poppin’, Brenda? Hey, hey, Brandon!”
Because Tula products contain probiotics.
What’s Tula Skincare all about?
They’re an NYC-based skin care line, and I think they’ve been around for a couple years now. Their name, Tula, means “balance” in Sanskrit, and all of the products, which range in price from $20-100, contain probiotics.
Yup, microorganisms. Bacteria. They combine them with AHAs, antioxidants, retinols and superfoods to help naturally balance your skin.
The line includes a cleanser, toner and a lot of moisturizers and anti-aging products, none of which contain parabens. Some of the products, like the Pro-Glycolic Resurfing Gel (which is a gem, but more on that in a few), and all of which contain probiotics.
According to the website, the line doesn’t test on animals, but they don’t make any cruelty-free claims.
Bacteria in skin care
So what’s the deal? Why are people purposefully putting bugs in skin care? You may have heard about it, because it’s pretty trendy right now.
To clarify, these are the “good” bacteria. The idea is similar to, like, eating Greek yogurt or drinking kefir, both which have “good” bacteria — living organisms to help digest food, reduce inflammation and regulate tummy troubles.
Probiotics in skin care products are supposed to fool the skin into focusing on good bacteria and not the harmful ones that worsen inflammation, like acne and rosacea, but there isn’t a ton of clinical research out there to supports its effectiveness.
I was surprised to find that the microorganisms that are used in most of the probiotic-powered skin care products out there aren’t actually alive. So you aren’t putting living bacteria on your face…other than the actual bacteria that was very likely already alive on your brush.
Whatev, I’m still gonna call mine Brandon and Brenda. 🙂
Tula uses bifida ferment lysate (a probiotic found in some yogurts!), lactococcus ferment lysate and bacillius coagulans ferment, to name a few of the bacterial strains. The probiotics in each product are listed on the Tula website, which, by the way, is pretty thorough.
Pro-Glycolic is a keeper!
I’ve tried a few things in the line, and the Pro-Glycolic 10% pH Resurfacing Gel ($34) stands out to me. It’s an alcohol-free toner that combines a probiotic with glycolic acid and lactic acid. Basically, it’s a gentle but effective exfoliator for all skin types that also moisturizes.
I have combination skin, which is mostly dry, and this doesn’t make my skin feel more dry or tight. I’ve used it consistently for four weeks, and the pigmented patch on my right cheek is much less pigmented than it was, so I’m going to keep using it for sure.
The Hydrating Day & Night Cream ($52) is an anti-aging, hydrating cream that combines probiotics with retinol (vitamin A). It’s designed for all skin types (even dry), but eh…my skin always feels hella thirsty when I use it, like I need to layer a richer moisturizer on top.
It’s probably better for normal and oily skin types.
I don’t feel like it’s made a noticeable difference in the look of my fine lines or pigmentation, so I don’t plan to finish the jar.
I’m not crazy about the Multi-Spectrum Eye Serum ($68) either. It contains plant extracts, some caffeine and probiotics, and it’s supposed to make fine lines and dark circles look better, but I haven’t really seen an improvement in those areas.
And the funky paddle-shaped applicator drives me bananas! It just pushes the product around. I don’t get it. The stuff just sits there.
Probiotic power
I think the jury’s still out as far as what probiotics are really doing in skin care, but if you’re curious and want to try something from Tula, I recommend the Pro-Glycolic Gel.
What does the heavy lifting in it? Is it the AHA or the probiotics? Who knows? But I DO know that I see less pigmentation than I did before I started using it.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Great review! I appreciated all the info. I’d sure be curious if it helps with rosacea!
I wonder if it helps with rosacea, too. If there’s anyone here who can comment I’d love to hear your results.
By the way, Miki, what skin care products are you using and loving these days?
The gel sounds nice. I’ll check out the rest of the line too.
Great! Hope you find something you like.
I used Aurelia Probiotics skincare in the past and found a few bits I really liked, but like you I wasn´t too sure if it were the probiotics or the other ingredients that delivered the results. Oh well, at least they do no harm.
I’ve never tried that brand! Will look into it.
I second Aurelia. The night oil makes a visible difference in my skin the next morning.
I found the cream to be not hydrating enough too. I also tried the serum and it broke my skin out. I was scared to try the mask. Definitely not for my skin. I had to return it all. It might work for others though.
In the plus column, I like the clean packaging. 🙂 I hear you on the serum applicator. We saw that in almost all the serum and high end treatments from skin care lines at the Hong Kong show last year and couldn’t figure out the advantage. Some talked about keeping the product in the refrigerator because the metal gets cool and helps to de-puff while applying. It just seemed a bit gimmicky to me but, then again, I’m always like “I can just use my fingers, right?”. HAHA!
I haven’t tried any product with probiotics but did watch Life last night. Don’t watch it or you’ll never name an organism again. 🙂
I use TULA Pro-Glycolic Gel twice a day, and I love it!! Wouldn’t be without it. Dying to try the eye serum!