By Anna Cave-Bigley
A City Skin Story
When I step outside my apartment in Bogotá, the air feels alive. At 2,600 meters above sea level, the sun burns closer to the skin. Add to that the daily traffic fumes, sudden temperature shifts, and the dry thin air of altitude, and you can almost feel your skin brace itself.
Living here has made me hyper-aware of what dermatologists now call daily aggressors: pollution particles, cigarette smoke, blue light from screens, UV rays, even emotional stress. All of them have one thing in common: they trigger oxidative stress.
And oxidative stress, if left unchecked, is like rust for your skin. It weakens the barrier, accelerates ageing, and disrupts the delicate microbial ecosystem that actually protects you from the inside out.
What Exactly Is Oxidative Stress?
On a cellular level, oxidative stress happens when reactive oxygen species (ROS), unstable molecules generated by pollution, UV, or even your own metabolism, overwhelm your skin’s natural antioxidant defences.
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ROS attack lipids in your skin barrier (lipid peroxidation).
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They damage DNA and proteins, accelerating visible ageing.
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They disrupt signalling between skin cells and microbes, tipping your microbiome off balance.
It’s not just vanity. Chronic oxidative stress is linked to inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, acne flares, and rosacea (Pellanda et al., Front Cell Infect Microbiol, 2022).
For those of us living in high-pollution cities like London or Bogotá, oxidative stress is not an occasional event, it’s a daily reality.
The Overlooked Ally: Your Microbiome
Here’s the piece the beauty industry often misses: oxidative stress doesn’t only attack skin cells. It destabilises the microbiome, the living community of bacteria and fungi that protect your skin.
Pollution particles, for instance, can reduce microbial diversity and encourage the growth of opportunistic strains linked to sensitivity and breakouts (Byrd et al., Nat Rev Microbiol, 2018).
When the microbiome is compromised, your barrier becomes more permeable, inflammation rises, and your skin’s ability to self-repair drops. It’s a vicious cycle: oxidative stress weakens the microbiome, and a weakened microbiome makes you more vulnerable to oxidative stress.
Feeding Your Skin’s Defenders
This is where prebiotics come in. Unlike antioxidants, which neutralise free radicals directly, prebiotics strengthen your first line of defence by feeding the beneficial microbes that live on your skin.
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Inulin and alpha-glucan oligosaccharides act as selective fuel for commensal bacteria, helping them outcompete harmful strains.
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Beta-glucan not only hydrates but also reduces inflammation and enhances microbial resilience.
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Plant polysaccharides from oats, seaweed, and flaxseed create a friendlier environment for good microbes to thrive, even under environmental stress.
Clinical reviews confirm that prebiotic skincare improves microbial diversity, restores barrier function, and reduces inflammatory markers linked to oxidative damage (Journal of Integrative Dermatology, 2023).
Think of prebiotics as fortifying your skin’s ecosystem so it can withstand the daily “city storm” of pollutants, UV, and stress.
A Cream Built for This Battle
In our own formulations at The SABI, this thinking guided the creation of the Prebiotic Face & Body Cream. Rather than promising a quick antioxidant “fix,” it works on ecology:
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Inulin + alpha-glucan oligosaccharide to feed good microbes.
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Fermented marine extracts (postbiotics) for bioactive antioxidants and peptides.
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Beta-glucan + arginine complex for hydration and resilience against ROS.
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Squalane and rose extract to reinforce the lipid barrier and soothe oxidative inflammation.
It’s not about fighting every free radical head-on, it’s about creating the microbial and barrier conditions where oxidative stress does less damage in the first place.
Skincare as a Shield for City Living
Living in Bogotá has made me see skin health differently. Pollution, UV, and stress aren’t abstract aggressors, they’re daily realities you can feel in the dryness of your cheeks or the irritation after a long commute.
But what I’ve learned is that resilience doesn’t come from stripping or sterilising. It comes from cultivation, from strengthening the microbes that have evolved to protect us.
Prebiotics in skincare are not a trend. They’re a quiet shield, helping your skin’s own defenders fight back against oxidative stress, one molecule at a time.
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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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 -
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 -
Puri, P., et al. (2017). Pollution and the skin: From epidemiological and mechanistic studies to clinical implications. Journal of Dermatological Science, 76(3), 163–168.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdermsci.2014.10.008 -
Vierkötter, A., & Krutmann, J. (2012). Environmental influences on skin aging and ethnics-related differences. Dermato-Endocrinology, 4(3), 227–231.
https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.19858 -
Journal of Integrative Dermatology. (2023). Topical prebiotics and their role in dermatology: A systematic review.
https://jintegrativederm.org/doi/10.64550/joid.d9xw9z64 -
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/ -
Dreno, B., et al. (2020). Microbiome in healthy skin, update for dermatologists. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 34(12), 2391–2401.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31840253/ -
Valacchi, G., et al. (2012). The impact of ozone on skin. Toxicology Letters, 205(2), 97–104.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2011.06.004
