The skin's microbiome conversation has appeared in the cosmetic sphere sometime ago and only in the last year have reached a 700% rise in search on Google. It can tackle the interest as much as annoyance with yet another "new thing on the market" and as a result, complete avoidance of its abilities, benefits or simply understanding what it is.
This is dedicated to the latter group of people who under overwhelming swarm of the information run the other way, understandably.
Your skin microbiome belongs to you, always did and always will. With or without marketing or beauty brands. More likely some beauty products or amount of beauty products might rob you off of it.
A microbiome is a complete genome of all microorganisms in and on the body consisting of bacteria (95%) and fungi . The genes of organisms that live in and on our body outnumber our genes by 150x ( 150:1 - Microbial: Human genes). Skin covers 20m2 as the largest organ and home of a great variety of microbes that also means that there are 1 million microbes/cm2. Locations: 600+ species in the mouth -harsh mouth hygiene can ruin it,1000 species on the skin,60 in the urogenital tract, 25 in the stomach,1000 in the intestine. What all of this means, in essence, is that the human body is close to a resemblance of a planet with a diverse ecosystem. Slightly mindblowing we would add!
Science is still young and just as complex as the gut microbiome's, but we know that certain factors affect it (good+bad): lifestyle, stress, diet, exercise, environment... many of which on some occasions we cannot control. What to do? Get dirty and sweaty (no joke), get a dog (animals bring diversity to your microbiome which boosts your immune system), stop overwashing yourself and spend a day or two without showering and replenish your body's ecosystem. Remember microbiome, belongs to you and is part of you - care for it=care for yourself. The microbiome can and it does replenish itself, all we need to do sometimes is let it go its course and not try to "fix" it.