Filters are great, but great skin is better. Let’s face it, who does not want a perfect skin, looking the best and feeling good about ourselves and our appearance? So, people tend to search for ways to get a better skin. Well, taking care of our skin is super intimidating thanks to the overwhelming amount of products, treatments and facials available in the market. However, Are you in a state where you have tried/ tested tons of products and treatments yet you are still struggling with skin issues such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, dry skin, excess wrinkles and etc.? It can be very upsetting and frustrating when it comes to zero solution to problematic skin.

Getting the most out of your skincare routine starts with understanding yourself. The skin is the largest organ in our body and is also home to millions of bacteria, fungi and viruses that make up an ecosystem called ‘skin flora’. Similar to your gut flora, the skin flora is in charge of keeping you safe and healthy. When your skin flora is balanced, your skin is at optimal condition. For a typical healthy adult, his/her skin flora will remain stable over time. However, it is possible for the skin barrier to be compromised and loses its natural balance of the skin flora due to environment fluctuations, pollution, UV rays and injuries. Thus, it causes the skin to lose its function and be vulnerable to issues such as skin dryness, itchiness, acne and other skin conditions.
Here’s how you can restore the balance of skin flora, keeping your skin’s defences strong and bring your skin to a glowy, hydrated state.
1) Avoid overly sanitising/ harsh cleansing
Antibacterial soaps and sanitisers are commonly known for helping us to get rid of bacteria on the skin’s surface. But, these soaps and sanitisers don’t differentiate between beneficial and harmful bacteria; they simply remove all bacteria just like how an antibiotic works inside our body. Eventually, antibacterial soaps and sanitisers cause an imbalance in the skin flora causing our skin more susceptible to germs and prone to skin infections.
Not just that, cleansing soaps that contain ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) could irritate the skin and disrupt the skin flora. They’re too drying.
2) Minimise scrubbing
Exfoliating your skin helps increase cell turnover and boost skin radiance. However, overdoing it will damage the skin barrier. Therefore, it is important to look out for gentle scrubs and limit your frequency to 1 time a week.
3) UV protection
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause premature ageing of the skin as well as affecting diversity of our skin flora. Opt for quality sunscreens/ sunblocks or the best way to protect yourself from UV radiation is to get yourself wrapped up with clothes and sunglasses that reflect UV rays.
4) Having a pet
Studies suggest that direct and frequent contact with your cohabitants may significantly shape the composition of our microbial communities. Who would have thought that having a pet could help your skin health?

5) Take good care of your gut and eat your microbes
Did you know your gut flora influences the skin flora? The relationship between the gut flora and skin flora is complex yet fascinating. These microbiota, along with their metabolites produced and host interaction, directly impact both normal physiology and disease processes. For instance, evidence showed that people suffering with skin issues such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, etc. have a lower diversity of microbe strains in their body. And the result suggested that increasing diversity in gut flora and/ or skin flora by supplementary can improve these dermatologic conditions. For more tips on how to improve your gut flora: 10 Tips to Improve Gut Flora Diversity
Healthy skin starts from the inside. Click here to check out the quickest way to re-inoculate 160 genus of microbes in a single shot and boost your skin’s immunity!