What Is Galactomyces, Complete Guide for Your Skin!

Galactomyces skincare product before and after

What Is Galactomyces And Why Does Skin Love It?

A unique ingredient in many Asian beauty and K beauty products, it is famed for being an anti-aging, skin-nourishing magic liquid that is rich in vitamins, amino acids, minerals and organic acids. It swears to make your skin soft and youthful, with studies showing it reduces oxidative stress in normal human melanocytes, among many other benefits.

But what is galactomyces and why does skin love it? Lets have a closer look to see how it works and who should be using it. Is Galactomyces ok to use for sensitive skin?

What Is Galactomyces?

Galactomyces is a yeast derived ingredient, a byproduct of the sake fermentation process. The story goes that the effects of galactomyces were first discovered by sake brewers, who noticed that their hands stayed young even when the rest of their bodies aged. Galactomyces was supposedly the secret ingredient behind their younger, smoother, brighter hands.

What Does Galactomyces Do In Skincare?

It turns out that many of the claims made about galactomyces in marketing are scientifically true.

In skincare products, galactomyces has be found to boast a whole range of helpful benefits, such as the ability to increase product absorption, having known antioxidant effects, being able improve sebum levels in oily skin, as well as brighten and tackle acne, making it perfect to try for oily and acne prone skin types. Studies have also show that galactomyce causes epidermal cells to produce hyaluronic acid, which is amazing as it means it has great moisturising properties and can balance the skin by keeping and restoring its natural moisture barrier – so, so important!

One of the most amazing things it can do is enhance the absorption of any skincare products you apply after, making it so, so useful! One of the best skincare ingredients for sure.

Who Should Use Galactomyces?

Galactomyces can be widely used by pretty much every skin type, everyone can benefit in some way from using galactomyces, hence the reason it is so popular in Korean skincare products. Skin types and conditions it can be particularly helpful for include

1. Enlarged and clogged pores and blackheads

2. People with oily skin

3. Acne prone skin

A  2006 study revealed that yeast extracts have anti-inflammatory properties. This means that galactomyces is not only good at preventing acne. It can also treat acne breakouts.

The study’s result also showed that galactomyces can protect damaged tissues. So aside from reducing the redness and swelling, it also allows your skin to recover after a bout with acne.

It soothes inflammation and restores balance to the skin, soothing and calming it, and even lightens up acne scars, makes them less noticable.

4. Mature and aged skin

It carries a whole host of antioxidants that give it anti aging benefits


5. Dull skin

In addition to giving the skin a healthier look, it brightens pigmentation, minimises dark spots and enhances the absorption of the skincare products you apply after.

6. Closed comedones

In the year 2014 Asian Journal of Beauty and Cosmetology submitted a study which involved 20 volunteers. Participants used the essence containing 97% of galactomyces ferment filtrate on their faces three times a day.

At the end of the study participating volunteers’ skin was compared to those in control group. Researchers noticed that the number of enlarged pores in participants using galactomyces reduced by almost 22%. Amount of blackheads, sebum and keratin in faces decreased by 64%. Volunteers who used the essence had brighter skin and reduced number of comedones.


7. People whose skin is easily affected by the external environment

Because it is so good at soothing and softening skin, it is fine to try for sensitive skin types and can even help to balance the skin and reduce any inflammation, restoring the crucial moisture barrier! The only thing to check when trying is any other ingredients in a product and always do a patch test first before applying.

Best K-beauty Products Containing Galactomyces

There are so many ways to give Galactomyces a try! You can find this clever skin ingredient in everything from toners to essences, serum and more and in many it features as the key or star ingredient. Some favourite K Beauty products containing Galactomyces include:

Toner

SOME BY MI Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Toner – Containing a whopping 88% of star K-Beauty ingredient galactomyces ferment filtrate, this toner brightens, hydrates and smooths skin for that glass skin glow. Rounding out the formula is 1% pure ascorbic acid (the most well-researched form of Vitamin C) for additional brightening.

Essences

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence – made with 95% galactomyces ferment extract, this essence is designed to be used first after cleansing. It hydrates and brightens while protecting skin from visible signs of aging.

