What is Probiotic Skincare?

The Microbiome

Much like our gut, our skin is covered in trillions of microorganisms (also called microflora) including bacteria, viruses, fungi and mites. They are mostly harmless or beneficial, and form our 'microbiome' which keeps the skin barrier healthy.

The microbiome is part of our immune system which keeps harmful pathogens out of the body and also helps us synthesise vitamin D. We want to keep the skin barrier intact with a rich and diverse community of microorganisms.

A disrupted microbiome can look red, excessively oily or dry, and has been linked with acne, rosacea, psoriasis and premature ageing.

A variety of things can disrupt your microbiome, such as unhealthy lifestyle factors, hygiene habits, sun exposure, antibiotics and more recently, overuse of strong active ingredients such as vitamin C, glycolic acid and retinol. These can strip skin of good bacteria and leave it feeling sensitive and inflamed.

You have probably heard of probiotics to support microflora in the gut. They contain live 'good' bacteria and yeasts to restore balance to the digestive system. Should we be supporting skin in the same way?

Probiotic Skincare

Some companies have created probiotic skincare which contain ‘good’ bacteria that can be applied to the skin to improve the health of the microbiome. It has even been suggested as an alternative treatment for acne. But to work effectively they need to have live cultures in them, making them very difficult and expensive to formulate.

Prebiotic Skincare

A more affordable option is ‘prebiotic’ skincare which contains food for our microflora and helps them flourish. Rather than live ingredients, they contain ingredients such as yoghurt powder, the plant fibre inulin and plant sugar fructooligosaccharides.

Overall, it is still a new area of skincare with limited research and products available. However it is a promising avenue, particularly for individuals with sensitive skin.