Did you know that there are over one thousand species of bacteria living on the surface of your skin? I know, this might sound a little off-putting, but this is actually a good thing. The bacteria on your skin, or your skin microbiome, is needed to fight infection, regulate PH levels, protect against environmental damage, and keep the skin hydrated and healthy. Unfortunately, there are lots of things that can throw off this bacterial balance (soaps, face scrubs, medications, etc.). Your skin microbiome falling off balance can contribute to skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, dry and flakey skin, and acne. This is where probiotic skin care comes in.
What is Probiotic Skin Care?
As stated above, when your skin's bacterial balance gets thrown off, it can cause some skin problems. So, how do probiotic products help with this? Probiotics are a amalgamation of living, helpful bacteria and/or yeasts that innately live in your body. Accordingly, probiotic skin care creams and products contain the good bacteria that your skin may have been stripped of. This can help restore your skin microbiome and help with the skin issues listed above (eczema, rosacea, dry and flakey skin, and acne). Probiotics will not completely solve these issues, but your skin's balance being off could be a contributing factor to them. Using these probiotic skin care products could be worth giving a shot if you struggle with these skin conditions.
Keeping Your Skin Balanced
Probiotics are a good help to restore your balance, but it's good to try and keep your skin microbiome balanced in the first place. If you find that your bacterial balance keeps getting off, try focusing on your cleanser. Certain cleansers can be too harsh and strip your skin of the good, natural bacteria. If you have sensitive skin, any soap-based cleanser could be too harsh. This includes cleansers labeled as "anti-bacterial" or "anti-acne". Cleansers that are not soap-based can be gentler on your skin and keep your skin microbiome intact. These are usually labeled as "gentle" and "for sensitive skin". Another thing to consider is how often you should be using your cleanser. Generally, washing your face once or twice a day is good; however, for some people, twice a day is still too much. If you are using your cleanser twice a day and feel that it may be messing with your skin's balance, try only using your cleanser at night. In the morning, you can rinse your face with warm or cold water before proceeding with your usual morning skin care.
Should You Be Using Probiotic Skin Care Products?
At the end of the day, everyone's skin is so different from one another. I'm sure you hear that being said all the time, but that is because the statement is true. That means your skin microbiome is unique to you, so you might react differently than others to certain products. If you have happy and healthy skin, I would suggest that you don't go out of your way to add in this extra step to your routine. However, if you do struggle with acne, dry and flakey skin, etc., then using a probiotic skin care product could be a piece of the puzzle to getting your skin back on track.