It’s also known as the skin flora, and no, we don’t mean flowers
If you don’t know what is the skin microbiome, welcome to the club. We’re just as clueless, but let us help you do the research and break it down into simple terms for you.
What is the skin microbiome?
The skin microbiome is an ecosystem of microorganisms on the skin’s surface. Your skin comprises many beneficial (good) and pathogenic (bad) microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and yeast. The interactions of these microorganisms with the skin will make up your skin microbiome.
A balanced skin microbiome is very important to your skin’s health in order to achieve a healthy-looking skin. However, your skin microbiome can become unbalanced when there are more harmful microorganisms than useful ones, causing your skin to become dry and sensitive.
What does the skin microbiome do?
So, what does the skin microbiome do exactly? The skin microbiome is actually a part of your skin’s epidermis to protect your skin from external aggressors, such as harmful UV rays and air pollution from our surroundings.
To help your skin shield itself from harmful external aggressors, the skin microbiome works with other parts of your skin to fight infection and fortify your skin’s immunity.
On top of that, your skin microbiome also aids in wound healing, as well as controlling any form of inflammation.
What will affect the skin microbiome?
It is important to know the following factors that will affect your skin microbiome, which will ultimately cause a weakened skin barrier.
1. Temperature
When you’re in a hotter environment, your body temperature also rises. When this happens, it accelerates the growth of harmful bacteria on your skin, which causes skin microbiome imbalance.
2. Humidity
Similarly, the skin microbiome is also affected by the humidity levels from your surroundings. High humidity levels will tend to promote the growth of harmful bacteria on your skin, tilting the balance of the skin microbiome.
3. Diet
You are what you eat so to encourage a healthy skin microbiome, you should focus on foods that contain prebiotics and probiotics (such as oats, yoghurt and soy milk). Moreover, you should also avoid processed foods and extra sugar as they may trigger inflammation.
4. Stress
Stress is like the gift that keeps on giving. Besides negatively affecting your mental health, it also negatively impacts your body and of course, your skin. Having a stressful lifestyle is known to cause cell damage and affect collagen production. Hence, the effects of a stressful lifestyle will no doubt mess up our skin microbiome.
5. Skincare
To be more specific, the wrong skincare for your skin. For instance, the soap we use tends to be alkaline (up to pH 10). However, the skin microbiome prefers a slightly acidic pH level of 5 to stay healthy. Not only that, harmful bacteria are more likely to grow in more alkaline conditions. Hence, the skin microbiome may be damaged with the continuous use of alkaline skincare.
All the above factors that promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria on our skin will ultimately cause problems such as dehydration, sagging skin, loss of density and wrinkles.
How to regulate the skin microbiome?
We cannot emphasise enough the importance of an optimal skin microbiome, which essentially translates to a healthy and strong skin barrier. Without it, you’re basically defenseless against external stressors and your skin will be more prone to signs of ageing even before you hit 30!
To preserve your skin health, you need to try out Estetica’s Biologic Defense Facial that is designed to achieve an optimal level of skin flora to regulate your skin microbiome. Winner of Best Anti-Ageing Facial in Harper’s Bazaar Spa Awards, the Biologic Defense Facial helps to fortify your skin’s immunity, defend against microbial invasion, and shield the skin from pollution and UV rays.
It’s never too late to start taking good care of your skin microbiome with the Biologic Defense Facial! P.S. You can also purchase the Biologic Defense range of products to keep up with the skincare routine from the comforts of home too.
In Good Hands,
Estetica
