Probiotics in beauty care
Bacteria: the good, the bad and their balance
Bacteria may sound a bit icky, but our bodies are actually full of them - both the good guys and the not so nice ones. They live in harmony with fungi, viruses and other micro-organisms. Together, they form a diverse and varied ecosystem: the microbiome. Good bacteria play an important role in looking after our well-being. Probiotics, in turn, are living strains of good bacteria.
When the balance of good and bad bacteria is upset for one reason or another, it is also reflected in our well-being and even in our skin, for example in the form of acne. Our body is like a finely tuned mechanism that works properly when all its parts are in balance and doing their job properly.
Microbiome of the skin
Our skin has its own unique microbiome, influenced by our genes, where we live, pollution and other challenges our skin faces. Healthy skin also looks healthy because it has a natural protective barrier to guard against attacks from free radicals that cause premature ageing, for example. If the bacterial balance is upset, the skin's protective barrier is weakened, resulting in symptoms such as irritation and redness. Skin probiotics help keep the microflora in balance. A healthy microbiome helps to maintain a balanced PH, which translates into brighter skin. Skin oil production is kept under control, reducing the appearance of impurities.
Benefits of probiotics for the skin
Indeed, probiotics can have a positive effect on our appearance. The trick to probiotic skincare is the good bacteria it brings to our skin. But while we're busy popping various supplements to boost our well-being, skincare is usually about maintaining a touch of luxury rather than popping a pill.
Probiotics help to balance the skin's own bacterial flora, strengthening the skin's own natural protective barrier. Healthy, well-being skin can fight off the challenges of pollution, chemicals, weather and temperature. Healthy skin can also protect itself from excessive moisture evaporation, known as trans-epidermal water loss. Hydrated skin feels and looks fresh.
Probiotics soothe the skin
If you're wondering whether probiotics could be helpful for eczema or acne sufferers, the answer is yes they can! Inflammation is a sign of stressed and irritated skin. Exposure to pollutants and UV radiation exacerbates the problem. Skin care products containing probiotics prevent inflammation and also have antimicrobial properties. They also protect against premature aging.
The difference between probiotics and postbiotics
Probiotics is an umbrella term that describes both probiotics and postbiotics - but what are the two and how do they differ? Probiotics are live bacteria that live in our bodies. You can't find pure probiotics in skincare because the shelf life of the products won't stand up to it. Moisturizers would have to be stored in the fridge, which would be quite inconvenient when you're travelling, for example.
Postbiotics are special "non-living probiotics" that have been biofermented to make probiotic skincare products suitable. Postbiotics are active compounds that are in perfect balance and nourish the skin.
Antipodes is an expert in probiotic skincare
Antipodes is already an experienced expert when it comes to developing probiotic skincare products. Culture Probiotic Night Recovery Water Cream is a good example of 18 months of research and development. Powered by good bacteria, this powerful moisturizer gets the job done while you dream sweet dreams.
Antipodes® uses specific probiotic lines to develop groundbreaking new products. Kalibiome AGE Probiotic is an ingenious, highly innovative post-biotic technology. This "non-living bacteria" is extracted from living cells and fermented twice to remove toxins. It has been scientifically proven* to support skin protection by sealing the epidermal layers of the skin and balancing the microbiome. While you sleep, the cloud-soft cream helps reduce roughness and redness. And of course, there's hyaluronic acid, a super-powerful moisturizer. Mamaku is New Zealand's black fern, a bioactive ingredient that regenerates the skin.
This night cream boosts moisture levels, strengthens skin's defences and optimizes skin's recovery during the night. Hooray for the power of good bacteria!
*calibiome probiotics/postbiotics 600: clinically shown to regenerate the extracellular matrix.
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