Skincare trailblazer Rob Calcraft talks Cultured

More than two decades ago, he co-founded REN Clean Skincare. With its commitment to sustainably sourced, naturally-derived ingredients and formulas suitable for even the most sensitive skin types, it was very much at the vanguard of the ‘purpose-led’ movement… before there even was a purpose-led beauty movement.

So it's not surprising that his latest venture, Cultured, is breaking more new ground, this time in the realm of microbiome-focused skincare. When he stepped back from REN, Calcraft had no intention of launching another skincare brand, but after reading a book on the microbiome and bacteria, he became curious about emerging research into the gut biome, which led to an interest in the skin microbiome and exactly how it impacts skin's health, vitality and glow. Which then led to the birth of Cultured (and its very cool dotty packaging).

Here, Calcraft talks all things skincare and science with his trademark charm.

“Through the hazy mists of time, I see my dad’s bar of Pears soap and my mum’s Imperial Leather. I then remember teenage zits, Oxy 10 [acne gel] and the pain of breakouts. Skincare was [UK pharmacy chain] Boots and problems or a posh beauty counter in a town 30 miles away – it felt as far as Mars!

“My ‘aha’ moment is one I remember clearly: I was 30-something, sitting in my bath by the window, sun streaming in, late afternoon. I reached over and stole my wife’s Clarins face wash and oh my God, suddenly I got it! The texture, fragrance, feel, ritual, effect – a new world opened. I had the same feeling with a bottle of Rioja, where one sip turned wine from a way of getting drunk to nature distilled in a glass.”

“In the UK countryside in the 1970s, no such thing existed. It was zit mitigation until punk happened and then it was mascara, eyeliner and lip gloss, but I don’t remember how I took it off.”

“It’s the microbiome, innit! After REN [Clean Skincare], I wasn’t thinking of ever putting on my metaphorical lab coat again. I thought my skincare days were over, so I’m still a little bit shocked to be the ageing parent of a brand ‘toddler’ once again! Why? Well, I have always been interested in health and science, and read I Contain Multitudes by Ed Yong. It was – and is – mind-blowing. It reconfigures our understanding of the world and ourselves by giving an insight into our newly discovered relationship with microbes and bacteria. The gut biome led to the skin microbiome.

“The discovery of the skin microbiome has changed forever what we know about skin and how it works. It’s a bona fide scientific revolution. It’s the biggest thing to ever happen to skincare. It’s huge, bigger than Powderfinger, even! This was what set us off on the Cultured journey. We wanted to channel this scientific revolution and bring the benefit of happier microbiomes and healthier skin to the world. Plus, my kids left home and told me I needed to get a life!”

“The gestation period was probably two years, and a mixture of joy and pain. Getting up to speed with the science, finding the raw materials and the actives, plus formulation, formulation, formulation. Packs, pumps, compatibility, wanting what didn’t exist and trying to create it. Doing anything new from scratch is difficult, but hugely fun.

“There is still a common belief that your skin is just a collection of dead cells acting as an inert mechanical barrier to the world (what I call ‘skin flat-Earthers’). The reality is that your skin is very much alive. Your microbiome is the invisible ecosystem of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and viruses, sometimes called microbiota) that live on and in your skin. You’re actually a ‘mini rainforest’!"

“Not to be trite, but skin with a healthy microbiome is likely to look damn healthy – clearer and better hydrated. My experience of Cultured is that, although this obviously differs person to person, it gives a different type of glow. Not the scrubbed, acid-peeled glow, but a best-your-skin-can-look type of glow. A happy, ‘in love’ glow!

“How does skin feel? Stronger, more resilient and confident – if skin can be confident, that is! My weird feeling is that skin feels like it ‘fits’ better, like wearing a brilliant jacket that makes you walk and behave differently. I think basically you feel more at one with your skin and that you’re in sync. Sorry, got a bit carried away there!”

“Dry skin, tight skin, sensitive skin, dull skin, reactive skin, uneven skin tone, breakouts and premature ageing (yes, that too!) can all be associated with an unhappy and poorly functioning microbiome and skin barrier. I say ‘associated with’ because the leap between correlation and causation is a difficult jump to prove.”

“The microbiome revolution has produced a new era of skincare actives and a new world of possibility in terms of effectiveness. They really are a gamechanger. These actives come from the world of biotechnology and are listed as prebiotics, postbiotics and ferments.

“The first is a prebiotic inulin active derived from chicory and agave. This safeguards the microbiome from destructive preservatives and helps the microbiome form a hydrating film that delivers faster, deeper and longer-lasting hydration than hyaluronic acid.

“And we have an active isolated from micro-algae. Its prebiotic action works to support balance in the microbiome, so skin appears clearer, calmer and less prone to sensitivity. All our actives are scientifically substantiated with clinical evidence of proof of claims.”

“There is not really such a thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ bacteria. Bacteria can be good and bad, depending on how dominant they are within the microbiome population. The important thing is balance.

“Regarding eliminating all bacteria from the skin – you’d wipe out your microbiome, disrupt the skin’s ecosystem, trash the skin barrier, leading to dry, flaky, cracked and potentially infected skin. Bacteria are key to skin health – be nice to them [laughs]!”

“There is not really such a thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ bacteria. Bacteria can be good and bad, depending on how dominant they are within the microbiome population. The important thing is balance.

“Regarding eliminating all bacteria from the skin – you’d wipe out your microbiome, disrupt the skin’s ecosystem, trash the skin barrier, leading to dry, flaky, cracked and potentially infected skin. Bacteria are key to skin health – be nice to them [laughs]!”

“We are not fans of ‘no’ lists. Things like pH and concentrations of ingredients matter more than the ingredients themselves, most of the time. We’re more interested in what’s in it rather than what isn’t – having said all that, we don’t add fragrance and would probably win in a ‘clean’ skincare shoot-out!”

“Everyone is invited, and everyone can benefit. It’s about helping your skin help itself, about making your skin work better!”

“Serum. It’s healthy skin in a bottle with lots of fantastic, new-era actives. The texture is deliberately light and silky although it really does pack a hydrating punch. It’s gorgeous to apply, easy to spread and just so pleasurable. Lastly, we have just completed a clinical trial proving it does indeed care for your microbiome. Oh, and I should mention that I do definitely feel more ‘glowy’ and less wrinkly – my kids have even confirmed this now and again… when they want something!”