Live probiotics in skin care
October 21, 2018 – Marina Engervik
Probiotics in skincare are amazing! Since we launched Sweet & Creamy Oil Cleanser in 2015, we have used live probiotics in several of our products. We have developed our very own probiotic culture and in this article you can read even more about what probiotics are and how Marina Miracle's probiotics work.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics is a common name for various strains of good bacteria that occur naturally on the skin.
You may have heard about all the health benefits of eating foods containing probiotics, such as yogurt, kefir, and kimchi, or taking probiotic supplements.
Probiotics are a variety of microorganisms that live in and on the surface of our bodies. Each individual has their own characteristic combination of these organisms - also known as our microbiome.
We actually have over 10,000 different types of bacteria living in and on us. They play an important role in our health and the condition of our skin. Probiotics and other microorganisms are actually crucial to our survival!
How do probiotics work in skincare?
Our uppermost layers of skin are home to a multitude of microorganisms. These bacteria and their balance have a major impact on the appearance and condition of the skin.
A well-balanced microflora in the skin is very important. We can call the good bacteria as ''resident bacteria'' (They live on our skin), while the bad bacteria are ''transient bacteria'' (They can appear for various reasons). When the good bacteria fail to have the upper hand, the skin's microbiome becomes out of balance and many scientists believe that this causes skin problems such as acne, eczema and sensitive skin to name a few.
That's why probiotics in skincare work, because they add good bacteria to the skin's microbiome, which overpowers the bad bacteria, restoring balance and restoring healthy skin.
Marina Miracle's unique and living probiotics
Live probiotics in skincare require careful and advanced formulation because these good bacteria are fragile and must be treated just right to avoid death. That's why we've also developed our own probiotics that are perfectly synchronized in our skincare products.
Acetobacter is an aerobic bacterial strain that produces acetic acid and gluconic acid. Acetobacter xylinoides and acetobacter ketogenum are two strains that are in our probiotic culture. Other bacteria that are also in our culture: Saccharomycodes ludwigii, Saccharomycodes apiculatus, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Zygosaccharomyces, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Gluconacetobacter kombuchae, Zygosaccharomyces kombuchaensis.
Our unique blend of live probiotic strains of microorganisms provides a highly nutritious ferment for the skin. It is packed with vitamins, enzymes and acids that have a firming and antioxidant effect. We also use herbs, fruits and vegetables to achieve the exact desired effect and nutritional content for the different products.
The picture of the two petri dishes shows that our probiotics are alive, you can see that the organisms have grown over a short period of time.
Probiotic Fermentation Juices
With this active probiotic culture as a base, we can therefore make various fermentation juices from plant crops, berries and fruits. In Sweet & Creamy Oil Cleanser we have broccoli sprouts, tomato sprouts and alfalfa sprouts, and in Acai Hydra Cream we use whole berries of açaí and raspberries as well as Norwegian nettle. In Shea Hydration Mask we have green tea and aloe vera and in Rosehip Peeling Mask it is broccoli and alfalfa sprouts. What is so wonderful about probiotic fermentation in skincare is that the process makes the plant crops easier to break down. The molecules thus become smaller and easier for the skin to absorb and thus even more nutritious for the skin.
The picture above is taken in one of our large tanks where we produce the ferment. The “cake” you see is the probiotic culture itself, it is completely unique to us and our ferments. Underneath this culture, lies the ferment that we drain from the bottom of the tank and use in our skincare products.
