Why are Prebiotics Important for Your Skin?

Move over, probiotics. There’s a new good bacteria in town, and it’s giving our skin the love it needs. This good bacteria is known as prebiotics: the food that quite literally acts like fertilizer to feed probiotics and keep our skin in balance.

While it’s easy to add prebiotics to our diet, it’s not so clear on how we can feed our faces with this essential bacteria. Dermatologist, pharmacist, and Murad Skincare founder Dr. Howard Murad was on-hand to help answer our question: “Why are prebiotics important for our skin?” And, we asked for his advice on how to make them part of our daily skincare regimen.

Why are prebiotics important to skin health?
"Prebiotics work as a universal support system for our unique microbiomes," explains dermatologist Howard Murad. “They work like fertilizer to feed the probiotic bacteria living on our skin. And, they work like a pacifier to bring balance to the microbiome for healthier-looking skin.”

What are prebiotics?
Prebiotics are bacteria that feed probiotics so they can multiply and thrive on your skin. “They’re a critical part of a community of bacteria that live on the skin called a microbiome,” adds Dr. Murad. Your microbiome acts like a second skin and is essential to keeping your skin in balance.

However, it can get thrown out of balance by things like stress and lifestyle choices. “And, now more than ever, we can also count frequent hand-washing, over-cleansing, and sanitizer use as triggers that cause microbial imbalance,” says Dr. Murad. While these processes are essential to good hygiene, they are stripping our skin’s barrier of the bacteria it needs to look and feel healthy.

When there’s an imbalance in the skin’s bacteria, it shows up as dehydration, dryness, redness, and sensitivity.

What are the benefits of prebiotics in skincare?
Prebiotic skincare products can help nudge skin back into balance, resulting in healthier-looking skin with a strengthened skin barrier.

Prebiotic 4-in-1 MultiCleanser infuses moisture up to 15 layers into the skin’s surface* as a unique gel-to-oil cleanser that removes dirt, oil, and waterproof makeup. Its prebiotics balance the skin’s microbiome and moisturising emollients deeply hydrate to replenish the skin. Plus, this cleanser is good for normal, dry, oily, combination, and sensitive skin types.

Dr. Murad recommends following with Prebiotic 3-in-1 MultiMist to hydrate, prime, and balance skin. It also serves as a refreshing pick-me-up you can mist over your skin anytime of the day.

Shop the prebiotic collection today and see what a little bacteria can do for your skin.