Unveiling the Truth Behind Probiotic and Synbiotic Skin Care: Separating Myth from Reality

Over the span of the last forty-five years, the field of probiotics has undergone a remarkable transformation from mere laboratory studies and clinical ideas to a full-fledged research and translational entity. Today, probiotics are recognized as a viable source of multiple benefits to humans worldwide.

In the 1960s, probiotics were dismissed by the president of the American Society of Microbiology as worthless "snake oil" peddled by charlatans out of the backs of covered wagons (Puebla-Barragan and Reid 2019). At this time, the statement may have been closed to reality.

However, the scientific community's understanding of probiotics has since evolved significantly. In fact, in 2001, the FAO and WHO proposed a definition of probiotics as "live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host." This definition was further refined in 2014 to clarify that a probiotic must be a live microorganism. Today, probiotics are widely recognized for their potential health benefits and are commonly found in foods, supplements, and other products.

In order to meet the standards set by FAO/WHO and the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), probiotics must meet certain criteria.?

These include having?clearly defined content,?a?viable count?that remains?appropriate at the end of shelf life, and?evidence to support their potential health benefits.?

Additionally, all probiotics must be safe for their intended use. These requirements ensure that consumers can trust the quality and effectiveness of probiotic products. The ISAPP reaffirmed these standards in 2018, further emphasizing the importance of probiotic safety and efficacy.

Formulating with live bacteria can be a challenging task that requires strict adherence to specific conditions to ensure the viability and effectiveness of the bacteria. This is particularly true when it comes to probiotic skincare. While there is a lot of hype surrounding this topic, it's essential to ask whether these products are proper probiotics according to the definitions set forth by organizations like the WHO/FAO and ISAPP or whether they are simply misleading marketing tactics.

To determine whether a product contains true probiotics, a closer examination of the ingredient labels is necessary. By doing so, one can identify the type of microorganism ingredient present in the product and make an informed decision about its potential benefits.

Prebiotics, often referred to as "food" or "fertilizer," play a crucial role in facilitating the growth of essential microorganisms.?On?the other hand, probiotics are the actual microorganisms that benefit from the nourishment provided by prebiotics. Meanwhile,?postbiotics are heat-killed probiotic chemical by-products?resulting from the activity of bacteria/probiotics, including antimicrobial peptides and fragments of dead bacterial cells.

When scanning the ingredients list of a product, you may come across the term "lysates" about postbiotics. While the ingredient may be labelled as a probiotic Lysates, it does not meet the definition of a probiotic in accordance with the WHO/FAO and ISAPP.?

Recent studies have demonstrated that both live bacteria and postbiotics have promising benefits for the skin. However, determining which to utilize in a product can depend on various factors such as the intended outcome, formulation stability, and possible adverse reactions.

One such postbiotic that is showing great promise in the world of skincare?is Lactobacillus Plantarum,?which has been studied for its effects to improve tissue repair and prevent infection on severe burns (Peral et al. 2009)

When it comes to incorporating probiotics in cosmetic formulations, one of the significant hurdles that formulators and manufacturers must overcome is ensuring ingredient stability. This is incredibly challenging since most probiotics tend to be highly sensitive to ambient temperatures. However, this is strain dependent.??

For example, the probiotic Bacillus subtilis is a highly resilient, spore-forming microorganism that can withstand high pasteurization temperatures. It stays stable in products for up to two years, making it an excellent choice for long-term use. When ingested or applied topically to the skin, this microorganism provides numerous benefits to the host. Interestingly, Bacillus subtilis is also the biological source of the well-known antibiotic Bacitracin. Bacitracin has been used in wound healing since the 1960s. This microorganism boasts over 2 dozen other identified natural antibiotics, making it a powerful and versatile tool in the world of medicine and skincare.

Synbiotic skincare products contain a prebiotic and a probiotic and sometimes a postbiotic or a pre prep catalyst.

The concept behind Synbiotics is that the prebiotics provides nourishment to the probiotics, helping them to grow and thrive on the skin. This can result in a healthier skin microbiome, which in turn can lead to a range of benefits, such as improved hydration, reduced inflammation, and enhanced barrier.??

Research in this field is still relatively new, but some studies have shown promising results. For example, a 2018 study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that a synbiotic cream containing both a prebiotic and a probiotic effectively improved skin hydration, elasticity, and barrier function. Another study published in the Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology in 2019 demonstrated that a synbiotic cream effectively reduced acne-causing bacteria on the skin.

Complementary synbiotics are formulations that contain both prebiotics and probiotics, but the prebiotic and probiotic components work independently of each other. In other words, the prebiotic provides a source of nourishment for the beneficial bacteria in the probiotic, but the two components do not interact or enhance each other's effects.

Synergistic synbiotics, conversely, are formulations in which the prebiotic and probiotic components work together to enhance each other's effects.?

In this synbiotic, the prebiotic is carefully selected to promote the growth and activity of the specific strains of probiotic bacteria used in the formulation. The result is a product in which the prebiotic and probiotic components work together in a complementary and synergistic way to provide maximum benefits for the skin microbiome and overall skin health.??

In summary, while both complementary and synergistic synbiotics contain both prebiotic and probiotic components, the difference between the two lies in how the components interact with each other. Complementary synbiotics work independently of each other, while synergistic synbiotics work in a complementary and synergistic way to provide maximum benefits.??

A synbiotic formulation that includes a pre-prep catalyst and a postbiotic in addition to a prebiotic and probiotic can have several potential benefits.

First, the pre-prep catalyst can help prepare the skin for introducing the probiotic bacteria. This might involve using an ingredient that helps prepare the skin to receive the beneficial bacteria, or it might involve using an ingredient that helps to create a more hospitable environment for the bacteria to thrive.??

The postbiotic, on the other hand, can help prolong the probiotic's benefits by providing ongoing nourishment and support for the skin microbiome. Postbiotics are the metabolic by-products of probiotic bacteria. They can include things like enzymes, peptides, and organic acids, which have been shown to have a range of beneficial effects on the skin. Including a postbiotic in a synbiotic formulation can help to ensure that the skin microbiome continues to receive the nourishment and support it needs even after the probiotic bacteria have run their course.

In addition, including a pre-prep catalyst, a prebiotic, a probiotic and a postbiotic in the formulation can help to provide a range of potential benefits for the skin microbiome. A synbiotic formulation offers a comprehensive approach to supporting the skin microbiome and overall skin health.??

Synbiotic skincare is an emerging field, and several companies are actively exploring the potential benefits of probiotics and prebiotics for skin health.?

Bio-az is one of the companies that has been paving the way in this field, focusing on developing and commercialising synbiotic ingredients for use in cosmetics and personal care products.

One of the key advantages of the bio-az approach is its use of proprietary fermentation technology that allows for the production of highly concentrated and stable synbiotic ingredients. These ingredients are designed to be effective at lower concentrations, which may help reduce the risk of skin irritation and other side effects.

Additionally, Bio-az synbiotic ingredients are carefully formulated to support the growth of beneficial bacteria while limiting the growth of harmful bacteria that can contribute to skin problems. The approach helps restore the skin microbiome's natural balance, promoting healthier, more resilient skin.

Overall, Bio-az work in the field of synbiotic skincare is helping to expand our understanding of the role that prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics and pre-prep catalysts play in promoting skin health. While research is in its infancy, early results are promising and suggest that this approach could represent an exciting new frontier in the field of skincare.??