The Power Of Ageing: What Are Postbiotics For Skin?

You may have heard of prebiotics, postbiotics, and probiotics when it comes to having a healthy diet, but what about when it comes to postbiotics for skin? If you’re looking to achieve or maintain healthy, balanced skin, this powerhouse ingredient is super-beneficial to add to your routine and can be found in many incredible skincare products on the beauty market.

Although pre, post, and probiotics might sound a little complicated, it’s actually pretty easy to understand. Here’s how it works: prebiotics feed probiotics, which then go through a fermentation process to give us postbiotics. Together, this potent trio work to nurture your skin’s microbiome – something that’s vital for the health of your skin.

Why Is It Important To Have A Healthy Microbiome?

Your skin is full of microorganisms that are living in harmony in order to keep your skin healthy. Protecting your microbiome ensures your first line of defence against those external aggressors that your skin faces daily – from pollution from the environment through to damaging UV rays from the sun and even your electrical devices. By keeping the ecosystem that these microorganisms live in balanced, you’re ensuring your skin barrier remains strong, and your skin remains healthy.

What Are Postbiotics For Skin?

Postbiotics help to support the good bacteria on your skin. Additionally, they help fight against the bad bacteria, and work to help alleviate skin complaints by:

- Soothing skin inflammation
- Giving anti-pollution protection
- Smoothing skin texture
- Reducing excess sebum that causes breakouts and congestion

What Is The Difference Between Probiotics, Prebiotics And Postbiotics?

Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms. They’re beneficial to your health, and can help to reduce oxidative stress, restore your skin’s pH, and even reduce the effects of sun damage that’s caused by UV light. In skincare, these microbes are applied topically to your skin in various creams or treatments.

Prebiotics
Prebiotics are beneficial to your skin’s microbiome and help to keep your skin healthy. Comprising mostly of plant-based sugar molecules, carbohydrates, and oils, the prebiotics in skincare are help the good bacteria to keep your skin’s microbiome functioning healthily. Common prebiotic ingredients in skincare include flaxseed, ginseng, glucomannan, rice, soy, and oat.

Postbiotics
Postbiotics in skincare are the metabolic by-products or non-viable bacterial product from probiotic bacteria. They’re often produced during the fermentation process of probiotic bacteria and are super beneficial to your skin.

Postbiotics For Ageing Skin

It’s been widely documented that postbiotic skincare is super beneficial for its ant-inflammatory properties along with strengthening your skin’s immune system, and with inflammation being a key driving force for accelerated ageing (known as inflammaging), it makes perfect sense that postbiotic skincare is a great addition for your active ageing skincare routine.

Inflammaging is low-grade, chronic inflammation. It breaks down your skin structure and leads to the loss of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and anti-ageing molecules, like chondroitin. This leads to wrinkles and loss of elasticity in the skin. It can also cause other inflammatory skin conditions, like eczema and acne-like breakouts.

We know that pollution, UV and blue light exposure, and other factors like lack of sleep and poor diet contribute to chronic inflammation, so it’s helpful to have postbiotics in your skincare thanks to the protection they offer from some of these environmental skin-stressors.

What Are Postbiotics For Skin?

Prebiotic, Postbiotic, and Probiotic Skincare: Top 6

Avène Cicalfate + Restorative Protective Cream for Very Sensitive Skin

Avène skincare is specially created to nourish and protect even the most sensitive of skin. This restorative cream blends a combination of powerful ingredients, including soothing Avène Thermal Spring Water, to effectively calm and care for your skin.

One of the star ingredients in this formula is [C-Restore]™ - a postbiotic biotechnological ingredient that’s rich in proteins that helps to restore your skin. The innovative cream forms a moisturising, protective film on areas of skin sensitivity, creating a dressing effect that works to protect your skin from external aggressors. The formula is also combined with a copper-zinc sulfate complex to promote and maintain a healthy skin environment which enables optimal recovery.

mesoestetic Hydracream Fusion

This anti-pollution cleansing facial oil is specifically formulated for your dry and sensitive skin. It works to provide nourishment and hydration to your skin as you cleanse, leaving your complexion feeling beautifully smooth.

The gentle but luxurious cream to oil cleanser is based on plant lipids and contains a plethora of active ingredients that includes lactobacillus ferment, a postbiotic ingredient that balances skin microbiota and is essential in improving your skin barrier function for the health of your skin.

The formula also includes Urban D-tox - a plant derived ingredient that can remove contaminating particles from your skin and improve the formation of free radicals that lead to premature ageing. It helps to improve your skins immunity whilst reinforcing your skin's barrier function. The addition of squalane provides your skin with intensive nourishment and immediate smoothness.

VENN Skincare Synbiotic Polyamine Body Wash

Enriched with VENN's proprietary combination of prebiotics, postbiotics, and probiotic ferments, this low-pH restorative body cleanser is a real powerhouse.

With lactobacillus ferment, bacillus ferment, saccharomyces ferment, galactomyces ferment filtrate, levan, and xylitol, and polyamine from soybeans, the gentle but effective formula works to support your skin barrier whilst nourishing your skin.

The unique formula featured tiny, tight micro-bubbles that are created using VENN's specialist NSG Technology. Using mild, plant-derived surfactants, the formula gives a gentle but effective cleanse.

The vegan-friendly advanced formula also includes jojoba and a mindful combination of six herbal extracts that are taken from flowers and plants that are rich with free radical-fighting antioxidants.

Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist

This multi-tasking mist smooths, soothes, restores, and refines all skin types.

Perfect for use when you're travelling, the mist delivers your skin with a super-beneficial diffusion of actives that, thanks to a remarkable anti-evaporation molecule, lock onto your skin rather than disappearing. Combined with restorative nutrients like silver, silk amino acids, and ergothioneine, the soothing actives help to alleviate the tell-tale signs of fatigue whilst also reducing the appearance of your pores for a flawless, brightened complexion.

KORRES Greek Yoghurt Probiotic Skin-Supplement Serum

Cool and smooth your skin with this comforting serum. With prebiotics, probiotics, and concentrated essential nutrients, the cream gives a soft finish to your skin whilst helping to alleviate the appearance of imperfections.

Minimalist Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA) 03% Toner

Tighten your pores, mildly exfoliates, hydrates, and re-balance your skin microbiome with this multitasking toner.

Formulated for all skin types, the toner is blended with prebiotics and probiotics that work to balance your skin's microbiome. With a lightweight finish, the formula glides onto your skin effortlessly before absorbing quickly and completely, leaving you with balanced, strengthened, and hydrated skin.

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