Frequently Asked Questions

Probiotics are live beneficial microbes. Prebiotics are the food that feeds them. Postbiotics are the useful compounds those microbes produce.

Esse uses all three to feed, support and rebalance your skin’s microbiome, rather than stripping it.

Inflammageing is ageing driven by constant low-level inflammation in the skin. It is subclinical, meaning you do not always see it, but it accelerates ageing over time. Calm that inflammation through a balanced microbiome and you slow it.

Start with the Sensitive range. Even skin that is not sensitive has been working to stay balanced under the stress of conventional products, so switching too fast can be a shock.

The Sensitive range eases the transition and suits every skin type. The 30-day trial set is the simplest place to begin.

Overnight your skin produces valuable skin oils that feed the microbes that protect it. Cleansing them away each morning strips that work.

Unless you slept in make-up or sunscreen, rinse with cool water instead and save cleansing for the evening.

Not always. If you are not wearing make-up or sunscreen, you can simply rinse with cool water, especially in the morning.

Cleansing at every wash strips oils and microbes your skin needs. Save the cleanser for removing make-up or sunscreen in the evening.

Harsh foaming agents strip the oils and microbes your skin depends on. This weakens the barrier and feeds sensitivity.

Esse cleanses gently, so skin stays balanced and protected. Clean skin should never mean stripped skin.

With most skincare, layering has to follow a strict order, because occlusive ingredients seal the skin and can block whatever you apply next.

Esse uses no occlusives, so nothing is sealed out. Your products absorb and work whatever order you apply them. Layering is simple. Use what suits you.

More products do not mean better skin. Esse is built on the science of simplicity. Most people start with Sensitive Cleanser and Protect Oil, then add only what their skin genuinely needs.

Simplicity is best. Skin as it should be.

Esse is certified organic and formulated without the harsh synthetic actives people are often advised to avoid in pregnancy.

That said, pregnancy is personal, and some ingredients are best discussed with your own healthcare professional.

Yes. Every Esse product is non-comedogenic, which means the ingredients will not clog pores or trigger breakouts.

This includes our oils and our sunscreen. We never use pore-clogging ingredients.

Yes. Esse is paraben-free and every cleanser is free from harsh surfactants.

We avoid harsh preservative systems, using gentle alternatives that protect the formulation without disrupting your skin.

Oily, dehydrated skin is often a sign that skin is producing poor quality oil, and stripping it makes this worse.

Protect Oil supplements skin with healthy oil so it can rebalance its own production. Skin may feel oilier for a few days, then settles.

Bakuchiol has been compared directly to retinol in scientific studies, delivering renewal and slow-ageing results without the irritation.

Bakuchiol suits sensitive skin and, unlike retinol, does not need to be paused before aesthetic treatments.

Non-nano means the mineral particles, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, are too large to penetrate the skin. Esse chose this molecular size deliberately, as it protects you while respecting the skin.

Nano particles can trigger an inflammatory response, so we avoid them while still giving broad protection against UVA and UVB.

Esse reduces inflammation and shifts the microbiome in a favourable direction, supporting the barrier that is impaired in conditions like rosacea, eczema and acne.

Start with the Sensitive range and introduce Live Probiotics gradually as skin calms.

Your skin’s microbes evolved alongside the sun, and sensible exposure helps them thrive. It is overexposure and burning that damage the microbiome, not daylight itself.

A few minutes of unprotected sun also supports vitamin D, which helps regulate immune responses and barrier function. The aim is balance, not avoidance.

Peels and harsh exfoliators cause inflammation. That can provoke skin to react and can make pigmentation darker.

Esse takes a gentler route that works with the microbiome rather than stripping skin to force a result.

Yes. Esse calms inflammation and rebalances the microbiome, which supports skin prone to breakouts. Many start with the Sensitive range, while active acne is treated with the professional Clarifying range under guidance from a stockist. A skin analysis points you to the right start.

Yes. The Sensitive range was formulated to calm and heal reactive skin. Its actives ease a hyper-responsive immune system, reduce inflammation and strengthen the barrier.

Start simple, with Sensitive Cleanser and Protect Oil, and build slowly.

Live Probiotics are powerful. Introduced too fast, they can overwhelm skin that is not yet used to higher levels of live microbes.

Phasing them in lets your skin and immune system adjust, so you get the benefit without the overload.

Ethical efficacy is not a trend. It is a set of formulation principles we hold to on every product, so what we make works with skin, not against it.

By respecting skin’s pH, microbiome, lipid structure and immune rhythms, we move from control to collaboration, restoring resilience rather than creating dependency.

Your skin’s health comes first. Stop introducing new products, simplify back to the basics and let skin settle.

If a reaction persists, complete an Esse reaction form and speak to your stockist so we can guide your next steps.

Use any of our Esse Cleansers with lukewarm water and a soft cleansing towel or mitten to physically remove the pigments. Alternatively, perform a double cleanse, though we recommend avoiding multiple cleanses where possible.

Yes, it may. Your skin will go through a normalisation phase where it is trying to find its balance, its new normal. This may result in detox symptoms.

Skin is one of the body’s five organs of elimination, so detoxification is one of its crucial jobs. These reactions are not unique to Esse, and other certified organic brands have the same issue.

Since inception, Esse has subscribed to EcoCert’s organic standards and percentages. We have omitted ingredients deemed unsafe or unsustainable, and this is verified through production facility audits to ensure full traceability of all raw materials.

EcoCert also regulates our packaging, ensuring that the materials used are safe, recyclable and do not leach into the product over time.

Beneficial skin microbes thrive at an acidic pH of around 4.5 to 5.5, helping keep the skin balanced and protected.

Our products maintain this natural acidity, preserving beneficial microbes and encouraging healthier skin through mild, pH-aligned formulations.

Yes, the activity of sebaceous glands is hormonally regulated, and the reduction in estrogen is linked to a decrease in the size and number of sebum-producing glands.

Menopause is characterised by a decline in sebum production, resulting in reduced surface lipid secretion, leading to dryness and increased sensitivity.

Esse has stepped up to help protect the ocean by being plastic neutral. We have partnered with CleanHub, and for every kilogram of plastic we use, two kilograms are collected and recycled.

CleanHub collects plastic waste in the world’s most highly polluted locations, through a global network of local collection hubs, before it enters the ocean.

Esse products are designed to work synergistically. This means that all our products are developed to contribute to a positive shift in the skin microbiome.

Other products might contain ingredients that will negatively impact the skin microbiome such as preservatives, alcohol or parfum, all of which will kill live microbes.

So, using Live Probiotic products in combination with conventional skincare may negate the benefits of the Live Probiotics.