Why Your Breakouts Might Be a Sign of a Disrupted Microbiome

Did you know there are about 1000 different species of bacteria living on your skin right now? Don’t freak out—though it might seem counterintuitive, this bacterial diversity is crucial to maintaining your skin’s health. All that bacteria is part of the community of microorganisms that make up your skin’s microbiome.

When your microbiome is supported and good bacteria is able to thrive, your skin is better able to defend itself against intrusive “bad” bacteria that can upset the delicate balance of your microbiome and cause blemishes.

Not all bacteria is bad for you!

Many people, especially those with oily or breakout-prone skin, believe that the best way to maintain clear skin is to remove any bacteria that can lead to breakouts, so they turn to harsh astringents and antibacterial cleansers. But supporting the good bacteria in your microbiome is even more important to maintaining healthy, clear skin.

When you use too harsh of a cleanser or exfoliator, you may end up removing not only the bad bacteria in your microbiome, but the good bacteria, too—your cleanser won’t be able to differentiate! When your microbiome doesn’t have the healthy probiotic bacteria it needs to thrive, your skin can often retaliate with breakouts or inflammation.

Kill breakouts with kindness

The secret to maintaining clear and healthy skin may be swapping your harsh acne products with natural ingredients that won’t disrupt your delicate microbiome and make breakouts and inflammation worse.

Consider swapping out your salicylic acid products for skincare formulated with willow bark, its natural alternative, to target breakouts without the side effects. Willow bark is a natural source of salicin (where salicylic acid comes from), which means that just like salicylic acid, it’s effective in fighting inflammation, refining pores, and controlling oiliness, but is much gentler on the skin.

Try swapping your harsh acne cleanser for a gentle yet effective cleanser like our Clear Skin Citrus Kombucha Cleansing Gel, which will effectively remove dirt and oil without disrupting your delicate skin barrier. Importantly, it also contains kombucha, a known source of probiotics, to help bring even more balance to your microbiome.

Introducing prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics to your skincare routine is a key way to support your delicate microbiome balance and keep your skin happy, healthy, and clear. Products like our Clear Skin Acai + Kombucha Oil-Free Moisturizer or Brightening Probiotic + C Renewal Cream work to support good bacteria in your skin, providing balance to your microbiome which in turn helps keep bad bacteria away.

Explore more products from our Clear Skin range to support healthy, clear skin.