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What is microbiome-friendly skincare?
I've been using the term "microbiome friendly" skincare lately when I talk about my products, so I thought it would be helpful to post a basic overview of what that means here on the blog.
This concept is why my completely natural, minimalist skincare products work - because they effectively cleanse and nourish your skin without disrupting its delicate microbiome.
So what is the skin's microbiome?
When I talk about the microbiome, I'm talking about all of the good bacteria and microbes that live on your skin. Did you know that your skin is crawling with little microscopic creatures? And that they're helping to keep your skin balanced? Crazy, right?
These beneficial bacteria strains fight potentially harmful bacteria that can cause infections or inflammation (as well as breakouts,) so it's essential to keep the good bacteria protected and happy if you want healthy, glowing skin. And all of this good bacteria lives in your skin's barrier layer - so any skincare that you use needs to protect and support the skin barrier.
What is the skin barrier?
The skin barrier is the layer of oil (sebum) that your skin produces naturally. This is where the good bacteria live, so it's essential to keep this protective layer of oil on your face. (Yes, this is the opposite of what we learned about skincare growing up in the 1990s.) Science has come a long way in understanding the microbiome, even just over the past few years, so once and for all, please forget everything you think you know about oil being the enemy and ditch any product claiming to remove oil from your face. Oil is good. The oil IS the skin barrier. Healthy skin barrier = beautiful, healthy skin.
Very important note: the skin barrier is acidic. Sometimes it's also called the "acid mantle."
The skin barrier, the protective layer of oil that houses your microbiome, has a slightly acidic pH level. The good bacteria thrive at a pH of about 4.5-5.5, so the skincare products you use should never create an alkaline environment on your skin. (By the way, pH is the potential hydrogen of a substance. It's how we measure if something is acidic or basic. On the pH scale, which ranges from 0-14, 1-6 is acidic, 7 is neutral, and 8-14 is alkaline.) Alkaline cleansers strip the skin barrier, creating an inhospitable environment for the microbiome to thrive.
Now, it's important to note that your skin doesn't exist in a vacuum. Many environmental and biological factors can affect your skin's pH level, and it's constantly working to balance itself. It's impossible to keep your skin at a perfectly acidic pH level all the time, but when it comes to skincare, there are some simple choices you can make daily that will hugely impact the integrity of your skin barrier layer.
And why do you want to protect your skin barrier, aka the acid mantle, again?
In addition to housing the microbiome, i.e., all of the good bacteria that fight infection, your skin barrier keeps your skin protected and moisturized by preventing transepidermal water loss. A damaged skin barrier leaves your skin prone to problems: like extreme dryness, irritation, eczema, allergic reactions, breakouts, rosacea, psoriasis, and premature aging. Chances are, if your skin is dry, sensitive, reactive, and breakout-prone, you've actually got a weakened skin barrier. This is why microbiome and skin-barrier-friendly skincare is a must!
Here's a short and non-exhaustive list of things that damage your skin barrier and microbiome:
- too alkaline cleansers (soaps and anything that foams are too alkaline)
- using too many products with too many active ingredients
- using water-based moisturizers that aren't pH balanced (they should be in that 4.5-5.5 range)
- over-exfoliating and scrubbing
- using too many/too strong acids on the skin
- using products that contain a too-strong dilution of essential oils, or applying essential oils to the skin neat
- stress
Here's a short and non-exhaustive list of things that can repair your skin barrier and microbiome:
- using a gentle, ph balanced, non-foaming cleanser
- using a slightly acidic toner to re-balance the skin's pH after cleansing
- using natural oil-based moisturizers to replenish the skin's natural oils and balance the skin's oil production
- simplifying your routine and reducing the number of products you apply overall
- exfoliating just 1-2 times per week
- using products with a low, safe dilution of essential oils, or using essential-oil free products
- managing your stress
So how does this apply to your skincare routine?
I recommend that everyone start with a gentle, basic 3-step skincare routine and my starter skincare set ($55) which contains everything you need for a microbiome and skin-barrier-friendly routine.
