The Real Reason Your Skin Is Still Breaking Out (And How To Stop It)
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Why does my skin still feel irritated and dry even after using good skincare?
I wash my face daily, but still break out.
If you’ve ever found yourself asking these questions, you’re not alone. Even with a multi-step routine focused on gentle cleansing and moisturising (Korean skincare routines, anyone?), sometimes your skin can fail to retain the moisture and goodness from all the products you use. And that can leave you feeling confused and maybe even frustrated about what exactly you’re doing wrong.
At this point, it’s not really about how well you’re cleansing or moisturizing your skin anymore. The issue goes down to the level of your skin’s microbiome, which is more important than you might think. And to take care of that, you need solutions that offer cleansing, protection, and restoration of this microbiome.
What Is the Skin Microbiome?
Your skin is an organ and contains a complex ecosystem of living microorganisms on its surface that you can’t see. Much like a garden, the ecosystem includes good and bad microorganisms, ranging from bacteria to mites and viruses.
This very ecosystem is your microbiome, and it serves as a ‘shield’ for your skin alongside your skin barrier (your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin, which locks in moisture and blocks harmful pathogens from entering your body).
A balanced skin microbiome has the right amount of good and bad bacteria. Bad bacteria are responsible for causing symptoms like irritation and acne. Good bacteria protects your skin in a few important ways:
- Kills bad bacteria: Healthy bacteria fights against germs and pathogens, preventing infections.
- Regulates your skin pH: Healthy bacteria keeps your skin pH slightly acidic (around pH 4.5 to 5.5) to prevent germs from multiplying.
- Trains your immune system: Skin microbes help train your immune system to distinguish between good and bacteria.
- Enhances your skin barrier: Good bacteria supports lipid and protein production, which help to repair your skin barrier and keep it strong.
- Reduces inflammation: Good bacteria supports healing and reduces inflammation on small cuts and wounds.
As we can see, the good bacteria in your skin microbiome is essential for carrying out many functions. The skincare products you’re using, however, could be removing this good bacteria. We’ll explain why in the next section.
Modern Skincare: Too Harsh?
Daily skin cleansing and moisturising products may actually be too harsh on your microbiome. A number of modern products focus on ‘deep cleansing’ to strip away most dirt, impurities, and in some cases, makeup, from your skin. You’ve probably heard of facial cleansers designed to wash away daily cosmetics, sunscreen, and so on. These are focused on efficiency and pack an all-in-one cleansing function. But it also means they might be removing your entire microbiome too - both good and bad bacteria, leaving your skin with little to no protection at all.
Without a flourishing skin microbiome, your skin barrier becomes weaker. That’s what causes more skin sensitivity, dryness, and even acne breakouts.
This raises the question: is it possible to find skincare that cleans well, yet doesn’t wash away all the good stuff?
Introducing Our Better Botanics™ Range
The answer lies in microbiome-friendly skincare that cleans thoroughly, but also protects and nourishes the microbiome needed to keep your skin barrier strong. That’s what our Better Botanics™ range excels at.
Comprising products like a body crème, face wash, hair serum, intimate wash, nourishing shampoo, and whitening toothpaste, the Better Botanics™ range cleanses and protects your skin from head to toe. The range is enriched with key ingredients like honey and propolis, designed to be natural and gentle in a way that maintains your skin’s natural microbiome balance.
Let’s focus a bit more on these two ingredients: honey and propolis. These work in tandem to clean and calm your skin.
- Honey has natural prebiotic properties, which encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria while soothing your skin.
- Propolis is antioxidant-rich, defending your skin against environmental stressors while calming irritation. We’ve integrated propolis with pure honey in Propoelix™, our proprietary propolis blend used in Better Botanics™, for enhanced nourishment.
Better Botanics™ Body Crème
This body crème delivers long-lasting hydration while strengthening your skin microbiome with honey and propolis. The result is long-lasting hydration and moisture absorption, leaving your skin feeling soft and resilient all day.
Better Botanics™ Face Wash
A daily face wash that cleans deeply without disrupting your skin’s natural defences. It supports your microbiome by working as a daily supplement for your skin, using ingredients like honey and propolis to further enrich the cleansing experience.
Better Botanics™ Hair Care: Nourishing Shampoo and Hair Serum
The nourishing shampoo gently cleanses while maintaining a healthy scalp microbiome with its propolis and botanical formulation. When used daily, it works as a supplement, cultivating a nourishing scalp environment for growing stronger and smoother hair.
After washing, apply the hair serum to clean, damp hair. It’s formulated with propolis and royal jelly to nourish your scalp microbiome, acting as a daily supplement to revitalise hair strands and encourage healthier hair growth over time.
Better Botanics™ Intimate Wash
This intimate wash is formulated with Propoelix™, HDI’s proprietary propolis blend. It’s been clinically proven to eliminate 99.99% of Candida albicans (a common yeast) in 60 seconds, while calming sensitive skin and supporting your intimate area’s natural microflora.
Beyond providing everyday freshness and odour control, it maintains optimal pH balance for hygiene, especially during periods.
Better Botanics™ Whitening Toothpaste
This whitening toothpaste supports your oral microbiome while keeping your breath fresh. Its propolis formulation kills harmful bacteria without disrupting the natural microbe balance in your mouth.
As a whole range, Better Botanics™ feeds the good bacteria on the skin all over your body, strengthening it and helping it function better naturally. Best of all, the bee-based and botanical ingredients offer a calming, enjoyable daily cleansing experience.
What You’ll Notice With A Stronger Skin Microbiome
A healthy skin microbiome cultivates balanced skin that’s not too oily or dry. You’ll also feel your skin become more soft and supple as a result of the stronger skin barrier, which gets better at locking in moisture. Another perk is less irritation and sensitivity, since you retain more good bacteria that keeps your skin calm and reduces inflammation.
Overall, you’ll notice healthier, clearer skin in the long-term!
Who Is Better Botanics™ For?
The Better Botanics™ range suits anyone looking for gentle, long-term skin health. It’s especially helpful for people with sensitive skin and recurring skin issues like acne, dryness, and redness.
Give Your Skin The Gentle Support It Needs
You don’t need to overcleanse or overtreat your skin with numerous products. Just start by supporting your skin’s naturally balanced ecosystem with Better Botanics™ skincare that cleanses while keeping what matters, and healthier skin will follow.
References
https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/skin-microbiome
https://www.aveeno.com/journal/the-gut-skin-and-microbiome
https://my.hdi.com/collections/all?filter.p.product_type=Personal+%26+Skin+Care