Cosmetic formulas for a healthy skin microbiome

Cosmetic ingredients for the microbiome: prebiotics and probiotics

Amongst the various cosmetic ingredients to balance the microbiome now available, you will see two key players commonly referred to: prebiotics and probiotics.

• prebiotics: these ingredients nurture bacterial growth, activity and reproduction. Prebiotic cosmetic ingredients are researched and selected based on their ability to ‘feed’ the bacteria that has beneficial activity for the skin, whilst selectively not supporting the bacteria which impacts the skin negatively. You can recognize prebiotics for application to the skin with INCI designations as the proteins, vitamins and minerals normally found in milk, inulin, and also includes certain ingredients based on bacterial fermentation (for example, with the INCI ‘ferment’.)

Watch this video to see how to formulate a prebiotic skin yoghurt.

• probiotics: cosmetic probiotics differ from food probiotics in that food probiotics are often live cell cultures in (most commonly) dairy products that need refrigeration. Cosmetic probiotics, by comparison, are typically ‘lysates’ of these beneficial bacteria (usually with an INCI ending in ‘ferment lysate’). The lysate is manufactured from carefully chosen ‘good’ bacteria, which is then degraded under specific and controlled conditions to obtain fragments of the original bacteria, such as DNA, metabolites, cell wall materials and other desirable contents. Lysates may be available as cosmetic ingredients mixed with herbal extracts, a suitable ‘carrier’ solvent and/or a milk-based prebiotic to stabilise the lysate as a raw material and when added to cosmetic formulas, so they are ready to be activated when applied to the skin.

Watch this video to see how to formulate a probiotic cream for skin renewal.

How do prebiotics and probiotics support skin benefits?

It is impractical to apply live bacterial cultures to the skin; to do so would not be aesthetically or cosmetically desirable, and since the cultures need to be refrigerated with a very short shelf life, it is also unsuitable for cosmetics based on how commercial quantities are manufactured and distributed.

Instead, we need to formulate with either the nutrients that specifically enhance the growth of desirable microorganisms (using prebiotics) or the lysates of desirable bacteria (probiotics) that is then used by the good bacteria of the skin to support growth, provide nutritive and metabolic substances, or otherwise facilitate the health of the microbiome. It is important to point out that numerous efficacy studies carried out by various cosmetic ingredient suppliers prove the benefits of both prebiotics and probiotics, even though ‘live’ cell cultures are not used in cosmetic formulations.

Feeding the skin with prebiotics is probably an easy concept to understand; it is much like us eating good food to provide necessary nutrients for ongoing health. Lysates are often misunderstood as inactive substances, however, yet they have been scientifically proven to interact with receptors on skin cells which then stimulates beneficial activity within the epidermis to obtain the desired physiological benefits and visible results.

If you are still confused by the concept of using ‘food’ or ‘lysate components’, it is important to remember two things:

• research has shown that you do not need the ‘live’ cultures of bacteria to obtain the desired benefits in topically applied skin care – boosting both the growth of the existing cultures on the skin, or providing the cell contents of carefully degraded cultures still provides the required results; and
• clinical efficacy data using the cosmetic pre- and probiotic ingredients proves these ingredients work, without needing to be the ‘live’ culture.

By balancing the microbiome and supporting the growth of desired bacteria, these ingredients are able to selectively improve cell turnover, reduce irritation and/or infection, and regulate the skin’s normal defense mechanisms.

Do preservatives inactivate prebiotics, probiotics or impact the microbiome?

There is much misinformation and confusion about this point on the internet, so let’s clear this up simply. Since no ‘live’ bacteria are used in cosmetic formulas, preservatives have no impact on the prebiotic or probiotic ingredients or their viability.

Interestingly, preservatives are usually the most controversial ingredient selection a cosmetic chemist can make because of misinformation on the internet and misrepresentations about how they work on the skin. It is important to remember that preservatives are also one of the most tightly regulated cosmetic ingredients around the world – there are strict limits on which preservatives can be used in cosmetic formulas, and the amounts that can be used, based on countless comparative studies and subjects of scientific research groups. You can see more information on preservative selection – and myth busting - in this video. Preservative limits have been set to ensure there are no debilitating or harmful effects on the skin; and in doing so, mean they do not impact the skin microbiome negatively either - otherwise there would be a detrimental effect on application to the skin rather than noted improvements by their correct use as part of a properly formulated cosmetic product.

What benefits can prebiotic and probiotic cosmetic ingredients provide?

As research continues in this area, we are bound to see more benefits to add to this list. In the meantime, you can expect a variety of benefits including:

• anti-acne results – watch this video for an anti-acne serum with specific prebiotic activity
• anti-acne peel-off patches using prebiotics
• anti-ageing results – watch this video to formulate a skin renewal cream
• anti-dandruff results – watch this video to formulate an anti-dandruff serum
• soothing after sun gel containing prebiotics and probiotics
• night repair – watch this video to formulate an organic night repair cream

So, now its over to you to get formulating with prebiotic and probiotic cosmetic ingredients: experience big results from the tiny organisms living within the microbiome of the skin.

Happy formulating!