Hi there,

This month’s box is designed around the idea of togetherness, small cogs fitting into one another to grind a larger gear forward. We thank those of you who have been here from the start. For those of you who are new here, welcome – it’s great to have you onboard.

We talk a lot about systems. For us, a system is simply something working together. We used to view skincare in isolation, developing things in silo so that we knew they had a reason to exist. When lockdown hit in 2020, we had a series of great products waiting in the wings. The pause – and the heartbreak – that lockdown afforded us enabled us to begin to review our product portfolio in a more considered way.

You see, it’s often tempting to look over your shoulder to see what your neighbours are doing. That simple act can dilute the very essence of who you are, creating things you think people will want because you see others making them. It’s the very essence of rampant consumerism. That great silence of 2020 gave us the distance needed to rethink, to regroup and to challenge our status quo.

During times of reflection, we often lean on nature, typically the Ocean, which has been our muse since day one. In 2020, though, suddenly, the importance of the body seemed to take precedence over nature. We sometimes say we stumble on our discoveries, which is partly true, but partly an element of romanticism. In truth, many of our discoveries happen when we hire new brilliant people, each helping us push the needle forward.

Towards the end of the year, we were finally back in a position to grow our team and refocus more strategically. Through the introduction of several in-house experts, we began to flesh out the synergy between skin and gut fully. All of a sudden, it made sense.

Now, us being the open company that we strive to be, it’s often hard keeping a secret. We’re prone to chatting away on instagram and sharing what we’re working on – it’s something that makes us uniquely us. The people writing the words are the people making the products, not some social media intern tasked with the unenviable task of writing something from a bullet point brief. But we knew this was something special, so we remained almost silent on our gut/skin work for three years.

Whilst working on our liquid products, we began work in earnest on our lab range of products. Our experience with fermentation (and the happy accident that led us down that path already) meant we knew that fermented skincare was the way forward. We wanted to create a molecule that could help feed the good bacteria on the face, thus helping it to proliferate. We also wanted to introduce lab-grown ingredients into our product range, themselves a way to reduce the carbon footprint of some of our ingredients.

The symbiosis between two labs – one kitchen, one cosmetics (ironically in an old kitchen in a casino) – meant we could develop these in tandem, with bread broken at lunchtime between the two teams, exchanging an everflowing idea stream.

Long story short (sorry, it’s just very exciting), we’re including that system in this month’s box. It’s designed by people working together, in a way that creates products that work together, so that your body (and all its intricacies) can work together.

We’re including our EGF Serum, our Seaweed Tea and a sample of our new Beetroot Probiotic.

Haeckels EGF Serum

Like the rest of the body, the skin on the face hosts a diverse community of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and mites. This collection of microorganisms is called the skin microbiota or skin microbiome.

The skin’s microbiome is essential for maintaining skin health and plays a role in various functions, including protecting against pathogens, regulating the immune system, and influencing skin conditions.
The balance and diversity of these bacteria can influence skin health. Disruptions in the skin microbiome can sometimes lead to skin conditions like acne, eczema, or infections. Factors like genetics, environment, skincare products, diet, and hygiene practices can all influence the composition and diversity of the facial skin microbiome.

In the same way you drink Yakult to help promote the good bacteria in the gut, Haeckels Lab is designed to feed the good bacteria on your face, helping to promote a healthy microbiome.
Our EGF Serum has internally been our secret weapon since January 2022, used, loved and tested across the company. It’s designed to deliver powerful active ingredients to hydrate and firm the skin, using powerful peptides and an EGF (epidermal growth factor) made through a fermented barley extract. These ingredients work together to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, giving you a smooth and radiant complexion.

This serum also contains our own proprietary extract Spiraglow, which is a co fermentation of spirulina and lactobacillus. Spiraglow EGF Serum is independently certified Kind To Biome, which means you can be assured that your microbiome is in safe hands.

Haeckels Seaweed Tea

Our well loved loose-leaf seaweed tea that features an exciting blend of gut-loving herbs and seaweed.
Seaweed Tea is packed full of bladderwrack, ginger, turmeric, dandelion root and cinnamon – all of which have been independently shown to lower inflammation and boost gut function.

As always, our key ingredient is bladderwrack, foraged from the shores of Margate, which includes a wide range of vitamins and minerals, particularly iodine, iron, and calcium; alongside phytochemical compounds such as Fucoxanthin, a carotenoid that acts as a powerful antioxidant that has been shown in studies to help reduce inflammation. With the addition of dandelion and antioxidant-rich burdock to support liver detoxification; it has been shown that turmeric and ginger can help reduce inflammation, whilst liquorice and cinnamon have been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels.

“In my experience, inflammation is the root cause of what disrupts the microbiome leading to problems that affect our gut/skin axis. Working with our team of experts, we crafted a tea blend with antioxidant-rich bladderwrack and nourishing herbs that have been shown in studies to lower inflammation and support overall gut health. I also incorporated this tea blend into our gut cleanse to support the gut and deliver the necessary nutrients throughout the programme. And not only is it good for your gut, but it’s also delicious with cinnamon and liquorice that provide a perfect balance of flavours with the seaweed.”
-Vanessa Jaich, Head of Nutrition

Haeckels Beetroot Probiotic

Introducing our Beetroot Probiotic to go.

We’re very excited that our complementary pre-treatment shot (you may recognise from our spas) is available from this weekend, to buy in a 200mL recyclable pouch. We wanted to give you a first taste sample.

So who’s it for? Anybody who experiences bloating or wants to enhance their skin health.

Rich in antioxidants, this nutritious probiotic drink is created from beetroot and ginger, and carries billions of microbes. It is our first product to utilise LACTOSPORE®, a clinically proven and patented strain of Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856.

Made with locally grown ingredients from Margate, our team of chefs and nutritionists have prepared your Beetroot Probiotic sample to order.

Beetroot Probiotic is best used as a daily shot on an empty stomach or as part of a fast programme. Our Beetroot Probiotic is an integral part of our Gut-Health programme where we introduce a one-day broth fast designed to facilitate a reset of the digestive system, with the added benefit of supporting the gut/skin axis.

If you’re a non-UK customer you will have received a powder version, unfortunately we’re not quite ready to ship outside of the UK just yet, but watch this space!

[Made in a kitchen that handles nuts.]

Keep refrigerated and consume within 15 days after opening.

So what are we trying to say? Firstly, there’s a lot of thought that goes into everything we do. We don’t just say it, we do it. For every product you see, there are a thousand decisions that have been made behind the scenes. For every yes, a hundred nos. We care for you by caring for our products. In many ways, company and consumer need to be in a system to work together – making only good things that people need that are good for the planet. Otherwise, we’re trapped in the make/waste cycling that is crippling the world.

The future is better when we work together, collaboratively, to create it, to fix it and to problem solve it. Working in silo never creates greatness, it creates things. And things with no purpose, no soul, have no contribution to wider society.

We hope you enjoy this box. As ever, it has been incredible to create the future together. We can’t wait to continue this journey with you.

Team Haeckels x