Pre/Probiotics For the Skin By Terri Vinson

The importance of balancing the microbiome in our gut with oral probiotics has been accepted and understood for decades. Like the gut, the health of the skin is dependent on the right balance and diversity of both good and bad bacteria.

Thankfully, dermatologists and formulating chemists are now focusing on the importance of balancing the bacteria on the surface of our skin. When our skin microbiota is in balance, the skin cells and protective barrier are functioning at their best, so it makes perfect sense to focus on topical products that contain pre and probiotics.

The skin microbiome is vital for nearly every skin function, including the strength of our outer protective barrier. Factors such as pollution, solar radiation, climate extremes, antibiotics and mask wearing during COVID-19, can severely disrupt the bacterial balance and skin barrier.

Fun fact: we house up to one billion bacteria on every square centimetre of our skin – that’s more bacteria than our actual skin cells! There’s also a huge diversity in distinct species of bacteria and this diversity is crucial for skin health. It’s important to note that, whilst we need to nurture the good bacteria, the bad bacteria are there for a reason and we shouldn’t wipe them out completely. It’s all about one thing: the BALANCE of good and bad.

Clinical data supports the positive impact of cosmeceutical prebiotic and probiotic ingredients in controlling and defending general skin health and balance. Both prebiotics and probiotics are beneficial to your skin individually, but when used in synergy, they create magic! I like to use the garden analogy for prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotics are the fertiliser providing the best food for a healthy garden environment whilst inhibiting the weeds (bad bacteria) and providing nutrition for the flowers (good bacteria). The probiotics are like the seeds that flourish to make the whole garden bloom with health and vitality.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I am noticing a steep rise in redness, inflammation, and sensitivity concerns. The skin’s barrier became compromised with elevated stress levels and wearing face masks that often prevent the skin from being in contact with a normal atmosphere or environmental gases and moisture levels. Whilst mask wearing is an important aspect of keeping us safe, using a topical prebiotic and probiotic combo in your skincare routine can significantly reduce symptoms such as dryness, irritation, redness, and breakouts, and assist with balancing and strengthening the skin’s barrier.

So, which skincare prebiotics and probiotics are best? Something I have commonly heard is that living probiotic bacteria should be added to skincare formulations. This is a myth! Scientifically speaking, the ideal formulation should not contain live microbes, but rather lysates (chopped-up pieces) of the good bacteria. The lysates contain the pieces of the microbes that reduce inflammation and activate the positive changes in the skin.

So, why do you need lysate pieces of the bacteria and not the whole live bacteria? Whole living bacteria won’t survive the conditions of the product itself. Some ingredients, particularly the all-important preservatives, are designed to kill the microbes in cosmetic products for the safety of the consumer. These preservatives are usually broad spectrum, meaning they are not selective in what they destroy. They’re not going to decide to keep the ‘good’ probiotic whole bacteria alive and kill the other potentially harmful bacteria in the bottle. So, stick with products that don’t have live probiotic bacteria in them because they will probably be dead by the time you open the bottle!

One of my all-time favourite probiotics is the lysate of Bifidobacterium. This active ingredient is excellent at fortifying the skin barrier, increasing strength, and addressing inflammation, which is the root cause of all negative skin conditions. This active probiotic ingredient improves the skin’s ability to fight invaders by improving the immune system of the skin to reduce sensitivity, irritation, redness and dryness. It even decreases inflammation related to skin ageing and helps to reduce fine lines. Clinical studies concluded that the skin of 20 volunteers treated with the probiotic lysate of Bifidobacterium and a known skin irritant exhibited a 50% reduction in inflammation versus the untreated control.

Now, let’s look at the prebiotic partner in this incredible dynamic duo. My favourite prebiotic to formulate with is called alpha-glucan oligosaccharide. This provides the ideal nutrient source for the beneficial bacteria, while inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria such as some types of Staphylococcus and excess bacteria that causes acne. Prebiotics works to amplify the positive effects of probiotics and the existing good bacteria on the skin.

At Synergie Skin, we have harnessed both prebiotics and probiotics in an innovative pre-serum elixir, Dermiotic. This is truly the microbiome booster and as a true skin balancer, it works on multiple levels to restore the balance of good and bad bacteria on the skin, relieving and preventing signs of skin inflammation. It uses my favourite prebiotic skin food, alphaglucan oligosaccharide, and probiotic ingredient, Bifida ferment lysate.

There are also some great ways to boost your prebiotics and probiotics by incorporating them in your diet. To increase your intake of prebiotics, reach for good quality fibre sources. There are many fibrous fruits and vegetables that contain prebiotics such as asparagus, leeks, broccoli, garlic, and apples. My number one form of prebiotic in food is konjac root. To increase your daily intake of probiotics, some great go-to foods are natural yoghurt, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh. Kombucha is also popular drink at the moment and a great source of on-the-go probiotics, but make sure you always go for the sugar-free kombucha products.

I believe that combing pre and probiotics in a topical formulation can be a game changer for all skin types and conditions. Combined in synergy, they provide the optimal environment for microbiome balance, reducing inflammation and restoring your natural glow. Consider prebiotic and probiotic skincare as an essential part of every daily skincare routine for every skin type. Let’s ditch the old fashioned ‘toner’ as an outdated skin balancer and replace it with a quality microbiome boosting elixir like Dermiotic, as your ultimate skin balancer!

Terri is the creator and founder of Synergie Skin Skincare. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Monash University, specialising in Immunology and Microbiology. She also attained an additional post-graduate Diploma of Formulating Chemistry and a Diploma of Education in Biology & Senior Science. Visit www.synergieskin.com to learn more about Terri and her range.