Your skin in balance

The use of probiotics and prebiotics in our skincare routine is becoming increasingly popular. We already know probiotics as a way to improve gut flora, but do you also know what prebiotics are? And what can these biotics do for our skin? Here we explain how it works.

What is the microbiome?
Our body is home to trillions of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, viruses, and single-celled organisms that together form ‘the microbiome.’ The majority of these are found in our intestines. But did you know that a significant portion is located on the skin? Like the intestines, the skin forms a barrier between the internal organs and the outside world. The skin is a unique micro-environment where its inhabitants must face various challenges, such as sunlight, temperature changes, and humidity. Every skin microbiome is unique and contains both “good” and “harmful” bacteria. For various reasons, an imbalance can occur, which can lead to skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, or rosacea. But how can you correct this imbalance?

First of all, it is important to determine where the imbalance on your skin comes from. For example, is there a connection between recently started medication, such as antibiotics, and the onset of your skin problem? If so, this is likely the cause of your imbalance. Often, the microbiome recovers once you stop the medication. Your imbalance may also be hereditary, or it may be related to diet or stress. Although it is often more difficult to identify these factors, it is important to consider them. Healthy skin comes from a healthy lifestyle combined with a good skincare routine.

What are probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics?
We already know that probiotics (live bacteria and yeasts) have a positive effect on our microbiome. By adding these good bacteria to the microbiome, the amount of good bacteria increases and they can restore the imbalance. Prebiotics may be less well known, but they are certainly no less impressive. Prebiotics are the right nutrients for the good bacteria. They naturally occur in various foods such as bananas and onions, but also in nuts, legumes, and the roots of some plants. By feeding the good bacteria in the microbiome, the growth and activity of the good bacteria are stimulated, which helps to correct the imbalance.

Synbiotics have both prebiotic and probiotic properties; an example of this is breast milk. Postbiotics are products of the good bacteria. When good bacteria ferment, postbiotics are produced that have a positive effect on the microbiome. They make the environment more acidic, which is beneficial for bacterial growth. Additionally, postbiotics combined with probiotics can help keep them stable and viable. Much of what we know about these biotics is mainly focused on the gut and not on the skin. But interestingly, the gut and skin share many similarities. Both play an important role in protecting our body against foreign invaders and contain many different bacteria and yeasts. It is therefore plausible that the effects of pro-, pre-, syn-, and postbiotics are similar in the gut and on the skin. The advantage of the skin compared to the gut is that biotics can be applied locally, making the results locally observable as well.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Prebiotics in Skincare
One of the main advantages of using biotics in skin creams is their high compatibility with the skin. The bacteria and nutrients used in these products come from the skin itself. As a result, the cream is well accepted by the skin and even has an improving effect. However, there are also some challenges associated with using live bacteria in skin creams. At present, it is not yet possible to keep these bacteria alive in a cream. Preservatives added to combat harmful bacteria and fungi would destroy the good bacteria. Additionally, the shelf life of such creams would be limited and they would need to be stored cool to maintain their effectiveness. This problem does not occur with prebiotics. Because prebiotics are the food for good bacteria and are not alive, they can easily be added to a cream without affecting its function. In fact, adding high-quality active ingredients to the cream can even increase its effectiveness.

The Impact of Prebiotics on the Skin
At Nouvital Cosmetics, we have believed in the power of prebiotics for years and consider them the foundation for a healthy skin flora. We use a specific type of prebiotic that has been proven to feed only the good bacteria. This stimulates the growth of these beneficial bacteria and thus helps restore balance in the skin microbiome.