Prebiotics & Probiotics In Skincare : What It Means & What Are Its Benefits

The terms Prebiotics & Probiotics are often synonymous to gut and gut health, and the benefits it has on our skin when applied topically are often overlooked. Growing up in Indian households, Lassi and Chaas has always been our “kool-aid”, and it doesn’t just come with a yummy flavour, but keeps our gut health intact and our digestion in check.

It is not just our gut that supports microorganisms. Our skin is home to millions of little microorganisms and exhibits its very own ecosystem - skin’s microbiome which is crucial as it creates a skin barrier, helps maintain our skin’s pH levels, deals with acne and leaves our skin hydrated. All these benefits make it imperative to ensure a healthy atmosphere for our skin’s bacteria to grow and prosper. 

This is where Prebiotics and Probiotics plays its part. Adding curd, yeast, kombucha, etc. to your DIY face masks not just improves the consistency of your face packs but has its own advantages. Before getting into the numerous benefits, let us get know the difference between -

Prebiotics v/s Probiotics - 

As discussed above, a number of bacterias dwell on our skin’s surface which are both good and bad. Bad bacteria aren’t the weeds which are needed to get rid of, rather it is mandatory to maintain a balance between different kinds of skin flora to keep our skin healthy. Probiotics influence the activity of these live cultures of microorganisms on our skin and the food this microflora requires for its nourishment is referred to as Prebiotics. Incorporating Prebiotics & Probiotics in our skincare makes it certain that the good bacteria thrives in our skin’s microbiome keeping our overall skin health preserved.

Benefits of Prebiotics in Skincare -

• Creates a Skin Barrier - The bacterial compounds in Probiotics can evoke immune responses on the skin surface therefore improving the overall skin barrier. The bioactives from probiotics include Lactic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Acetic Acid, Lipoteichoic Acid which further improves the skin barrier function. 

• Great Exfoliating agent - It creates a balance between skin’s microbiome i.e., all the good and bad bacteria in the skin, getting rid of all the clogged pores and dead skin cells by exfoliation. Beneficial in altering the epidermal and dermal cells, it acts like a natural exfoliator without causing any skin irritation or redness. 

• Beneficial for Acne breakouts - Prebiotics & Probiotics have a calming effect when applied topically and is very mild on the skin, thus reducing the chances of acne breakouts. It fights against skin inflammation and is an excellent tool to aid acne by promoting a healthy environment to the skin’s microbiome.

• Skin Rejuvenation & Hydration - It has proven to boost the generation of Ceramide in the skin. It also results in skin rejuvenation and hydration, leaves skin moisturised and enhances the production of skin’s own antimicrobial Peptides which rebuilds and repairs skin cells.

• Maintains skin’s pH levels - Prebiotics & Probiotics penetrate deep into the skin and shield the healthy bacteria. It further protects it from external pollutants like pollution and UV rays from the sun while managing the skin’s pH levels. 

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