It will not only save your pocket but also will make your skin bugs happier. The 10-step skincare rituals expose the skin to hundreds of chemicals, preservatives that put a lot of stress on the skin and microbiome, causing imbalances, sensitivities and skin issues. Keep using skincare, but when you do make sure it’s kind to your skin microbiome. Multifunctionality, especially barrier repairing abilities would be the key. Twin Skin philosophy is based on simplistic routine, multi benefit, concentrated formulas, where less means really more.

Ingredients that disturb the skin barrier or create an unnatural environment for your skin microbiome (synthetic oils based products). Some of the most powerful active ingredients, the ones with strong evidence supporting their skin benefits, are known irritants, and long-term use can weaken the skin barrier (vitamin C, retinoids, aggressive acids). Focus on hydrating, nourishing, biome-friendly ingredients; go for preservative less formulas and ingredients that your skin is familiar with; skinmimetic ingredients that support your skin’s natural functions and structures. If you are not sure which of them are, trust the experts!

They’re often found in toners, and people with oily skin love how they remove the excess sebum, but this comes at a cost- regular use can dehydrate the skin and disturb your microbiome.  Drying alcohols are listed on labels as SD alcohol, denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol, or isopropyl alcohol. There is another group of alcohols that, on the other hand, are good for your skin. They are called fatty alcohols, such as cetyl, stearyl, cetearyl and behenyl alcohol. These alcohols are emollients, meaning they keep skin hydrated and supple.

When cleansing, avoid harsh surfactants (for example, sulfates, olefinates, and taurates). They do remove dirt effectively but also carry away the good bugs, strip the skin of its natural oils, damage enzymes & proteins, and alter moisture-holding mechanisms. Cleansers can perturb the environment where good commensal bacteria thrive. Soap bars have a high pH, which might disrupt the skin’s natural acidic pH and favour the growth of undesired bacteria, so they are also not recommended, especially for the face area. High pH also causes skin cells to swell, which allows for deeper penetration of the soap into the skin, possibly causing irritation and itching. Choose a skin friendly pH (slightly acidic) and look for gentle cleansing agents such as aminoacid-derived surfactants or glucosides. They are incredibly gentle and barrier respecting cleansing agents.

Over-scrubbing or exfoliating can disrupt the outer skin layer and create an inhospitable environment for microorganisms, which can disrupt the balance of the microbiome and promote inflammation. However, you don’t necessarily have to skip out on scrubbing; instead, you just need to make sure you’re doing it right- less often (once, maximum twice a week) and using products with lower abrasiveness. Enzymes and mild keratolitic actives will be the gentlest forms of exfoliation because they “remove” dead surface cells without impacting live cells. Our Nutri Biome Moisturisers will help your skin get rid of dead skin cells and renew its surface as NMF actives offer mild keratolytic benefits (especially urea and lactic acid). You won’t need to use exfoliators at all!

The right pH environment is crucial for skin microbiome to thrive. Look for the “skin pH balanced” information on the pack. It should be slightly acidic, around 5- 5.5

Hot water has the incredible ability to strip skin of its natural barrier lipids, thereby removing from the skin its natural defense system. Make sure it’s not too warm when showering or cleansing your skin

• Spending more time outside in the sun, in nature.
• Exercising can enhance the number of beneficial microbial species, enrich diversity, and improve the development of good bacteria.
• Eating fermented food (we are big fans of fermented food here!) precious probiotics, immune system and bowel movement stimulators.
• Eating fresh fruits and vegetables because your gut bacteria love to feast on fiber.
• Growing them yourself because contact with soil increases microbiome diversity.
• Drinking less alcohol as it has a negative effect on good bacteria (a glass of wine here and there is perfectly fine).
• Keeping a pet exposes you to a whole new world of enriching your microbiome bugs.
• Direct contact with other humans will not only enrich your social life but also stimulate your microbiome!