The term microbiome still sounds mysterious for many of us, even after years spent on broadening skin care. We like to talk about ingredients, line of products, our daily care rituals and so on. However, time to dive deeper into the subject. For proper care of the skin, one must understand how it’s functioning, how it’s build and how it interacts with inside and outside environment. Specialistic knowledge will allow us to understand problems of the skin, diagnose the causes and efficiently take care of them.
So what is it then, the microbiome? How its actions affects the skin? What makes it the foundation of a beautiful, healthy looking skin? And more important – what are the side effects of its disfunction and how to take care of it?
Skin’s natural protective shield
Simply speaking: a microbiome it’s a natural microflora of the skin. The protective shield includes the “good” bacterias and other microorganisms and also substances that they produce. The specialists in dermatology has lately spoken loud about the connection between disorders of a microbiome and skin problems. It is a shield that doesn’t allow potentially dangerous external factors enter into the skin. Fights with harmful microorganism, staphylococci or other pathogens that can destroy its functioning leading to many medical conditions. Balanced skin cooperates with microbiome like yin and yang. They must stay in harmony in order to enjoy good health.
How the microbiome protects the skin?
Among creating protective microflora, which prevents pathogens, it preforms different regulating functions. It helps to keep the right pH of the skin that is necessary for its correct functioning. Keeping the pH in balance is one of the key objectives of the skin care, it’s the priority. Imbalanced pH makes the skin sensitive, weak and vulnerable for irritation, itching and redness. Microorganisms that are a part of a microbiome play a huge role in supporting the hydration – decompose sweat and sebum in order to keep hydrolipidic balance. Thanks to that, the skin is less likely to get greasy and also can keep radiant glow.
Healthy microbiome = healthy skin?
Yes, it is! The scientific research proves that a microbiome construction of people with skin diseases is different from the healthy ones. Disorders of its balance is a dysbiosis – weakness and greater vulnerability for harmful action of microorganisms. Some pathogens may cause skin inflammation that not only affects the looks but mainly our well-being. Non-resistance and irritated skin is itchy, peels off and feels discomfort. People struggling with acne and atopic skin inflammation have to take special care of microbiome, because any harmful pathogen that get through can cause an infection.
It’s worth remembering that consequences of damaging the natural skin barrier are huge! If it is damaged, its functioning is deregulated and we pay the consequences. Weak skin is a skin with acne, hardness, lack of elasticity and firmness. therefore very vulnerable for ageing.
Skin care ritual is the key to success
Taking care of the microbiome is fundamental, but do not worry – usually it doesn’t mean expensive means, special medical preparations (unless our skin is in a condition that requires seeing a dermatologist) or a complicated skin care routine. The approach should be holistic. The key to success lays in creating a daily skin care ritual, in which no products will cause any harm to our microbiome. Of course it is not only about lack of harmful effects of applied products, but also about a support for the skin’s natural barrier.
The “good” bacterias
What the skin care should look like, to be in harmony with microbiome? One word: probiotics. Most of us knows the term. For many years it has been proven that probiotics have amazing and unusually healthy properties in a diet. It is time to introduce them to the skin care! Probiotics are beneficial strains of living bacterias or yeasts. It’s worth mentioning that these are the “good bacterias“. Opposite to the pathogens, prognostics microorganisms show very beneficial effects on the organism, including in the skin. Probiotics included in cosmetics strengthen the skin and produce invisible barrier on its surface that helps prevent it from damages. It is important that the cosmetics are free of living microorganisms, clean and safe for the skin. Probiotics care includes beneficial active bacteria that help to speed up regeneration, while levelling inflammatory processes at the same time. Every skin, problematic or healthy, needs harmony if we want it to be young, smooth and without wrinkles for the longest time possible.
Probiotic water as a salvation for the microbiome
Care in harmony with microbiomes should be a basic care. We often forget that the main ingredient of our organism, including the skin, is the water. It’s almost 70% of our body. In Biotaniqe we believe that water is of great importance. Regardless of the other ingredients in the products, the water is usually the main base. Hardly ever we wonder over the quality of water in cosmetics. Inadequate water in skin care could do us some harm. In Biotaniqe products, plain water is replaced by innovation probiotic water pro.aQua. The action is based on probiotic Lactobacillus, which actively stop the development of harmful pathogens on the skin. It fights acne, irritation, dryness and at the same time strengthen the proper microflora of the skin. Pro.aQua neutralises calcium in hard water, minimising its irritating effects. Each Biotaniqe product among its own proper functions for each line, has also protective actions. They are relief for the skin.
Things to avoid…
Now that we know what ingredients are good for the microbiome… Time to mention what we definitely need to avoid in skin care. Many products disturb the balance of skin microflora striping it off its natural protective layer. Antibacterial or acne cosmetics are often very invasive. The alcohol content or other drying ingredients are harmful for the skin – it deprives the skin of proper moisture. One must read the labels with ingredient use with attention to natural microflora support. Using aggressive cleaning products can bring short satisfaction because it gives immediate smoothing effect, hoverer it is misleading. Our microbiome can only get worse. Instead of that, we must put on a long time effects as a young, heathy and beautiful skin. And it is all thanks to probiotics!
