Microbiota: what is it and why is it good for the hair?
The microbiota helps fortify the protective barrier of the scalp, and reduce itchiness and redness. Find out how it works and why it’s important for people with fragile or sensitized hair.
You may already have heard talk of the important role the microbiota plays in protecting the skin; what you may not know is that it’s also essential for the well-being of our scalp. As a matter of fact, it fortifies the protective barrier of the skin on our heads, reducing redness and itchiness.
We can stimulate our microbiota with the right diet, but there are also specific products for fragile and sensitized hair that make use of postbiotics to improve the skin’s vitality.
Prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics
- Probiotics are good bacteria that live in our bodies and help us keep certain vital functions balanced
- Prebiotics are the food that these good bacteria eat
- Postbiotics are the result of the bacterium’s metabolic process
Why is the microbiota important?
The name microbiota refers to the population of living microorganisms that can be found throughout our body. They live in our intestines, as well as on our skin and scalp. These “good bacteria” aren’t harmful to our health; quite the opposite: they boost it, as they develop a positive synergy with our bodies by living in it. We are the host and they return the favor by helping us keep certain vital functions — such as the function of the digestive system — in balance.
The skin’s microbiota is like an invisible shield that covers our entire body, starting from the very top of our head. It protects the skin from allergens, free radicals, photo-aging, pollutants and other aggressors. The microbiota plays an especially crucial role on the scalp: it creates a protective biofilm that is necessary for keeping it balanced and protected.
How to help the microbiota with our diet
To lend a helping hand to our microbiota, we need to make sure it gets the right prebiotics, i.e. the right food.
When we eat fresh fruit, organic vegetables, take in essential fatty acids and drink a lot of water, our digestive system can extract vitamins and nutrients and channel them to the hair, skin and nails.
Postbiotics: the innovation to maintain healthy hair
The balance of our skin and scalp depend on a microbiota that can defend, hydrate and repair, day after day.
Aside from the help we provide with our diet, we can also supplement our hair routine with specific products that help the skin’s good bacteria, such as the Elevating Recovery Scalp Treatment and the leave-ins of the Energizing family.
These hair treatments contain a Microbiotic booster, which boosts the natural protection mechanism by using postbiotics, i.e. the protective molecules obtained from bacterial fermentation.
Postbiotics are an evolution of prebiotics: as they are the substances that the bacteria produce to keep the microbiota’s balance, they have direct beneficial effects on the skin and scalp.
Hair prone to falling out, dry or sensitized hair: the benefits of postbiotics
The Microbiotic Booster helps strengthen the integrity of the skin’s barrier, reduce scalp redness, itchiness and discomfort, offering an additional barrier against external aggressors.
That’s why it’s particularly suited to dealing with the issues of fragile hair that’s prone to falling out, and sensitive and delicate hair.
If you’ve also had to deal with these issues, here are two more products enriched with Microbiotic Booster that could be perfect for you: