Microbiome
Billions of microorganisms, including beneficial bacteria, live on our skin to form a unique ecosystem known as the skin microbiome. Acting as a vital part of your natural skin barrier, this personalised shield protects against environmental stressors while keeping your skin calm, resilient, and healthy. However, factors such as pollution, stress, and harsh weather can disrupt this delicate balance, leading to sensitivity, irritation, or skin conditions. Integrating prebiotic skincare into your daily routine helps feed and support these good bacteria, restoring harmony to your microbiome and leaving your skin naturally balanced and glowing.
Most of these microorganisms that live on healthy skin are either harmless or beneficial to our skin. But in addition to these peaceful organisms, there are also aggressive organisms – as long as the beneficial microorganisms are in the majority and displace the harmful ones, our skin is healthy. Genetic factors or environmental influences such as UV light, stress or improper care can throw our microbiome out of balance. If our microbiome is disturbed, this can lead to various skin conditions or diseases, e.g. neurodermatitis, psoriasis, sensitive skin or even acne.
Beyond prebiotics, you may also have heard of probiotic skincare, which uses viable or living microorganisms to directly influence your microbiome. However, true probiotic cosmetics are surprisingly rare; because standard skincare requires preservatives to stay safe and fresh, these same preservatives often kill off the live bacteria, giving them a very short shelf life. Maintaining live cultures throughout production, packaging and daily use remains a huge challenge for the industry, which is why prebiotic skincare is a much more effective choice. Instead of trying to keep fragile bacteria alive in a jar, prebiotics provide the essential fuel that your skin’s existing “good” bacteria need to thrive.
If you are wondering whether you can truly restore a damaged skin barrier, the answer is a resounding yes- and nourishing your microbiome with prebiotic care is one of the best ways to rebuild its natural strength and balance.
How long does it take for damaged skin barrier to regain balance?
While the time it takes to restore your skin barrier varies based on your unique skin type and the level of damage, the good news is that your skin naturally renews itself roughly every 14 days. By consistently incorporating prebiotic skincare into your routine, you give your skin the targeted support it needs to speed up this renewal process, helping to rebuild a stronger, healthier, and more resilient barrier in a matter of weeks.
Which products promote the regeneration of the skin barrier?
Our innovative Barrier Balance rane, enriched with nourishing prebiotics and soothing organic green tea, is specifically designed to strengthen and protect your skin barrier while supporting a healthy, vibrant microbiome. Formualted with powerful prebiotic ingredients like inulin, lactobacillus ferment, and Jerusalem artichoke extract, this line actively feeds your skin’s friendly bacteria. By helping those good microbes thrive, it creates a natural defense against harmful, pathogenic bacteria- leaving your skin visibly clearer, calmer, and beautifully balanced.
How do I protect my skin’s microbiome?
To keep your skin flora balanced and protected against daily triggers like stress and UV light, a few simple lifestyle and skincare habits can make all the difference:
Manage stress levels: High stress can disrupt your skin’s natural ecosystem, so taking time to unwind is essential for healthy skin.
Be sun smart: Protect your skin from excessive UV exposure, which can weaken both the barrier and your microbiome.
Choose prebiotic skincare: Support your skin’s natural defenses with care tailored to nourish beneficial bacteria and keep your microbiome in harmony.
Avoid over-cleansing: Washing your skin too frequently can strip away the essential oils and friendly microbes it needs to thrive.
Skip harsh surfactants: Steer clear of aggressive cleansers that dry out and irritate the skin.
Opt for gentle, prebiotic cleansers: Cleanse with mild, pH-balanced formulas that protect your skin barrier while keeping your microbiome happily intact.
What are prebiotics?
To understand how prebiotic skincare works, it helps to start with what prebiotics actually are: natural nutrients that feed your skin’s microbiome to boost the growth and activity of its beneficial bacteria. Put simply, prebiotics are the ultimate "superfood" for the friendly microbes living on your skin, keeping them strong, active, and healthy.
By contrast, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines probiotics as live microorganisms (like beneficial bacteria) that, when consumed or applied in sufficient amounts, deliver direct health benefits to the body.
Prebiotic skincare works on a beautifully simple principle: by delivering targeted nutrients that act as "food" for your skin's friendly microbes, it directly feeds and flourishes the good bacteria already living on your skin. As these helpful bacteria multiply, they naturally keep harmful, disease-causing microorganisms at bay. In fact, certain prebiotics even encourage the production of antimicrobial peptides—your skin's very own defense molecules that actively ward off unwanted bacteria. While prebiotic skincare doesn't repair the skin barrier directly, it creates the ultimate healthy environment for your skin to heal, balance, and protect itself naturally.
Benefits of prebiotic skincare
Prebiotic skincare products help strengthen the skin barrier by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria that protect the skin from disease-causing bacteria, thereby balancing the skin flora.
Prebiotics support a balanced skin microbiome, which is necessary to keep the skin healthy and resilient. Prebiotics serve as food for beneficial bacteria and help to strengthen the balance of the skin flora.
Scientific studies have shown that prebiotic skincare products can increase skin hydration, smooth the skin, and reduce age spots and the appearance of wrinkles. They help keep the skin healthy.
Prebiotic ingredients in lavera natural products
Lactobacillus Ferment (INCI: Lactobacillus Ferment): This fermentation product supports the skin barrier by containing antimicrobial peptides that displace harmful bacteria on the skin and balance the skin flora. It also has moisturising and soothing properties, as well as anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, it can help skin cells renew, help improve skin texture and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
Indian prickly pear extract (INCI: Opuntia ficus-indica stem extract): The extract of the prickly pear cactus is particularly rich in nutrients. As a result, it unleashes prebiotic activity by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria to allow them to better compete with harmful bacteria. It maintains the balance in the bacterial community.
Ginger & Organic Green Tea (INCI: Lactobacillus/Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract/Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract Ferment Filtrate): Ginger contains prebiotic fibre, which can support the growth of good bacteria. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help maintain a healthy skin flora. Due to its antimicrobial properties, ginger can inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria, which in turn can lead to a more balanced microbiome. Green tea has an anti-inflammatory effect and can reduce irritation and redness and help the skin repair itself.
Our Barrier Balance Care Series without perfume and without alcohol combines all these ingredients and thus offers you everything you need for your new prebiotic routine.
