Article 09

What is a probiotic

Probiotics
In the context of human skin, probiotics are live microbes that live on and benefit the skin. These microbes form an important part of the skin microbiome which is a community of microbes consisting of all different strains and species. Probiotics provide health benefits to the skin by being able to help maintain a balanced microbiome, better enabling defence against harmful bacteria (pathogens), and working in partnership with your skin to achieve balanced and healthy skin.

When it comes to probiotics on the skin, it is important to understand that different microbes have their own natural habitats. Different sites of our bodies possess unique populations of microbes, so what lives in our gut is different to what lives on our skin. Our patented probiotic, a specialised strain of Micrococcus luteus (M. luteus), naturally lives on human skin and provides your skin with benefits focused on acne and blemish formation while simultaneously improving skin health markers, such as redness, hydration and oil balance.


This strain contributes to skin health by crowding out pathogens, producing antimicrobial peptides, contributing to the skin's pH balance, assisting in skin barrier function, and balancing the skin’s microbiome. The skin’s resident microbes can also be involved in modulating the skin's immune response. They communicate with immune cells and help maintain a balanced and appropriate immune reaction to external stimuli. This regulatory role can contribute to preventing excessive inflammation and a balanced immune response. Resident microbes can also impact the skin’s moisture, contributing to a reduction in transepidermal water loss and maintaining optimal skin hydration levels.

“Probiotics provide health benefits to the skin by being able to help maintain a balanced microbiome, better enabling defence against harmful bacteria (pathogens), and working in partnership with your skin to achieve balanced and healthy skin.”

Prebiotics 
Prebiotics in skin care involve substances or ingredients that can selectively nourish and support the growth of beneficial microbes. When applied topically, prebiotics act as food or fuel for the beneficial bacteria to help stimulate their growth and activity. They are typically non-digestible fibers, such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS), inulin, or galactooligosaccharides (GOS). It's important to note that prebiotic skincare is not about introducing live bacteria to the skin, as is the case with probiotics. Instead, it focuses on supporting the existing beneficial bacteria on the skin's surface and acting as a nutrition/food source for the probiotic. 

Postbiotic
Postbiotics are the by-products or metabolites produced by beneficial microbes, not live microbes themselves. Postbiotics can be a range of things like peptides, enzymes, organic acids, and antimicrobial compounds depending on what probiotic was used and what was collected for use.

Skin Microbiome
The skin’s microbiome can be thought of as a complex ecosystem. It entails a diverse community of microorganisms inhabiting the skin's surface, playing a vital role in maintaining overall skin health. A strong and balanced microbiome is crucial for skin health, as our skin exists in partnership with its resident microbial community. The skin microbiome varies from person to person based on factors like sex, age, body location, antimicrobial agents, and immune function.

The only skin-strain, live probiotic skincare

Our Supernatural Blemish Serum harnesses a world-first, LIVE skin-strain probiotic, a specialised strain of Micrococcus luteus (M. luteus). This beneficial strain naturally lives on human skin. When introduced topically to the skin, the M. luteus in this serum colonise and establish an abundant population on the skin. As it thrives, M. luteus competes with Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes), which are considered a key factor in the formation of blemishes, for essential nutrients and space on the skins surface. By introducing additional, topical M. luteus probiotics to what already exist the skin, it creates an advantage in this competition with M. luteus able to outcompete C. acnes for survival, while also directly inhibiting C. acnes through the production of antimicrobial peptides.

This dual action approach works in harmony with the skin’s natural processes, both reducing acne and blemishes while elevating the skin’s condition by increasing the health of the skin's microbiome. Products that are evidence-based, highly efficacious and simultaneously elevate the overall skin condition are incredibly rare in acne and blemish treatment. It is also incredibly rare for skincare products to contain truly live probiotics.

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