First: cleansing.
Cleansing is essential for removing dirt, harmful bacteria, and environmental pathogens from your skin daily, but it needs to happen with the microbiome in mind. To protect your skin barrier, (which again, houses your microbiome,) you must ensure that you're cleansing with gentle, non-alkaline cleansers. My non-foaming powder cleansers are perfect for this task. Trust me. I've been washing my face with natural flours and clays (and nothing else) for over seven years now, and my skin is better than ever, so I promise you don't need any foam or bubbles to cleanse your skin effectively! Oil cleansing is also very effective at dissolving dirt and the old, hardening oil buildup in your pores, while nourishing and replenishing your skin's natural, protective oils. I recommend double cleansing to remove makeup, or to anyone who struggles with easily congested pores and breakouts.
Next: toning.
Toning is also essential! Toning is the skincare step that makes all the difference for most of my customers. So if you only take one thing away from this post: add toner to your routine after cleansing. Toner is slightly acidic, so it helps re-balance your skin's pH after mixing and rinsing off your powder (or oil) cleanser with too-alkaline tap water.
Finally: moisturizing.
Oil-based moisturizers (like my Oil and Butter) are full of moisturizing fatty acids and antioxidants that repair and heal the skin barrier and fight the free radicals that cause premature aging. Even if you have oily skin, moisturizing with oil will balance your skin's oil production. (Often, too-oily skin is just a result of your skin trying to self-correct and re-balance itself after you've cleansed with a too-alkaline product!) Remember: your skin barrier is oil. Oil is your friend. Moisturizing with oil can help replenish the barrier layer and protect your skin.
And that's it?
Yes! No fancy serums or extra, overpriced products are necessary. Keep it simple, as gentle as possible, and stop washing away your skin barrier so it can do its job - to balance, protect, and heal your skin, naturally!
I find this hard to believe. Don't I need something more? Something fancier?
I don't think so! As I said, I love offering a minimalist, sustainable approach. No need to keep shopping around. But, if you have a microbiome-friendly routine and you just have to try the latest thing, feel free to experiment with other products. Do you! Just stay barrier-aware and lookout for products that cause sensitivity, dryness, and other negative reactions. But I think that if you keep it simple with a gentle routine, you'll find that you don't need much more.
But why should I believe you?
I started learning about the microbiome and skin barrier after experimenting with my powder cleansers for the first time back in 2016. I'm not a scientist or a doctor, but I wanted to understand why it happened that washing my face with a simple blend of rice flour, tapioca, and kaolin clay was so much better for my skin than anything I had tried before! After years of research, a lot of this knowledge is kind of second nature to me at this point. I try to summarize everything I've read to make it simple for you on my blog, but here are a few of my favorite resources if you'd like to learn more and have actual scientists and doctors back up my claims:
- A great book for you: Dirty Looks, The Secret to Beautiful Skin, by Whitney Bowe, MD
- A documentary on Netflix, if reading isn't your thing: Vox: Your Skin, Explained
- A couple of old but good NYTs articles: All of Those Products are Making Your Skin Worse and This is Your Skin on Stress Also! I highly recommend following the journalist who wrote the latter article on Substack. I support everything she has to say about skincare, and the beauty industry in general. Her journalism turn you into a more aware, informed consumer. It's great stuff.
Can I ask you more questions?
That depends - are you asking just to shop around, or are you willing to actually take my advice and apply it to your life? Because I pretty much just covered everything I have to say about skincare! As far as I'm concerned, the same rules apply to everyone. Truly. So, my advice is always the same for everyone: start with my starter skincare set, and use it daily!
You're always welcome to leave a question on the product pages of my website, and I'll respond there ASAP. I'm also available for questions anytime to members of my Patreon community. Of course, there are samples of all of my skincare products available online, so I always recommend giving them a try to see how they work for you!
Thanks for reading. But your skin thanks you, especially!
Stefanie
