If you’ve heard the word microbiome being bandied about by your favourite beauty experts, but aren’t crystal clear on what it actually is, don’t worry - Dr Alexis is on hand to clear up any confusion.
While the microbiome is most commonly referred to when discussing digestive health, it is present far more widely than just within your gut, it functions throughout your body, including on our skin.
In this instalment of the Joonbyrd Journal, Dr Alexis gives a derms-eye view on the skin’s ecosystem - covering the function of the skin microbiome, how to tell if your microbiome is unbalanced, how to improve and repair the skin microbiome and an essential body care shopping list to keep your skin’s community of microbes in check.
What Is The Skin Microbiome?
The skin’s microbiome is a diverse community of trillions of microorganisms - such as bacteria, viruses and fungi - that are present on the surface of your skin.
A balanced microbiome is essential to maintaining a healthy skin barrier, helping to keep the skin balanced, reduce inflammation and protect from environmental aggressors and infection.
There are three important functions the skin’s microbiome performs:
Immunity Booster - alerting your immune system when potentially harmful bacteria is present on your skin, prompting your immune system to activate or deactivate, and therefore keep you feeling healthy.
Infection Fighter - acting like a natural antibiotic to ward off infection. A balanced microbiome also aids in keeping the skin’s pH acidic, an environment in which many germs fail to thrive.
Healing Helper - thanks to its quick communication with the immune system, aiding the healing of wounds and controlling irritation and reducing inflammation.
How To Tell If Your Skin Microbiome Is Unbalanced
A healthy skin microbiome will ensure even, hydrated and smoother skin. However, when the microbial balance is affected, a state that can be triggered by lifestyle and environmental factors, as well as antibiotics and harsh skincare, it is not always immediately visible.
That said, an unbalanced microbiome’s functionality will be impaired, and it is likely you will eventually see the effects on your skin, resulting in issues such as dryness, irritation, acne, dermatitis and skin aging.
How To Improve Your Skin Microbiome
The good news is, repairing your skin microbiome is fairly simple, using the right ingredients and gentle cleansers will clean your skin whilst protecting its precious skin barrier, while honing in on hydration through topical lotions and drinking plenty of water will give you a fighting chance of maintaining a high-functioning microbiome.
When it comes to choosing the right body care to repair your skin microbiome, I would look out for potent prebiotics to restore, powerful humectants to aid moisture retention and antioxidants to diminish the effects of environmental aggressors.
Lifestyle factors must also be taken into consideration. As I mention above, drinking adequate water is important, but so is a balanced diet: make sure you are eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and taking oral prebiotics, as research suggests that your gut microbiome affects your skin health. And it (almost) goes without saying, but smoking and UV rays are highly detrimental to the skin, and believed to disturb your skin microbiome.
The Difference Between Body Skin Microbiome and Face Skin Microbiome
Everyone’s microbiome is entirely unique - and the make-up of its microbes varies hugely throughout our bodies, with certain microorganisms thriving in more moisture-rich areas, and others in dry or oily places.
There will also be significant variations between the face skin microbiome and the body skin microbiome - but the skin care routine will remain the same: hone in on hydration, prebiotics and antioxidants in products that are specially formulated for the area you wish to treat.
Your Microbiome Body Care Checklist
When it comes to caring for your microbiome through body care, I have poured years of dermatological expertise into Joonbyrd’s clinically-proven formulations, with the aim of delivering a major boost to your skin microbiome.
Below are my microbiome must-haves:
Hydration Heroes: Hyaluronic acid-rich SUNDAY SOFA Moisturizing Body Butter, LITTLE LOVE Nourishing Body Lotion and WONDER·LAND 48hr Moisturizing Hand Lotion will inject significant moisture into your skin.
Antioxidant Icons: DAYDREAMER Firming Body Serum contains immune-boosting songyi mushroom, MOON SWIM Hydrating Body Wash delivers antioxidant vitamin E directly to the skin, while PALM WILD Nourishing & Hydrating Hand Wash’s apple ferment-rich formulation helps neutralise free radical damage.
Powerful Prebiotics: Every single one of our Joonbyrd self-care products is formulated with inulin, a potent prebiotic meticulously sourced from chicory root to help to restore the delicate skin microbiome, maintaining our first biochemical line of defense against external aggressors and moisture loss.
The Debrief Digest
Need Dr Alexis’s microbiome debrief in less than a minute? Read on:
1. The skin microbiome is the trillions of microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, viruses and fungi) on the surface of your skin.
2. Keeping it balanced is essential to maintaining a healthy skin barrier - when unbalanced, it can lead to skin issues such as dryness, irritation, acne, dermatitis and skin aging.
3. Caring for your microbiome is simple - ensure you are using the right ingredients (such as prebiotics and antioxidants), incorporating gentle cleansers and honing in on hydration with daily moisturization.
Discover body and hand care products that prioritize your skin health.
