The word Microbiome is most often used in relation to the gut but it also applies to the skin.
Every individual has their own individual collection of friendly bacteria (microbiome) which live in the gut and help us digest food and fight bad bacteria and unwelcome pathogens. Without them, we simply cannot exist. In fact, our microbiome is now thought to impact every area of our body, both physically and mentally and when disturbed it causes us a variety of serious health issues including digestive issues, depression and skin problems.
The skin also has its own microbiome. This is a collection of microscopic bacteria that live happily on our skin to help us fight disease and stay healthy. Recent research has shown that there is communication between bacteria in the microbiome, skin cells and immune cells. These help to repair skin cells, protect the outer layers of the skin from external aggressors and keep inflammation under control. If the microbiome on the skin is broken down or mistreated it can result in skin problems and even accelerated ageing. This is why it’s so important to use gentle skin products that contain natural ingredients like honey, that support the skin’s natural microbiome.
Honey has been promoted as a treatment for digestive ailments for centuries Fresh, raw honey contains prebiotics that effectively supports the microbiome. The human gut doesn’t digest prebiotic fibre, but the microbiome living within your gut thrives on it. By eating local honey, we can effectively feed our microbiome, allowing it to remain healthy.
The prebiotics in honey is called non-digestible oligosaccharides. Honey also contains substances that kill pathogenic bacteria. These two properties together – feeding the good bacteria and helping to reduce the bad bacteria – mean that honey has excellent benefits to our health and our skin.
We use honey in almost all of our skincare such as Honey and Propolis Cream Cleanser and Honey and Wild Flax daily moisturisers, as well as our Lip balms, Facial Exfoliator and Plump and Firm Moisturiser. Try them for yourself and know that you are doing the very best for your skin.
