Perhaps there was a time in your life when you could bounce out of bed and say, “I woke up like this” — this, being a vision of good health with clear skin, thick hair and nothing jiggling like jelly in unwanted places.

One day, however, you blearily stare at that strange apparition in the mirror – someone who resembles you at the end of your worst day, dull skin, stress lines, eyebags and all. But, oh no, it is you… and your day is actually just about to begin.

It’s good to remember, at this point, an Arabian proverb that goes like this: “He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.”

Hope is everything you can do at this point, really. Yet while hope springs eternal, of course beauty does not. Because after a few decades on this planet, you begin to see the way life has treated you (or maybe how you have treated your life).

All the signs will point to hell with crow’s feet and breakouts, blotchy skin and saggy jowls. It’s all on your skin — the habits, the excess, the mental and emotional states. 

How do you muster hope that you can recover the lost glow? The answer, they say, lies in probiotics.

The dermatologist Felip Partarrieu, in an article, says of probiotics: “When applied topically, they restore and maintain the skin microbiota, improving the skin barrier and the appearance of the skin in general. They manage to do so by improving the skin’s natural defenses, promoting the production of antimicrobial peptides and by competing with pathogens for nutrients and adhesion in the skin. 

“Studies suggest that applying probiotic skincare products may reduce acne outbreaks and manage dry skin and eczema, and several small but promising studies also suggest that probiotics can help battle skin ageing and even skin cancer.”

So much research about it has led many skincare companies to make use of these beneficial microorganisms in their products. One lowkey name in particular came to my attention last year, at a time when my skin was on a rampage, it seemed, showing me horrifying images in my own mirror.

‘Let’s heal together, shall we?’

It’s rare to find a brand that walks its talk, from the packaging all the way to its precious contents.

The Good Alchemist, in its website, puts to words those truths about your skin being the neon sign on the state of your health, whether physical or emotional.

Our skin, the brand believes, “is a communicator of what is really happening underneath.”

For this reason, the brand’s founder aimed to create products “with a focus on biotic skincare,” meaning “everything we formulate — from our serums to our SPF — is filler-free, chemical-free, silicone-free, non-comedogenic, eco-friendly and cruelty-free.”

According to its founder, “Before starting my own brand, I suffered from skin sensitivity, reacting to almost everything that came into contact with my skin. After trying on a number of skincare products — from local to international, homemade to high-end luxury products — I gained a deeper understanding of what is truly essential for sensitive and sensitized skin: probiotic skincare.”

‘Uncomplicated formulas, real results’

The promise of results is always appealing, nothing prepared me for the charm of the brand’s messaging on the products’ packaging.

On plain blue, the image of two cranes flying side by side, in white, shows beauty in simplicity. The brand says the cranes were chosen as “a gentle reminder to stay in harmony with one’s surroundings to honor your journey and to appreciate the present moment, no matter where you are.”

Zen could not begin to describe the first experience with this skincare brand. Inside each box, the bottle is lovingly wrapped in paper, and a note explaining that these containers’ “imperfections” come when all the bottles/pumps are washed, and sterilized.” I keeping with its holistic philosophy, “We need to do this for each bottle, to make sure it is clean since we only use natural preservatives that won’t react with our formulations.”

Of course, the real test comes in the use of the skincare.

Among 12 products, I tried the four bestsellers: Hydrating Essence, Universal Hydrating Serum, Calming Essence and Active Invisible Sunscreen SPF 75 PA.

Upon first use, I immediately felt the soothing quality of the Hydrating Essence and Universal Hydrating Serum on my dry, tight skin. Over the next weeks, I would apply a little of each product on my face and neck soon after washing in the morning and evening before bed. The serums are clear, with a difference in consistency — the essences are more fluid than the serum. It feels like giving your skin a drink of water, and in the long run, I felt my skin begin to balance out.

I began to see a healthier glow in the mornings, and the strange breakouts I suffered from suddenly began to recede.

Overall, I would give this range two thumbs and up, for sure: it is simple, uncomplicated and effective — definitely a good addition to one’s skincare arsenal.

Visit the brand’s website <goodalchemist.com> for more information on the products, which Include Baby Insect Repellent, Blemish Corrector, Calming Spot Treatment, Deep Cleansing Biotic Bar, Micro-Exfoliating Milk Biotic Bar, Gentle Intimate Cleanser and Restorative Gentle Cleanser. These are all produced using a traditional Japanese fermenting process in their laboratory.