familiar? These types of good bacteria are
added to drinks and supplements to help
balance your gut, and the same principle
applies to topical formulas; “Probiotics are
another name for good bacteria. A prebiotic
is the name for their nutrients,” explains Dr
Drago, “A healthy microbiome is a diverse
microbiome, so try to feed your gut bacteria
with a lot of diverse food, and lots of fibre.”
Think of your microbiome as your
personal rainforest: lush, unexplored
and vital for your wellbeing
When it comes to skin care, products infused
with pre-and-probiotics are still relatively new,
like Medik8’s Balance Moisturiser which selec-
tively feeds only the good bacteria to maintain
a healthy surface environment. To encourage
the growth of healthy bacteria, using products
that contain probiotics, prebiotics or both can
help to preserve the amount of microorganisms
living on your skin and their diversity. It’s even
thought that applying new good bacteria to the
skin in this way can kick-start your existing
microbiome into action. However, the research
into the impact of topical ingredients on the
skin’s microbiome is still pretty basic, but it’s
starting to become a primary focus for many
beauty brands. According to Dr Drago, science
is already showing a clear link between micro-
biome imbalance and inflammatory skin diseases
like eczema and acne, so don’t be surprised if
more probiotic products enter the market over
the next 12 months. But for now, the key is to
be gentle with your skin, whether you are using
probiotic formulas or not: “Don’t over wash the
skin, use hot water or rub your skin too much.
Avoid products with alcohol, perfumes or a high
pH (such as normal soaps) too,” advises Dr
Drago. It’s a bit of a balancing act, but the trick
is to remove only the bad bacteria not wipe out
the entire bacterial population because without
the ‘bacterial’ you, there is no ‘you’ you.
ISSUE #10 | 2019 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 31