Inside My Daily Skincare Ritual For Stressed Out Skin

New science reveals what we’ve all known for ages: our skin is an immediate “stress perceiver*”. The signs of stress often appear on our skin before anything else. Anyone who’s ever broken out before a big event or noticed a new wrinkle during a time of high-stress can tell you first hand.

The key to resilient skin under stress is in removing harsh stressors and caring for the skin’s complex microbiome. We’ve been exploring the idea with For The Biome, a unique skincare brand built by Master Herbalist, Paul Schulick (who also happens to have founded New Chapter, one of our most trusted supplement brands).

+ For The Biome utilizes the world’s most valued botanicals, microalgaes, mushrooms, honeys, and probiotics to fortify the skin and its microbiome.

+ Validated with over 40 years of science, For The Biome’s active and whole-ingredient formulas are biocompatible with the skin and its microbiome’s environment.

+ There are no “disruptive” ingredients in For The Biome formulas. With harsh ingredients and stressors gone, the skin can recalibrate and strengthen with prebiotic and post-biotic actives to stay healthy in the face of stress.

Lifestyle influencer and former TCM team member, Sarah Kretzu tried For The Biome’s full skincare ritual and reported back with her experience. Watch her full evening skincare routine now and find the full break-down below. Customize the skincare according to your skin’s own needs…

The 3-Step Skincare Ritual For Stressed Out Skin

STEP ONE: CLEANSE + PRIME

Artisanally fermented cleansing and masking powders prime the skin with prebiotic and postbiotic nutrients including skin-strengthening amino acids, peptides, and a myriad of complex actives not found in isolated formulas. Impurities are exfoliated away as hydration funnels to where it’s needed most for skin that feels soothed, firmer, and revitalized.

OUR PICK: SOOTHE POWDER CLEANSER
Texture: powder, silky paste with a sweet + subtle aroma
Use for: environmental stress, dryness, irritation
Regimen suggestion: Use on fresh skin in the morning. Can be used every day if desired.
What to expect: A cleanser that restores, balances, and leaves the microbiome intact—hallelujah! This translucent, silky formula should be carefully caressed onto the skin and rinsed to reveal a cleansed yet hydrated complexion.

STEP TWO: TONE + HYDRATE

Newly fresh skin is greeted with our essence sprays which deliver the liquid ferment. A feast for your microbiome, the skin is lavished in prebiotic nutrients that encourage improved water retention and barrier function for a sublime hydrating experience and skin that appears plumped and toned.

OUR PICK: ADAPT ESSENCE SPRAY
Texture: lightweight mist with an earthy + ‘shroomy aroma
Use for: blue light stress, dryness, uneven skin tone
Regimen suggestion: Use in the evening on fresh skin. Can be used every day if desired.
What to expect: This essence spray is an ode to those who delight in an earthy scent that fades on contact. Adapt Essence Spray leaves the skin feeling dewy and can even be used in the evening before bed as standalone nighttime hydration.

STEP THREE: MOISTURIZE + PROTECT

With skin still damp from applying an essence spray, our serums deliver a myriad of phytonutrients that seep to the skin’s deepest layers and encapsulate receptive cells for inside out protection. Our complex formulas mimic the skin’s outermost moisture barrier, sealing in bioactives, hydration, and long-lasting protection against environmental stress for a clearer, more even-toned complexion.

OUR PICK: SHIELD FACE SERUM
Texture: mattifying lightweight oil using CO2 volcanic extraction with a botanical + sultry aroma
Use for: dryness, blemishes, free radical damage
Regimen suggestion: Apply in the morning following essence spray. Can be used every day if desired.
What to expect: Combine your serum and moisturizer into one simple step with this multi-correctional formula. Our red serum embodies the color of microalgae-derived astaxanthin and wild-harvested rosehip, leaving your skin with a reddish glow that absorbs and fades once massaged into the skin for a translucent, mattified finish. Ideally apply after using an essence spray, but in lieu of this, simply apply after cleansing when the skin is still damp.

OUR PICK: AWAKEN EYE SERUM
Texture: mattifying lightweight oil made using CO2 volcanic extraction with a delicate + refreshing aroma
Use for: elasticity, fine lines, dryness
Regimen suggestion: Apply in the morning and evening following essence spray. Can be used every day if desired.
What to expect: Our cooling, roll-on applicator offers a soothing delivery system for this restorative formula. Awaken Eye Serum is a light orange shade that fades upon contact. Any excess product can be gently dabbed with your ring finger for complete absorption and a translucent, mattified finish.

BE YOUR OWN ALCHEMIST

Embrace your inner alchemist. Your skin’s needs change with your lifestyle and stress levels — adapt your skincare according to your needs. Creating an evening ritual with a powder, essence spray, and any of your favorite products can be a beautiful way to close the day and calm your nerves, as well as your skin.

Not ready to commit to a full routine without trying first? Discover For The Biome with their Discover Trial Set: trial-sized samples of all seven products for just $38.

*Find the study on stress and skin here

This story is brought to you in partnership with For The Biome. From time to time, TCM editors choose to partner with brands we believe in to bring our readers special offers. The Chalkboard Mag and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programs.