When you think of bacteria, you probably think of little microscopic organisms that can make you sick, but here’s something that may blow your mind…Your body needs both GOOD and BAD bacteria to stay healthy!
WHAT IS YOUR MICROBIOME?
The base of your immune system is your gut microbiome, a complex balance of good and bad bacteria that works to keep your gut healthy and helps you maintain a healthy weight, control blood sugar levels, and help prevent other issues. Oh, and it’s not the only microbiome your body has.
People rarely tend to mention it, but keeping a balanced skin microbiome is probably the best way to keep your skin healthy and protected from acne, irritation, and signs of aging. But if you’re not taking the right steps and precautions to protect it, you can end up doing much more harm than good to your skin.
COMMON CULPRITS THAT DAMAGE YOUR SKIN’S MICROBIOME
Over-Layering: If you layer too many products on your skin, all those different chemicals and ingredients can confuse your microbiome and actively alter it. Instead, try taking a less is more approach to skincare, and make sure to use natural products with as few artificial ingredients as possible.
Harsh Skincare Ingredients: Many ingredients and preservatives found in popular skincare products are too harsh for your microbiome, throwing off its balance and affecting your skin’s health.
Alkalinity: Many people don’t realize that healthy skin is actually a little acidic! This helps keep in moisture and balance bacteria levels - yet tons of cleansers are alkalized, meaning they neutralize the acidity of your skin and remove your microbiome completely.
It may come back sooner if you’re young, but as we age, this can go from taking only a few hours to taking weeks, leaving your skin exposed to all kinds of damage. Instead, try a gentle cleanser that will remove all impurities from pores without stripping your skin, like our MANDARIN MELT CLEANSING BALM.
Stress: Have you ever noticed that your stomach starts to hurt when you feel overly stressed? Well, it’s because your gut, brain, and skin all use the microorganisms in your microbiome to communicate. This is also why your skin can break out or acne can worsen when you’re stressed - it’s all connected!
Poor Diet Lacking in Gut Maintenance: Like I just mentioned, the gut and the skin are connected. If you’re not eating foods that are rich in probiotics to feed your good bacteria and keep your gut healthy, your skin’s microbiome will be weak and unable to defend itself.
Over-Exfoliating: However you exfoliate to give your skin some renewal - whether chemical, physical, or both - make sure to do it gently and only once or twice a week! Exfoliating too much or with too harsh of an exfoliator can remove your microbiome. Try a non-abrasive, glycolic acid and fruit enzyme wash that naturally exfoliates without stripping your microbiome, like our DEEP ENZYME CLEANSE!
Antibiotics: Whenever antibiotics are used, they wipe out ALL bacteria, indiscriminately removing your microbiome… Meaning that your body has to start from scratch to build it back up.
To help maintain and balance your microbiome more predictably, it's important to find a skincare line that incorporates pre-, pro-, and post-biotics. These ingredients support a healthy microbiome and keep it balanced and maintained. This keeps your skin healthy and helps it recover faster when exposed to threats or toxins.
You may find the days of those elusive and mysterious breakouts, bumps, and dry patches might start to diminish when you maintain your microbiome - remember, your face has feelings too!
