Once upon a time, we would have been shaking our heads, but today, bacteria are present in many of the most effective skincare formulations. Probiotics are gaining popularity as ingredients that contribute to the health of skin tissue, playing a key role in balancing and strengthening its microbiome.
“We now understand that skin flora can be affected by various factors such as excessive washing, an unhealthy diet or exposure to external agents such as pollution,” says Daniel Jiménez, cosmetologist and technical director of Skin Generics and CEO of BeLab Services.
These factors can cause imbalances in skin flora, “leading to sensitivity, redness and other skin conditions,” he adds. For this reason, it is important to select cosmetics that maintain a proper pH and protect the skin against external aggressors to preserve the balance of skin flora, and this is where probiotics come into play.
Given the growing interest in probiotics for their benefits in keeping skin balanced and healthy, this is why these ingredients are now mentioned in the ingredient lists of formulations.
But what are probiotics?
Jiménez says: “Basically, they are carbohydrates that function as a kind of nutrient for the skin’s natural microbiome. They help stimulate the growth of helpful bacteria, such as strains of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, while preventing the growth of harmful bacteria. This process restores the balance of the skin microbiome, strengthening its defensive capacity against external influences”.
In other words, probiotics are external inputs of bacteria that promote balance in the skin. These components offer significant benefits: they promote adequate hydration and the maintenance of a balanced skin barrier. Their use helps to counteract the weakening of the skin caused by an excess of certain negative bacteria,” says the expert.
This is why the cosmetic industry is working on increasingly specialised formulas to address various pathologies or dermatological conditions. The advantage of these components is that they are highly nourishing and possess unique cosmetic properties, without adverse effects, making them safe and recommended for the skin at any time of the year.
Probiotics in our daily diet
You can help your skin from the inside out with a balanced diet. “They are present in foods and drinks such as kefir, tofu, olives, yoghurt and kombucha,” says Daniel Jiménez. In addition, they can be provided topically through cosmetics that are rich in these beneficial bacteria for the skin.
Skincare products with probiotics
Skin Genetics Pro Vit. D + Probiotics
Vitamin D activating cream in gel texture containing a 22% active complex including vitamin D and probiotics. This formula helps prevent premature skin ageing by stimulating the natural production of vitamin D, restoring the balance of the microbiome and biostimulating the skin’s natural defences to protect against pollution, UV rays and external aggressions. It helps to restore tone, improving oxygenation and blood microcirculation, which is visible in a better skin texture creating the “good face” effect.
Its formula combines a probiotic fortifying bifidus with antioxidant baicalin roots, and Vichy’s mineralising thermal spring water, which leaves the skin moisturised and protected and slows down the signs of ageing.
A moisturiser for skin with persistent redness that leaves skin feeling comfortable. Formulated with phytosphingosine, an ingredient that helps diminish the appearance of capillaries, it reduces the appearance of redness. Also contains probiotics, specifically an extract of cultured lactobacillus plantarum, a naturally occurring bacterium found in fermented foods (pickles, sourdough) and also naturally in saliva, to strengthen the moisture barrier, and shea butter and linoleic acid to keep moisture in and irritants out.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Sensitive Fluide
A prebiotic moisturiser with La Roche Posay thermal spring water that has been proven through numerous clinical studies to have prebiotic properties and the ability to rebalance the skin’s microbiome. It also contains glycerin, which moisturises and protects the skin barrier, and nincinamide, which improves ceramide synthesis and helps preserve the water in the skin barrier, protecting it from external aggressions.
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