Serum

iUNIK Rose Galactomyces Synergy Serum – This ultra hydrating serum comprehensively nourishes and cares for the skin. It contains 50% galactomyces fermentation water, combined with pore-refining rose extract. Brightening niacinamide and adenosine have also been included.

Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum – Restore your complexion’s radiance with 3% pure Vitamin C and 75% galactomyces ferment filtrate. In addition to its brightening benefits, galactomyces is also known to moisturize, smooth skin texture and boost elasticity.

Moisturiser

APLB Galactomyces Mugwort Nutritional Cream – Like a recipe straight out of a Korean herbal clinic, this moisturiser combines super ingredients. Mugwort soothes and nourishes skin. It works a treat on skin troubled by redness, damage and other skin sensitivities.

This is perfect to try if you are experiencing dull skin, tired skin, overactive oil glands, acne prone skin or any poor skin tone.

Extra steps to care for sensitive skin

Keep makeup brushes clean

How often do you wash your makeup brushes? It can be something we never really think to do and think ‘it won’t matter too much this once’ – definitely me! But cleaning your makeup brushes is an amazing and important way to ensure that your skin doesn’t get covered in germs. It is estimated that thousands of bacteria can live and breed on makeup brushes causing breakouts, infections and a lot of irritation and even carrying over to other surfaces we touch, like our makeup products themselves, other tools like beauty blenders and places we store our brushes, like a makeup bag and even our pillow. A great rule of thumb is to wash your brushes once a week with a special brush cleaner that is designed to remove the grime of old makeup and dirt, for peace of mind and to bring harmony to your skin.

Wash your face in clean water

Using face wipes can generally remove some makeup but tend to smear a lot of it around the face, so is not perhaps the best option to get your face clean. Using a face cloth, warm water, and some mild cleanser can remove more makeup than a wipe alone. Be sure you keep your water tank clean if this applies to you, so your water is always clean!

Clean bedding

Having clean bedding is one of the best skincare tricks as over time, oils and body secretions like sweat and saliva, plus traces of old makeup, collect in our bedding from when we are asleep. This creates a breeding ground for bacteria, which can then transfer to the face, especially as our pillow is in such close proximity to our skin at night. The best thing we can do is wash your bed linen once a week to remove any dead skin cells, secretions and bacteria build up. An extra step is to vacuum the mattress to ensure that there is no buildup of dirt. If you want to go a step further, invest in some silk bedding. Silk bedding has been touted as one of the best things to sleep on for clear skin and wrinkle reduction, it is wonderful for sensitive skin types!

Keep a simple skincare routine

If you switch to a new moisturiser and break out in spots a few days later, there is a good chance that this is not the right moisturiser for your skin. But, this doesn’t just apply to moisturiser, it can be applied to anything that can be applied to your face. However, there are types that our skin can change and the products that we have been using no longer do the job. This can be a tough one to work out, especially if your skin has never had any problems and it suddenly flares up. Sticking to a simple skincare routine is one of the best steps for sensitive skin as it means you encounter less flare ups and can identify which skincare products suit you better.

Drink water

Drinking water is one of those things that will benefit your skin and the rest of your body. It doesn’t directly hydrate the skin but has so many benefits to the body, such as increasing your blood volume, which helps to get nutrients where they need to go, and helping to flush toxins from your body and easing inflammation, making everything in your body work better. There are the added health benefits of sleeping better and keeping tiredness at bay, and both are great for keeping your skin clearer. There are a lot of questions as to how much you should be drinking but around 1.5 litres of water every day is a great rule of thumb to stay hydrated!

If you liked this post definitely check out more skincare tips to look pretty without makeup, how to look pretty without makeup tips, how to build a skincare routine with The Ordinary products and Best Clinique Moisture Surge Dupes that are perfect for broke students when you can’t justify the high prices!

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1 Comment

  1. September 12, 2021 / 3:25 am

    I’ve tried a few products with Galactomyces and have definitely seen improvements to my skin. Keeping a simpler skincare routine is also key! A few years ago I had a 10+ step skincare routine but now I only use a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, serum, and eye cream and my skin is the best it’s ever been! ♥

    http://www.mooeyandfriends.com

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