We hear the phrase "good microbiome for skin" in the cosmetic industry in recent years.

 

If the word "microbiome" is new to you, you can rephrase it with "good bacteria for skin." 

... But isn’t bacteria bad for your skin? What is “good microbiome for skin” anyway? What are the effects of it?

 

But in fact, it is becoming clearer and clearer that these "good bacteria for skin", or “good microbiome for skin” may be essential for obtaining beautiful skin without any troubles.

 

Rather than using expensive cosmetics, regulating and balancing your skin microbiome may going to be a shortcut to get beautiful skin.

 

As a specialist in microbiome care, we KINS keep focusing on all kinds of the microbiome in our body including good microbiome for skin, and have been proposing a lifestyle to care for them.

Let's learn about the basics of the microbiome with KINS.

 

 

 

A natural cosmetic, good microbiome for skin

The good microbiome for skin, in other words, Staphylococcus epidermidis, is a type of skin microbiome.

There are hundreds of billions of skin microbiome.

And there are more than 20 different types of them that live in our skin, although they are not visible.

 

You may know that the microbiome in your intestines is called "intestinal flora." And similarly, the skin microbiome is called "skin flora", and various microbiome gather in groups like a flower garden.

 

Among them, Staphylococcus epidermidis plays a major role in skin hydration and the skin's barrier function.

 

It has to do with the glycerin and fatty acids produced by live Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Glycerin is a very popular moisturizing ingredient so you may have heard of it. But the fact is, Staphylococcus epidermidis itself can also produce this moisturizing ingredient!

 

Furthermore, Staphylococcus epidermidis can inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that causes rough skin and atopic dermatitis.

For these abilities of moisturizing and protecting the skin, Staphylococcus epidermis is called the "good microbiome for skin."

 

 

Knowing your skin flora is the key to beautiful skin

We have already mentioned that Staphylococcus epidermidis is commonly called the good microbiome for skin, but many other kinds of microbiome exist on our skin too.

The collection of these skin indigenous microbiome is the so-called "skin flora".

And maintaining the balance of this skin flora is the key to achieving beautiful skin.

 

In particular, the following microbiome are representative of skin flora;

・Staphylococcus epidermidis

・Cutibacterium acne

・Corynebacterium 

・Malassezia fungus

 

We have already explained that Staphylococcus epidermidis works well for us as a "good microbiome for skin", but what do the other microbiome do?

Let's take a closer look.

 

 

Cutibacterium acne, acne-causing bacteria

Many people may think of acne-causing bacteria as "bad" bacteria.
There are indeed many acne care cosmetics that claim; "antibacterial" or to "kill Cutibacterium acne."

However, Cutibacterium acne is not generally a "bad" bacteria for the skin. 

Cutibacterium acne is considered to be one of the most common skin indigenous microbiome.

There is no such thing as a person who is completely free of Cutibacterium acne, and they naturally exist on the skin of all people.

 

Normally, they play the same role as Staphylococcus epidermidis in moisturizing the skin.

However, when they overgrow for some reason, they become the cause of acne.

In other words, it's not that Cutibacterium acne is bad, but that their overgrowth is bad.

 

 

Corynebacterium

Corynebacterium is a bacterium commonly found in the human body, as are Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis.

However, Corynebacterium's ability to produce ingredients that contain toxins for the skin makes it an unwelcome presence for those who want to have beautiful skin.

If the overall balance of the microbiome is lost and the number of Corynebacterium increases too much, it can cause skin irritation.

This is why we find a large number of Corynebacterium on the skin of people with skin irritation.

So in terms of skincare, it is the key to making the number of Corynebacterium as low as possible.

 

 

Malassezia fungus

Malassezia fungus is also one of the microbiome that can cause skin problems. If you have troubles with back acne, that may be caused by Malassezia fungus rather than Cutibacterium acne.
In addition to causing back acne, Malassezia fungus has things to do with redness on the scalp and gray hair.

Both Malassezia fungus and Corynebacterium feed sebum to multiply.
Therefore, it is important to take care of your skin by avoiding foods that tend to increase sebum (high sugar and high-fat diet, etc.) to prevent the excessive increase of them.

 

 

Three rules for cultivating good microbiome for skin

So far, we have learned the good microbiome for skin(Staphylococcus epidermidis) and Cutibacterium acne moisturize our skin.

But how can we nurture these good microbiome for skin?
The answer to this question may be much easier than you imagine;

1. Do not wash your skin too much.
2. Exercise and work up a sweat.
3. Don't overuse cosmetics.

These are the simple three rules that are key to maintaining a balance of good microbiome for skin.
Well, please let us explain in more detail.

 

1. Do not wash your skin too much.

To maintain good microbiome for skin, the first step is to avoid washing too much and flushing out the microbiome. Many people wash their face twice a day with soap, but this could reduce the amount of good microbiome on the skin. It is significantly important to minimize the use of soaps and face wash.

・Avoid washing your face after cleansing
・Use a gentle face wash
・Use lukewarm water in the morning use fash wash only in the evening

Just by sticking to these small rules, you can avoid losing your microbiome.
Also, avoid washing your face with hot water as it strips away too much sebum, so we recommend washing gently with lukewarm water.

 

2. Exercise and work up a sweat.

Another significant thing to grow the good microbiome for skin is to sweat with exercise.
Sweat is food for the microbiome. By feeding on sebum and sweat, the good microbiome for skin can increase.

In addition, if you continue to exercise, your blood circulation will also improve and your skin tone will become glower.
Perhaps those who always exercise unknowingly increase the number of the good microbiome for skin and contribute to skincare.

 

 

3. Don't overuse cosmetics.

General cosmetics contain various ingredients such as surfactants and preservatives for good texture and ease of use. However, we need to be a little careful from the perspective of microbiome care. Because they can kill the microbiome or sebum.

The important thing is to keep our skincare items as simple as possible.

If you usually wear heavy makeup, you will need a cleanser with a lot of cleansing power, but such a cleanser may contain surfactants. It would be nice to make days go without makeup once in a while.

 

 

How to choose cosmetics that do not reduce the number of good microbiome for skin

Now you must be curious about what cosmetics to choose for microbiome care.

We KINS, especially recommend keeping facial care and cosmetics as simple as possible.

When you choose cosmetics, be aware of whether that product has ingredients such as surfactants.

 

Surfactants we should avoid are as follows;

 ・Sodium sulfonate

・Alkyltrimethylammonium chloride

・Benzalkonium chloride

・Sulfonic acid, ammonium

・Chlorides

・Lauryl

・TEA

 

Of course, this list does not mean they are poisonous.

However, from a microbiome care point of view, they may have a too strong cleansing power and may affect the microbiome in your skin.

 

Also, we recommend avoiding preservatives as follows;

・Ethylparaben

・Methylparaben

・Butylparaben

 

These paraben ingredients may not affect their own on our skin. But we should be careful when they're combined, as they could affect the balance of the microbiome.

Are you looking for a skincare product “right” for you? Click here.

The Skincare Products You Truly Need

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Do you want to know more about surfactants? Click here.

How Surfactants Affect Your Skin And How to Deal With Them

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Let’s get along well with the good microbiome for skin, and achieve balanced and beautiful skin with fewer problems.