Is a healthy gut the key to gorgeous skin? The science is beginning to roll in, and the results say yes. 

While you’ve heard all about probiotics and you probably have a passing familiarity with prebiotics, are postbiotics new to you? Then add in the idea of biome-friendly products, and you’ve opened the door to some pretty interesting stuff. Taking that a step further, your skin’s microbiome becomes the focus on a healthcare plan that has you looking and feeling your absolute best.

Pre, pro, and postbiotics—the basics

Probiotics are live microorganisms in foods like yogurt that very beneficial. A healthy microbiome has benefits throughout your body, including better skin, immunity, digestion, and even mood. Decades ago, if you were taking antibiotics, doctors would encourage you to eat yogurt to resupply the body with bacteria that were being killed off by medication. 

Today, we know a lot more about how to improve the health of your microbiome and the different ways to do it. 

Prebiotics are basically food for the important bacteria you need to be healthy. They are often in the form of non-digestible fiber that makes its way into the gastrointestinal tract and then acts as nourishment. 

Postbiotics are so new the definition doesn’t even have a real consensus at this point, but it’s fairly safe to say they’re the functional bioactive compounds that come out of microbial fermentation. 

Currently, postbiotics include many different structures, so as this area of “biotics” is explored and understood, there may be a shift in categorization and terminology. It’s really that new and cutting edge.

When you pull it all together, your gut needs healthy bacteria to function effectively and for your overall health. Prebiotics help fuel those bacteria, and when prebiotics are consumed, they produce postbiotics that have a number of beneficial results throughout the body.

How the microbiome comes into play

A microbiome is a community of micro-organisms living together in a particular area. This means your body has several microbiomes, like the one in your gut, or on your skin, etc. 

The National Institutes of Health’s Human Microbiome Project mapped normal bacteria in the human body and helped to define a deeper understanding of what is healthy and how changes in microbiomes relate to diseases. There will no doubt be much more to come in the future as scientists learn how changing a microbiome can support health throughout the human body.

Your skin’s microbiome serves as a defender, warding off foreign organisms and/or toxic substances. If the biome is disrupted, it becomes weakened and doesn’t do its job as well as it could and should. From this knowledge, the emerging field of microbiome skincare was born.

Skincare revolution

Understanding what is now known about the skin’s microbiome and the importance of all of the biotics living in harmony is key to moving forward with beauty products that are based on science and health. 

Prebiotic skincare is the next big thing in beauty, as it nourishes the bacteria of your microbiome as part of your skincare routine to help reestablish and maintain a healthy balance. Microbiome-friendly products are designed to be gentle enough to maintain current microflora existence.

This is truly an emerging field, and you can expect to see many more products in the future. You’ll be able to find ones that are more specialized to deal with specific skin concerns. As these products become available, you’ll want to swap out your old favorites for ones that are designed to bolster biometric health.

Skincare from within—the true foundation

You can start on your path to the ultimate level of skin health with Hair La Vie’s Foundation Beauty Elixir. A delicious, all-natural beverage mix, Foundation contains both prebiotics specifically selected for their ability to help your body's natural biome improve your skin from the inside out. When your natural microbiome is happy and healthy, the benefits spread to every part of you.

But Foundation Beauty Elixir is designed to be more than a boost to your microbiome. We've added rejuvenating collagen, keratin, and blue spirulina to create an amazing way to improve your true foundation for luscious hair, vibrant skin, and whole-body wellness. And it's all in a quick, honeydew-flavored drink you'll love!

Final thoughts

The world of beauty is changing, and it’s happening at an incredibly rapid pace. Once scientists learned the importance of the “biotics” on microbiomes we carry throughout our body, they began mapping them and looking for casual relationships. This gives great insight into what happens in a normal, healthy biome, and what changes occur when the biome becomes unhealthy.

Now you can buy beauty products that have prebiotics in them so your body can create beneficial postbiotics that support health. You can also find products that are designed to be so gentle as to not disturb your body’s fragile ecosystem. 

As with any changes to your health and beauty routines, it’s best to start swapping in one product at a time so your body can adapt. A great way to start your biome-friendly cosmetic journey is by adding Foundation Beauty Elixir to the mix.