Fermented Skincare Products: What They Are and How to Use Them
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Fermented skincare products have been gaining popularity for their ability to transform ingredients through fermentation and deliver hydration, antioxidant support, and other skin benefits. You’ll see fermented ingredients in essences, serums, toners, and moisturizers.
While fermented skincare can be incredibly beneficial, how well it works depends on the specific ingredient, the overall formula, and your individual skin.
If you’re curious about fermented skincare but also dealing with dryness, sensitivity, or changing skin, fermented products and nourishing facial oils can play complementary roles in your routine.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What Is Fermented Skincare?
Fermented skincare is made using ingredients that have been transformed through fermentation by microorganisms such as yeast or bacteria, or by enzymes produced during that process.
The basic idea is similar to fermentation used in foods like yogurt, kombucha, or kimchi, although cosmetic fermentation processes and finished skincare formulations vary.
During fermentation:
- Fermentation can break larger compounds into smaller components
- It can change the availability of amino acids, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds
- It can create fermentation-derived compounds with useful skincare properties
Common fermented ingredients include:
- Fermented rice water
- Fermented green tea
- Galactomyces ferment filtrate
- Lactobacillus ferments
- Bifida ferment
- Kombucha extracts
Potential Benefits of Fermented Skincare
Different fermented ingredients have different properties, but depending on the ingredient and formulation, fermented skincare may help:
- Support skin hydration
- Support the moisture barrier and reduce moisture loss
- Provide antioxidant support
- Improve the appearance of roughness and uneven tone
- Soothe and support stressed skin
- Deliver beneficial fermentation-derived compounds or postbiotics
This can make fermented skincare especially appealing for people concerned about dehydration, dullness, uneven texture, or visible signs of aging.
Can Sensitive or Menopausal Skin Use Fermented Skincare?
Yes. Fermented skincare is not automatically irritating, and some fermented ingredients may actually support hydration and barrier health.
However, perimenopause and menopause can bring changes like increased dryness, sensitivity, and reactivity. When introducing any new skincare product, it is important to consider the entire formula, including other active ingredients, fragrance, and your own skin tolerance.
Introducing products gradually and supporting your moisture barrier can help your skin get the benefits of fermented skincare without overwhelming your routine.
How Bedew Facial Oils Complement Fermented Skincare
Bedew facial oils are not fermented, but they can complement fermented skincare beautifully.
Fermented essences and serums often provide water-based hydration and fermentation-derived compounds. Bedew facial oils add nourishing lipids, emollients, and botanical antioxidants that help soften skin, reduce moisture loss, and support the moisture barrier.
Here’s how they can work together:
1. Renew Facial Oil Supports Retinol-Like Results With Less Irritation
If you’re using a fermented essence or serum, pairing it with Renew at night adds:
- 2% bakuchiol to help improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, uneven tone, and texture
- Bakuchiol-powered skin renewal with a gentler profile than traditional retinoids
- Nourishing botanical oils including marula and squalane to support softness and moisture retention
- Antioxidant-rich oils including carrot seed and sea buckthorn
- Barrier support for dry, sensitive, changing skin
Bakuchiol supports collagen pathways in the skin and has been shown to deliver visible anti-aging benefits comparable to retinol in clinical research, with less scaling and stinging. That makes Renew an especially appealing option for skin that has become drier or more sensitive during perimenopause and menopause.
2. Quench Facial Oil Helps Seal In Hydration and Replenish Lipids
Fermented formulas can provide hydration and fermentation-derived ingredients. Quench complements them by adding nourishing plant oils that help soften skin and reduce moisture loss.
Quench adds:
- Nourishing plant-based oils that help replenish skin lipids
- Emollients that help soften and smooth dry skin
- Antioxidant-rich botanical oils
- Support for the skin barrier and moisture retention
- Extra comfort for dry, sensitive, or changing skin
Using Quench after a water-based fermented toner, essence, or serum helps seal in hydration while adding the lipid-rich nourishment dry skin may need.
Example Routine: Fermented Skincare + Bedew Facial Oils
AM
- Gentle cleanser
- Fermented essence or toner
- Quench Facial Oil
- Sunscreen
PM
- Gentle cleanser
- Fermented essence or serum
- Renew Facial Oil
This pairing gives you the benefits of fermentation and the nourishment of plant oils while supporting hydration, softness, and a healthy-looking moisture barrier.
Do You Need Fermented Skincare?
No. Fermented skincare can be a useful addition to a routine, but it isn’t something everyone needs.
If you enjoy fermented products and your skin responds well to them, there’s no reason you can’t use them alongside a simple, plant-based routine. The goal isn’t to use every trending ingredient. It’s to build a routine that gives your skin what it actually needs.
For dry, sensitive, or changing skin, that may mean combining a hydrating fermented essence or serum with lipid-rich facial oils rather than choosing one approach over the other.
Final Thoughts
Fermented skincare can be a powerful addition to your routine, offering hydration, antioxidant support, barrier benefits, and useful fermentation-derived compounds. Facial oils provide something different: nourishing lipids and emollients that help soften skin, reduce moisture loss, and support the skin barrier.
For perimenopausal, menopausal, or simply changing skin, the two can work beautifully together.
Bedew’s Quench Facial Oil provides nourishing botanical oils for hydration, softness, and barrier support, while Renew Facial Oil combines nourishing oils with 2% bakuchiol to target fine lines, wrinkles, uneven tone, texture, and dullness.