If you’ve heard that keeping your skin microbiome healthy is a big deal but you’re not sure how to do it - we’ve got you. We’re decoding exactly what it is, how to know if you need help and what to do to take care of it..
What is the skin microbiome?
Your skin’s microbiome is made up of billions of tiny microorganisms - it sounds weird, but it’s completely natural and normal. Everyone’s microbiome is completely unique to them. Your genetics, environment, skincare routine and health all play a part in determining exactly how your microbiome is balanced.
The skin microbiome is constantly interacting with your environment and supports healthy skin. It also protects against infections and influences the way that your immune system reacts. It also helps to provide nourishment to your skin. A damaged skin barrier can lead to problems with how your skin looks and feels.
Is your skin barrier damaged?
A damaged skin barrier means that your skin loses vital hydration and is more susceptible to infections or issues. A big part of this is your skin microbiome. If this is damaged or disturbed, it can cause havoc with the tiny ecosystem that lives on your skin.
If your skin is dry, rough, itchy, inflamed or sensitive, then you may have a damaged skin barrier on your hands. Discolouration, breakouts and recurrent skin infections can also all be signs that everything isn’t quite what it should be when it comes to your skin.
Some of the most common reasons for a damaged skin barrier or disrupted skin microbiome include:
- Ageing
- Genetics
- Over-cleansing
- Using harsh products that strip your skin
- UV exposure
Rebalancing a damaged skin barrier isn’t always easy, so it’s best to stop your barrier from becoming damaged in the first place. Plus, it can be painful or uncomfortable to have a damaged skin barrier, especially in weather extremes.
What affects your skin microbiome?
Your skin microbiome is impacted by your genetics, where you live, your lifestyle, your health, medication, pollution, UV light, the foods you eat and the products you use. Even the types of cleaning products that you use, your pets and hand sanitiser have an effect on your microbiome. Your microbiome varies on the different parts of your body too.
Your skincare routine can play a big part in the health of your microbiome. Using an overly complicated routine with too many products, trying out lots of acids or using harsh products that strip away both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria are some of the most common causes.
Instead, it makes sense to focus on simple, effective routines and products that nourish your skin, working with it’s natural balance instead of stripping it away. Your skin deserves to be able to thrive and flourish.
How to keep your skin microbiome balanced
As there are so many factors that go into your microbiome, there are a few different ways to keep it balanced too. Some microbiome balancers are out of your control, but here are the ones you can handle:
Use gentle cleansers
Harsh skincare can mean that ‘good’ bacteria is lost. If you’ve ever washed your face and felt like it completely changed afterwards, then it could be that you’ve damaged your microbiome. Using gentle cleansers with nourishing ingredients like succinic acid and oils can help get your balance back. Try the FACESS Daily Clear Skin Cleanser for an effective, yet gentle, cleansing routine that won’t strip your skin.
Eat well
It makes sense that a healthy, balanced diet equals a healthy, balanced microbiome, right?. Your gut microbiome and skin microbiome are linked, so getting the right balance in your body will help your skin. Drink plenty of water and eat lots of vegetables, proteins and fermented foods to keep your microbiome going strong.
Scale back your skincare routine
A simple routine will help your microbiome to do your own natural thing. Use fewer products and more nourishing ingredients in your skincare routine to help your microbiome work effectively. There are only four key products in the FACESS skincare range, all of which use microbiome friendly ingredients and can be included day or night.
Keep your hands to yourself
Touching your face will make a difference to your skin’s microbiome as you transfer bacteria from your hands. We also use more hand sanitiser daily, which can also disrupt your natural balance - hand sanitiser is great for killing germs, viruses and ‘bad’ bacteria, but can also get rid of the good ones too.
Don’t stress
Stress can mess with your whole body and that includes your skin. Ever had a stress breakout? Finding ways to manage your stress, like exercise or spending time outdoors can be really helpful for your overall health and your microbiome. Working up a sweat can actually be really nourishing for the skin.
How To Find The Right Products For Your Skin Microbiome
What goes onto your skin to nourish it is just as important as what food goes into your body when it comes to your microbiome. Probiotics, prebiotics and ingredients made from naturally diverse bacterial cultures, like the lactic acid found in the FACESS Daily Clear Skin Cleanser,, all work extremely well for your natural balance.
Fermented products - such as FACESS’ hero ingredients succinic acid and Prebulin FOS™ Prebiotic can be great for your microbiome as they help boost the diversity of microbiota on the skin. This can help with immune responses and decrease inflammation too, making it ideal for acne-prone or reactive skin.
Nourishing, naturally-derived products like shea butter, rosehip oil and allantoin all help the skin to stay hydrated and in balance. These ingredients can also help with signs of ageing like fine lines, wrinkles, dry skin and dull skin too.
All of these ingredients can be found at FACESS for that very reason. We want the products you use in your skincare routine to work with your skin rather than against it. Our dedication to our formulation means that our products are all microbiome-friendly.