ESSE Skincare has announced that it will continue the course set by its founder, Trevor Steyn, who passed away on November 1, 2025. In a January feature for Beauty Innovation, the brand emphasized that the team is not altering its core vision but remains focused on microbiome skincare, scientific integrity, and long-term skin health.
ESSE Skincare Continues Trevor Steyn's Legacy
Lead Education Specialist Alicia Stander spoke about the brand's future direction. According to her, it was a challenging period for the team, but it also demonstrated how united they were in overcoming the moment of loss. The news centers not on a change of course but on reaffirming that ESSE maintains the approach with which Trevor Steyn built the brand and developed the probiotic skincare category.
"The strength and unity the team demonstrated during this period are a testament to his impact."
- Alicia Stander, Lead Education Specialist, ESSE Skincare
This sentiment became one of the key highlights of the feature. The brand effectively communicates to the market that it is not deviating from its identity or diluting its positioning after the founder's loss.
Future Development of ESSE Skincare
In her comments, Alicia Stander emphasizes that Trevor Steyn had already set a clear direction for the company's development. Therefore, ESSE describes the next phase not as a relaunch but as a consistent continuation of the already established course. Among the brand's key pillars, she mentions scientific integrity, sustainability, and the willingness to reassess conventional practices if they do not align with the modern understanding of skin and its microbiome.
This focus is important for both the professional market and the end consumer. In a segment filled with bold promises, ESSE bets not on short-term effects but on scientifically backed solutions that work within the logic of skin barrier, microbiome balance, and overall skin resilience.
Key Directions for ESSE
The feature pays special attention to Live Probiotic Mist, a product the brand launched shortly before Trevor Steyn's death. ESSE describes it as its first product with live probiotics in a water-based formula, aiming to make this approach more accessible for daily routines. The brand also links interest in this direction to the growing demand for barrier-friendly care and a shift away from harsh actives and excessive exfoliation by some consumers.
Beyond product development, ESSE emphasizes research. Priorities include working with academic partners on microbiome sequencing interpretation, studying the impact of aesthetic procedures on the skin microbiome, and exploring the role of vitamin D in skin support. The brand presents all this as part of a broader shift towards biologically intelligent skincare.
Impact on the Development of Probiotic Skincare
The feature also presents a broader market thesis: live biotherapeutics and microbiome-focused skincare are gradually moving beyond niche topics and becoming part of a larger professional conversation about the future of skincare. Against this backdrop, ESSE positions itself as a brand that not only wants to remain in the category but also continue to influence its development.
"Our main priority now is to continue Trevor's legacy."
- Alicia Stander, Lead Education Specialist, ESSE Skincare
For the market, this means that after the founder's loss, ESSE is not retracting its strategy in the direction of probiotic and microbiome skincare. On the contrary, the brand publicly reaffirms its intention to continue innovating in this category and to develop the approach that Trevor Steyn consistently championed over the years.
About ESSE Skincare
Founded in 2002 in South Africa, ESSE Skincare is a professional skincare brand known for its focus on microbiome science, probiotic skincare, and a sustainable approach to product development. Since 2009, the company has consistently developed the probiotic skincare direction and today positions itself as a brand that combines scientific research, innovative formulas, and professional skincare.