By The SABI
The Skin Garden Nobody Talks About
Your skin is alive with activity. Not in a metaphorical sense, but literally: every square centimetre hosts millions of microorganisms, creating a living barrier called the skin microbiome. These microbes protect against pathogens, regulate immune responses, and help keep your barrier supple and hydrated.
Yet in much of the skincare industry, the microbiome has been an afterthought. Formulas have often been designed to strip, sterilise, or overpower, promising squeaky-clean skin but leaving behind irritation, sensitivity, and long-term imbalance. Now, researchers and forward-thinking formulators are rethinking the game: instead of fighting microbes, we should be feeding and supporting them.
What Your Microbiome Loves: A Research-Backed Menu
Prebiotics: Microbial Fertiliser
Prebiotics are non-digestible plant sugars that selectively feed beneficial microbes while discouraging pathogenic overgrowth. Studies show that topical application of inulin and alpha-glucan oligosaccharide improves microbial diversity and reduces skin inflammation (Journal of Integrative Dermatology). They act like fertiliser sprinkled across a skin “garden,” nourishing the flora that keep the ecosystem balanced.
Beta-glucan, a polysaccharide from oats and mushrooms, goes even further. It not only hydrates more effectively than hyaluronic acid (InStyle) but also stimulates wound healing, repairs the barrier, and behaves as a prebiotic, offering food for your skin’s residents.
Postbiotics: Fermentation’s Finest
Live probiotics don’t usually survive in skincare jars. Instead, formulators rely on postbiotics, the bioactive metabolites of fermentation. Research shows postbiotics like Lactobacillus ferment lysate and Saccharomyces ferment modulate microbial diversity, increase hydration, and reduce redness (ResearchGate).
Think of them as kombucha or kimchi for your skin: not the organisms themselves, but the nutrients they’ve left behind.
Barrier Builders & Adaptogens
Your microbes can only thrive if your barrier is intact. Lipid-replenishing ceramides, squalane, and amino acid complexes like arginine maintain the “house” your flora live in. Meanwhile, antioxidants like green tea polyphenols and adaptogens such as ginseng protect the ecosystem from oxidative stress and inflammatory triggers.
The Ingredients That Break the Balance: What to Avoid
Here’s the part of the conversation that rarely makes the glossy ads: the skincare industry has a long love affair with ingredients that promise instant results but leave the microbiome in chaos.
Harsh Surfactants
Classic foaming cleansers often rely on sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). These surfactants lift oil and dirt, but they don’t discriminate. They strip natural lipids and destabilise microbial populations. A study in Dermatology Research and Practice notes that overuse of sulfates correlates with impaired barrier function and higher incidence of irritant dermatitis.
Broad-Spectrum Antibacterials
Compounds like triclosan and benzalkonium chloride were once common in “anti-acne” or “anti-bacterial” products. They don’t just kill “bad” bacteria; they carpet-bomb the microbiome, reducing diversity and promoting resistant strains. This kind of microbial scorched earth has long-term consequences for both skin and public health (FDA statement on triclosan).
Over-Exfoliation
Acids like glycolic, lactic, and salicylic have their place. But in high concentrations or overuse, they thin the stratum corneum and reduce the lipid habitat where microbes live. An International Journal of Cosmetic Science review showed that chronic acid overuse led to barrier damage and microbial instability, even when acne initially improved.
Preservatives and Endocrine Disruptors
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Parabens and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives have been flagged not only for potential endocrine disruption but also for microbial suppression (The Guardian).
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Phthalates and synthetic fragrance cocktails often irritate the skin and can shift microbial populations, reducing diversity.
High-Alcohol Formulations
While short bursts of ethanol can help stabilise formulas, repeated use of high-alcohol toners or gels strips the lipid barrier and desiccates the microbiome. In one Cosmetic Dermatology survey, patients who used alcohol-heavy products showed significantly lower hydration scores and higher TEWL (transepidermal water loss).
The takeaway? Many “clean” or “clarifying” routines marketed for fast results may be quietly dismantling the very system that keeps your skin resilient.
