Biologique Recherche launches Sérum Vivant, a microbiome serum for blemish-prone skin

For many adults, blemishes are more than a cosmetic nuisance. Introducing its new serum, Biologique Recherche describes how persistent breakouts can shape both the skin and a person's wellbeing: plans get cancelled, photos avoided, life put on hold. The Paris house's answer is Sérum Vivant. Rather than attacking blemishes with harsh solutions, the serum is meant to help the skin regain its balance while supporting its microbiome.

From mask to serum

The name points to its origins. Sérum Vivant is inspired by the Masque Vivant, which the house calls iconic, and takes over its cornerstone: a fermented yeast extract that Biologique Recherche classes as a postbiotic. It is combined with inulin and polylysine. The house describes the approach as prebiotic, postbiotic and biomimetic. It targets the mechanisms behind persistent blemishes and the redness that comes with them, without compromising comfort or drying the skin.

The serum also stays true to the line in its sensory profile. Its brownish colour and distinctive scent are not masked. At Biologique Recherche they count as signatures of the Vivant range and as an expression of the complex yeast extract. The texture is light, watery and slightly gel-like, absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy film.

What the maker's studies show

Biologique Recherche reports results from its own studies with 19 to 21 volunteers who applied the serum twice a day. After 14 days, excess sebum was down by 27 per cent and skin texture refined by 19 per cent. After 28 days, the assessors counted 42 per cent fewer persistent blemishes and 21 per cent less redness linked to blemishes. The skin barrier improved by 19 per cent, measured as reduced transepidermal water loss. The 28-day study involved 21 people with an average age of 24 and combination to oily skin with blemishes and redness; half of them had sensitive skin.

Figures like these come from small groups and from the maker's own studies. They describe how the skin changed during use and are no substitute for a dermatologist's assessment.

Part of a method

Biologique Recherche does not present the serum as a stand-alone fix. It belongs to a methodology that begins with a personal skin assessment, continues with targeted treatments in a Biologique Recherche Residence and carries on with a tailored routine at home. The recommended protocol includes the cleansing milk Lait S.R., Lotion P50 and Masque Vivant. Sérum Vivant costs €165 for 30 millilitres and €65 for the smaller 8 millilitre size.

Our view

The idea of caring for the skin's microbiome instead of stripping the skin fits with what asonom reports on the gut microbiome in its Nutrition section. A serum for blemishes has little to do with longevity in the narrow sense: skincare changes how skin looks, it does not slow biological ageing. As an example of a gentler, balance-oriented approach to skincare, Sérum Vivant is nevertheless a notable newcomer.