Our Founder

Trevor Steyn

Scientist, Husband, Innovator, Dad, Sportsman, Yogi

'My mentor, Prof Siegfried Drewes, instilled scientific rigour in me at a formative time and it has served the company well. Clients buy results, not ethics. Our job is to offer sustainable products that perform measurably better than conventional lines.'

A man with short, curly brown hair and a stubbled beard wearing a dark green V-neck shirt is smiling at the camera. The background is an outdoor setting with lush greenery.

“Esse is moving along the infinitely long road toward perfection”

To be a sustainable solution

I don’t believe in damaging skin in pursuit of short-term results, or in damaging the planet in the pursuit of profit. I believe in creating an indefinitely sustainable solution in skincare that outperforms the competition in the long term.

To be an innovator in microbiome skincare

Innovation isn’t marketing. Real innovation makes a tangible and substantive difference. That’s the difference I want Esse to make.

To be ethical above all else

My goal has never been to be the biggest skincare company in the world. It takes time, effort and resources to craft more effective products and we will never be as profitable as the multinationals.

To be an instigator of change

It’s not easy to change a hundred years of learned behaviour in the use of industrial beauty products. My goal is to inspire the industry to want to do better.

Mission

Today Esse continues its commitment to its mission: to shift the world’s understanding of skincare – one product, one practitioner, and one customer at a time.

‘I would like to play a part in creating a beautiful, indefinitely sustainable future. Esse will continue on its path to build more effective and more sustainable products.’ – Trevor Steyn

Esse is well known for being a pioneer in probiotic skincare, launching the world’s first live Probiotic Serum in 2015.

Esse has grown internationally, and is now available in over 40 countries worldwide.

A modern retail store interior with wooden counters displaying various products. Hanging pendant lights illuminate the space, and large, wave-like fabric decorations adorn the ceiling. The background features shelves neatly arranged with additional items.
A person undergoing a facial treatment. A skincare professional is using a magnifying lamp to examine the person's face while they lie on a treatment table, wrapped in towels. Various skincare products are visible on a shelf in the background.

The Esse Approach

Optimal skin depends on probiotic microbes living on and in it. Without microbes, your skin can’t perform its basic functions and the rate of skin ageing increases sharply.

Everything we do considers the skin microbiome. Ingredients are chosen and products formulated based on evolutionary first principles. We mimic the conditions for which human skin has evolved. By adding different levels of probiotics to our products, we actively shift the skin microbiome towards an optimal state, ensuring skin health.

History of Esse

2002

After two years of formulation work, Trevor Steyn launches Esse with three refrigerated, preservative-free moisturisers; organic with African actives.

A compact, glass-fronted mini fridge displaying various bronze, silver, and gold colored cylindrical items inside. Beside the fridge are three standing, cylindrical items labeled "esse" in deep, light, and rich shades. The fridge has a green graphic at the top.
An assortment of skincare products displayed against a white background. The set includes three moisturizers labeled Light, Deep, and Rich, a serum bottle with a pump dispenser, and a small bottle of tissue oil. Each product label features botanical imagery.

2005

Added cleanser, toner and non-refrigerated moisturisers for a more complete skincare offering.

2008

Professional product range added after testing at a local beauty school owned by Lynelle Harrison.

A collection of skincare products is arranged together. The products include bottles and jars of various sizes labeled "Esse," featuring items such as massage cream, cream mask, and body scrub. The packaging is predominantly green and white with minimalist branding.
A collection of organic skincare products, including a tube of microderm exfoliator, anti-cellulite mask, and facial moisturizer, are displayed among clear laboratory glassware such as beakers and test tubes on a white surface.

2010

Complete reformulation of the range following the first findings of the Human Microbiome Project.

Prebiotics, and postbiotics added. 

Rebrand of the professional line.

Products begin to sell in Europe.

2012

Tyndallised probiotics incorporated.

International markets expand rapidly to include countries in the East.

A woman with closed eyes and a serene expression touches her face with both hands. Surrounding her head are circular images of various microscopic organisms and cells, connected by dotted lines, suggesting a link to skin or health research.
A bottle of Esse probiotic serum stands in front of a large Petri dish with blue-green microbial growth. Laboratory glassware, including a beaker and a graduated cylinder, are placed around it, creating a scientific and clinical backdrop.

2015

Esse launches the world’s first live probiotic skincare product. The Esse Probiotic Serum, containing 1 billion live probiotic microbes per millilitre.

Sensitive Range launched.

> Discover the Sensitive Range

2018

First concept store launches in South Africa, and a renewed commitment to treating skin through therapists and aestheticians.

Esse begins worldwide genetic sequencing to study skin microbiomes.

A modern, well-lit storefront with large glass windows and a wooden exterior labeled "esse". The interior features a sleek wooden reception desk, potted plants, and product displays. The store's entrance is wide open, inviting visitors inside.
Nine bottles of Esse foundation are displayed in a grid formation. Each bottle has a dark brown label with the brand name "Esse" and a metallic silver cap. Light brown circles are placed beneath each bottle, representing different shades of the foundation.

2019

Launch of foundation in 10 shades, containing prebiotic and probiotic actives.

Growth worldwide – Esse is available in 27 countries and becomes the third largest professional skincare brand in Sweden.

> Read more about Foundation

2021

Launch of the Clarifying Range using biotechnology to fight the root causes of acne.

> Discover the Clarifying Range

Four Esse skincare products with white packaging are arranged in front of a green, circular decorative background. The items include clarifying cleanser, clarifying oil, and clarifying serum. All products have white pump dispensers.