The Quiet Power of a Prebiotic Cream
Amid this chaos, formulations that support microbial health stand out. The SABI Prebiotic Face & Body Cream isn’t marketed as a silver bullet but rather as a nutrient-rich ally. Its base includes inulin and alpha-glucan oligosaccharide to feed commensal flora, while fermented marine extracts deliver postbiotic antioxidants and peptides.
The cream also layers in beta-glucan, hyaluronic acid, and arginine complexes for hydration and barrier repair, with squalane and botanical extracts (rose, sage, grapefruit) offering antioxidant protection. Crucially, it’s formulated with hormonally sensitive skin in mind, a rare consideration in mainstream skincare. Whether in pregnancy, postpartum, or perimenopause, skin under hormonal flux needs support, not stripping.
Rather than overwhelming the skin with actives, this kind of cream creates the conditions where your microbiome can stabilise itself.
The Future of Skincare Is Ecological
The microbiome has forced the beauty industry to confront an uncomfortable truth: your skin isn’t a blank canvas, it’s an ecosystem. And ecosystems demand balance, not domination.
As research grows, expect to see more formulations tested not just for short-term results but for their impact on microbial diversity. Regulators and scientific bodies, like the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists, are already formalising definitions of pre-, pro-, and postbiotics in cosmetics (IFSCC report).
Until then, consumers face a choice: continue with products that strip and sterilise, or adopt routines that cultivate balance. Your microbiome will thank you.
In skincare, less is often more, but balance is everything. Prebiotics, postbiotics, and barrier builders aren’t trends, they’re survival strategies. When you choose formulations that respect the microbiome, like a prebiotic cream designed to nourish rather than deplete, you’re not just hydrating your skin. You’re sustaining an ancient partnership between your body and its invisible allies.
HORMONAL & PROUD
Created as a brand to help women navigate the toughest moments in pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum — and practically every stage of life –– The SABI is changing the narrative around our hormones from one of taboo, embarrassment, and loneliness to awareness and even, pride. As more than a wellness brand, The SABI offers a carefully-crafted line of products to carry you through your hormonal journey, including rituals, supportive tools, and ancient herbal remedies that have been tested time and time again by women and now come backed by medicine. The SABI is a blend of science and nature conceived by women who have experienced the joys and deep struggles of bringing a child into the world, the pains of a heavy, difficult period, miscarriage, and difficulty conceiving.
We invite you to get to know your body and its cycles better –– to really understand what is going on inside. Learn to use your hormones to your advantage no matter your stage of life, and know that you can support and balance your hormone levels. We are here to help with the information, understanding and natural tools to support your body and the emotional process along with it.
DISCLAIMER
The SABI blog and articles are not meant to instruct or advise on medical or health conditions, but to inform. The information and opinions presented here do not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals for your unique situation.
References
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Byrd, A. L., Belkaid, Y., & Segre, J. A. (2018). The human skin microbiome. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 16(3), 143–155. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro.2017.157
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Journal of Integrative Dermatology. (2023). Topical prebiotics and their role in dermatology: A systematic review. https://jintegrativederm.org/doi/10.64550/joid.d9xw9z64
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Zaid, A. N., & Hines, M. (2020). Topical beta-glucans in dermatology: A review of their biological effects and clinical relevance. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 19(2), 330–337. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32558194/
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Knott, A., et al. (2022). A multi-functional anti-aging moisturizer maintains a diverse and balanced facial skin microbiome. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 15, 1757–1769. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9124519/
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Pellanda, C., et al. (2022). Oxidative stress and the skin microbiome: Potential role of antioxidants. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 12, 824234. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2022.824234
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Ananthapadmanabhan, K. P., Moore, D. J., Subramanyan, K., Misra, M., & Meyer, F. (2013). Cleansing without compromise: The impact of cleansers on the skin barrier and the technology of mild cleansing. Dermatology Research and Practice, 2013, 108901. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/drp/2013/108901/
