Prebiotics

What is the difference between prebiotics and probiotics?

Essentially, prebiotics are ‘food’ for our good bacteria strains, while probiotics are actually ‘live’ bacteria. Both are clinically-proven to calm and sooth irritated skin, while maintaining the health of our bacteria to prevent the colonisation of bad bacteria to ward off infections. This is particularly important for people with dry or cracked skin, where the skin’s acid mantel and lipid barriers are compromised leading to infection. We use a range of clinically-proven prebiotics, which act as a powerful food supplement for the saprophytic microorganisms found on our skin (the good bacteria strains), but cannot be metabolised or used by the harmful bacteria strains, yeasts and moulds.

What do prebiotics do and what makes them beneficial to the skin?

We are literally a walking petri-dish. We have 10 times more bacterial cells than human cells, which is a way of saying that we are 90% microbial and 10% human. But microbes (or bacteria) are absolutely vital to our existence. In the gut they form one important part of our immune system, and also play a vital role in digestion. Our skin is home to trillions of bacteria (both good & bad) and form a layer, which we call ‘Skin Flora’ or ‘Skin Microbiota’ and are our first line of defence against disease, redness, inflammation and infection. Therefore goes without saying that in order to obtain healthy skin and minimise infections, acne, redness & eczema, maintaining the health of our precious good skin microbes is vital. This is where pre, and pro-biotics come in.

Why we should use them and are they beneficial to any particular skin type?

They are beneficial to all skin types, from oily to dry, but are particularly useful to people with sensitive, acne or eczema prone skin, dry or cracked, or have been on a course of anti-biotics.

Unfortunately there are many factors that influence or harm our precious good bacteria strains (of which there are thousands), leaving the skin open to infection from bad bacteria. These include pollution, excess hygiene where the acid mantle is compromised, preservatives, extreme coldness, sunlight, anti-biotics and products that change the skin’s pH balance, such as AHA’s and other chemical exfoliants. Many cosmetic and personal care products are made using synthetic materials such as harsh preservatives, which can alter or destroy the skin’s microflora. Our Perfect Cleanser is made using naturally derived ingredients with a very careful selection of mild, yet effective preservatives which are designed to have a minimal impact on the skin’s natural microbial balance. This gives the active ingredients such as Biolin (an ingredient that stimulates the growth good bacteria) a greater chance of being effective.

What makes them different to other ingredients?

No other ingredient looks after the skin’s micro-flora. All other actives concentrate on our own human skin cells and processes.

OSKIA's Prebiotics are clinically proven to feed only the beneficial bacterial strains found on our skin. The prebiotics act as a powerful food supplement for most of the saprophytic microorganisms tested (beneficial bacteria), while harmful bacteria, yeast and moulds can not metabolize it.