It sounds to many of us that probiotics and prebiotics are essential for the proper functioning of our digestive system, but do you know their applications in cosmetics? These agents, which are responsible for maintaining the balance of our intestinal flora, can also be incorporated into your facial routine. This is because approximately half of the cells in the human body are free of microbial cells, which also includes the microorganisms that make up facial skin.
Prebiotics are molecules that promote the development of certain microorganisms that help stimulate intestinal activity. These are fibers derived from dietary carbohydrates, such as galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), which we can obtain from fermented dairy products, or fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), present in fruits such as apples, pineapple or fruit. reds.
For their part, probiotics are bacteria and yeasts that are already part of our intestinal flora. These organisms actively intervene in the digestive process, generating good bacteria and fighting pathogenic bacteria that cause diarrhea, constipation or stomach pain. Probiotics can also be obtained from external sources, in foods such as fish or dairy products.
In our body, prebiotics and probiotics work in a coordinated manner to restore the intestinal flora or microbiota, that is, the organisms that naturally inhabit the digestive system. This work is essential in situations in which digestion is altered, such as periods of stress, while taking antibiotics or after ingesting alcohol.
Organisms also live on the skin that grow, evolve and reproduce there, grouped under what is called the skin microbiome. Feeding these bacteria through the use of cosmetics containing prebiotics and probiotics such as ampoules, creams or micellar water, provides a multitude of benefits for facial skin:
