Brands often refer to product benefits when talking about healthy skin, but what if there is more to it. What if you need bacteria for a healthy skin microbiome?
You’ve probably heard that we needed good bacteria in our gut for a healthy digestive system. Recent research shows that we also need a balanced microbial environment on our skin for healthy-looking skin.
But before we talk about the ways to keep your microbial environment balanced, let’s answer some important questions like how this knowledge will help keep your skin glowing.
What is it, and why have you never heard about it before?
What is Microbiome?
It is the good bacteria flora, which has our skin as its home. We have thousands of different species of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in and on our skin in perfect symbiosis. These microorganisms provide two important protective mechanisms in the skin.
- They form anti-inflammatory substances and antimicrobial peptides that support our immune system in the skin. A balanced skins immune barrier helps to keep your skin free from irritation and sensitivity.
- They formed a series of natural occurring moisturisers in the skin. Which subsequently provides your skin from drying out or developing conditions like rosacea, psoriasis or even acne.
Why you might have never heard about the microbial before?
Firstly, the knowledge of good bacteria on our skin and within our body has been minimal for years. We learned which bacteria are good for us and which are not so great only since five years ago, modern sequencing methods used in medical science studied trillions of microorganisms that live in and on our skin. Thanks to the technological developments in recent years, scientists can research and understand this field better.
How do you keep your skin healthy by taking care of its microbial environment too?
It turns out that harsh products or over-cleaning can disturb your healthy bacteria flora. So using products free from ingredients that might disturb or wash off the good bacteria is a good start.
We could list here ingredients to avoid or products to watch out for, but will you remember all of that when buying your next product? Most likely not. Instead, we thought that listing things that might help every day would benefit you a lot more:
- Firstly, Trust yourself. If you use a cleanser or a face wash that makes your skin feel drier than usual, or you suspect it’s too harsh for you, it probably is. Trust yourself and your judgement more than what the marketing claims. Trusting yourself is essential because our microbiome is unique and personal to us. So what works or doesn’t work for someone else might not have the same effect on your skin and its health.
- Look for skincare probiotics. Probiotic skincare could be excellent if your skin is suffering from acne or severe dryness. Those products are gentle and will help you rebalance your skins natural protection system.
- If you wear a lot of makeup, double cleanse in the evening. Use an oil cleanser to remove make-up. The double cleansing method with an oil cleanser followed by a gentle gel wash helps clean your skin very well without disturbing your skin’s natural protection. You then follow with a wash that can be a lot more gentle than what you’d have to use if you used just a face wash alone to cleanse full face makeup thoroughly.
- Try to avoid products with alcohol.
I hope this will help you take the first step to healthy skin with your perfectly balanced microbiome.
Products kind to your skin microbiome.
Until I researched and learned more about the skin microbiome and its importance in keeping my skin healthy, I wasn’t paying attention to that aspect of skincare. But I quickly learned that two skincare brands that I love to use daily make probiotic skincare or at least use kind to microbiome ingredients and formulas. I also tested some new products with this article in mind. Without further adieu, I present you:
Chantecialle, luxury in every drop.
Chantecaille skincare and makeup is pure luxury with every application. The brand believes in the healing powers of flowers and plants and builds its formulas on pure ingredients and smart science. Most of their skincare is probiotic too. They are proud to give back to charities that protect wild species and spaces, so when you use Chantecaille products, you take care of your skin and the world around you.
To my Chantecaille top loved belongs Rose de Mai face cream because it has anti-ageing properties and a gorgeous lightweight formula, which means I can treat my skin according to my age and lifestyle needs without having to worry about breakouts. Also, cleansing balm from the Rose de Mai range is a beautiful, luxurious, gentle cleanse for delicate skin.
Bio-Lifting mask is a continuous best-seller, so if there is one product you want to treat yourself to, make it this one. I use it as an overnight mask, so effectively, I use it as a moisturiser, just not every night. The next, day I usually wake up with fresh and supple skin.
Chantecaille Makeup is just as delightful. It’s hard to choose favourites because all the products have immaculate formulas. I see Chantecaile makeup products best for enhancing natural beauty and creating classic, elegant looks. To give you some direction, here are some of my most used makeup products from Cantecaille:
Future Skin Cushion Skincare Foundation – it’s skincare and foundation in one. Flawless finish.
Liquid Lumiere – a highlighter that’s handy to carry around
Lipsticks and Lipglosses and please don’t ask me to choose my favourite.
Elemental Herbology to get into your element.
I’ve been using Elemental Herbology for a few years. Elemental Herbology products are based on the Chinese philosophy of five elements. I love those most to create tranquillity in my life. I choose Elemental Herbology products when I need to balance or rejuvenate my body and mind but I didn’t know it’s good for the skin microbiome too. The products work holistically when selected carefully to match my skin needs as much as my mental needs. I love it most to turn my home and bathroom into a SPA. You can shop with code SOCIALBEAUTIFY and get 25% off anything on the Elemental Herbology website.
SPA with Elemental Herbology
At home SPA with Elemental Herbology
Samaya eye cream – probiotic and ayurvedic skincaare.
I have only tried a handful of products from this brand based on ayurvedic principles, so I was surprised to learn that some of the products are also probiotic and good for the skin microbiome. For this article, I’ve tried the Pitta range eye cream. I found the questionnaire to determine which range is right for me to be spot on, and it prescribed me the Pitta range. When I finally received the products, I loved the formulas, smell and textures. I would only fault the pump on the eye cream as I thought it was dispensing a bit too much product for the undereye area, so I often ended up using the rest around my lips.
The skin microbiom frendly J’tanicals.
I never used any of the J’tanicals products but when I was researching about the skin microbiome and skincare that is kind to it I came across this moisturiser. An interesting formula that feels medium creamy but absorbs into the skin fast and feels mat. I really liked it. Price-wise it sits somewhere in the middle £49 for a pot, so if you want to find a product that is natural, probiotic and works on a combination on oily skin, check it out.
Tell me if you have ever tried skincare that keeps the skin microbiome healthy and what were your results?