Microbiome Korean Skin Care
If you're interested in Korean beauty then chances are you've noticed the rise in microbiome Korean skin care. If you're curious about the category and wondering whether it might be the right choice for your skin care then read on.
We're going to explore why having a healthy microbiome is important and how it can help protect our skin.
Your Skin's Microbiome
You know about gut bacteria but there's also bacteria living on your skin. That's why the health of your skin's microbiome is so important.
Like your gut, your skin is constantly interacting with the environment. It not only protects you from infection and sun damage but also influences your skin's immunity. Having a healthy and strong microbiome protects your skin from conditions like dermatitis and rosacea, as well as flare-ups and inflammation.
To learn more about microbiome cosmetics in Korean beauty tune into this episode of the Korean Beauty Show podcast:
What Is Microbiome Skin Care And Why Is It Trending?
If the latest Google trends analysis is anything to go by we're only going to be hearing more about microbiome cosmetics. Searches for the category have been steadily increasing over the last five years.
This is backed up by other data, which shows that the global market for microbiome cosmetics is expected to grow to US$ 62.1 million by 2030. This equates to an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6% from 2022 to 2030.
Probiotic and microbiome skincare are set to become an extremely important category in the global beauty industry.
However, in order to understand your skin's microbiome properly you need to first understand the three "biotics", namely pre, pro and post-biotics.
- Prebiotics are foods that the natural flora on our skin consumes;
- Probiotics are the optimal strains of living bacteria that balance out our natural flora;
- Finally, postbiotics are the outputs or leftovers from probiotics.
Pre-biotics in Skincare
Put simply, prebiotics are food sources for probiotics. They include fiber and certain sugars. In skincare, this includes plant sugars, xylitol, oligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. "Saccharides" is the skincare equivalent of "sugar".
Pro-biotics in Skincare
Probiotics on the other hand are live, active bacteria. Each strain has a different function. These days, probiotics are one of the highest selling supplements in Korea. To hear more about supplements in Kbeauty tune into this episode of the podcast.
After our gut, the second largest microbiome in the human body is the skin. That's why so many Korean skin care companies are now creating probiotic skincare.
Balancing your skin's microbiome with the use of probiotics can contribute to:
- Managing aging concerns;
- Counteracting environmental factors;
- Optimising your skin’s natural pH levels;
- Calming irritated and red skin;
- Locking in moisture.
What Are Probiotic Ingredients?
You'll often hear ingredients like ferments and lysates described as "probiotics". However, because these bacteria are no longer alive, they are more accurately described as post-biotics, i.e. the by-product of probiotics.
Cosmetics don't usually contain active or live bacteria because they are less safe and stable. Live bacteria are less predictable and therefore pose a greater risk of contamination, meaning they are not a popular ingredient choice for most Korean beauty companies.
Post-biotics in Skincare
That brings us to the third main type of Biotic; post-biotics. These are the by-products or leftovers of probiotic bacteria. They have either been fermented or gone through lysation (hence, they are referred to as a "Lysate").
However, postbiotics work in a similar way to pre- and pro-biotics in the sense that they support the good bacteria living on our skin’s surface. They can include things like enzymes, peptides and organic acids.
In reality, these are the key category of ingredient you will find in most skincare products even if they are referred to as "probiotics".
Want to Try Microbiome Korean Skin Care?
Microbiome skincare is a popular category of Korean beauty and has been growing steadily since the pandemic. This is in line with sales for probiotic supplement products.
One of our favourite microbiome Korean skin care ingredients is Lactobacillus ferment, which is extracted from the fermentation of lactic acid bacteria. It helps to reduce the effects of toxins and maintain the balance and integrity of the skin microbiome.
You'll find it in this serum, which is ideal for all skin types and helps to refine skin texture.