Health and skincare is changing forever. The probiotic concept is fairly new for skin care and the technology of skin care products are entering a new phase..The role of microbes in the intestine has been the first target of public attention, but there are vibrant microbiomes ( a community of microbes) associated with the skin, the lungs, and the mouth... just to mention a few.

Scientists assumed bacteria didn’t do us harm or good, but recently they are changing their tune.

There has been intense scientific interest in microbiome research.It is now abundantly clear that we need our microbes and that without them, we cannot function optimally. A healthy microbiome on the skin plays an essential role in preventing allergic conditions and other skin issues. Skin disorders are now seen as disturbances in the microbial ecosystem. The old philosophy of “kill the bad germs” is being revised, with overuse of disinfectants and antibiotics coming under fire again.

A new philosophy that is replacing the war on germs is the use of probiotics. Probiotics are live microbes that have a beneficial effect on humans and they are being used to prevent or control outbreaks of enemy microbes and is also a boost for individuals.

In skin, topically applied probiotics have been shown to be effective in treating many skin disorders from eczema to third degree burns but it is only in the last year that researchers are using this technology to target anti-aging results. Trillions of microbes call your skin home. Normally, they get along just fine and provide the building blocks that make your skin healthy and beautiful ... but if you disrupt these communities of microbes, the trouble begins... ageing rates increase and physical manifestations of disruption ( acne, eczema and sensitivity) start to rear their ugly heads.

So how do we avoid this disaster? How do you keep the balance that keeps your barrier function intact? Here’s how...

1. Maintain pH​. The perfect skin pH is about 4.5. This represents something like an acid bath for pathogenic microbes but like a summer holiday for the good guys. Many bar soaps and washes are very alkaline. Don’t use them – your skin can take 18 hours to bounce back, by which time you’ve washed again and so on and so on.... pH balanced products are probably the single most important thing you can give your skin.

2. Avoid antibiotics ​... and antiseptics – they kill bacteria,that’s why you use them... but now you know you shouldn’t kill your microbe friends,because your microbe enemies will invade.

3. Look for organic​ products with a mild preservative system. Preservatives kill microbes but with some formulating skills an organic preservative can be gentle.

4. Prebiotics boost Probiotics.​ Probiotics are the good microbes we’ve been talking about. Prebiotics are the food they need to flourish. So getting the right microbes is an important start but feeding and nourishing them is a GREAT way to move into the Future Of Skincare.