The Importance of the Microbiome in Skincare

The microbiome! You've probably heard the term thrown around in a podcast or two. Well, let's dive in, shall we? In relation to the skin, in simplest terms, the microbiome is a whole community of organisms including hundreds of species and strains of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living on its surface. These various types of bacteria coexist with the skin’s natural immune system and live in harmony (most of the time.) A happy microbiome works with your skin to fight off pathogens. Hence, this ultimately affects the way the skin functions whilst defending it against environmental stressors. The skin can be a fairly hostile environment sometimes, so this ecosystem controls how well the skin functions and how easily products can be absorbed to help the skin function at its best.

Why is a balanced microbiome crucial to your skin health? Well, because when the microbiome is balanced, your skin looks and feels its healthiest. It can become unbalanced when there are more harmful bacteria than helpful bacteria present, and this can lead to issues like dryness, acne, and itching.

In some cases, our skin's pH is quite acidic, but we have natural defense mechanisms to guard against bad bacteria like excessive sebum, which is antimicrobial. If you are an active or athletic person, the microbiome can suffer if there is too much thrown on its plate. Having a diverse balance of probiotics and prebiotics is the key to a happy microbiome, amongst other new and exciting ingredients that ZL Skin is ready to showcase for you... all in one bottle.