Editrix Microbiome Skincare: You've Heard of Your Gut Microbiome — Now Meet the Brand Perfecting Your Skin Microbiome

BACTERIA ABOUND

Microbiome skincare has been gaining traction for several years, and with its recent success (earning $381.5 million in 2022 alone), more brands are entering the category. Beirsdorf, the parent company of Nivea and La Prairie, acquired a microbiome-dedicated organization to drive product innovation with bacteria, while L’Oréal also believes it's the future of cosmetics and will be using the technology to personalize skincare products. 

Let's start with a working definition: your microbiome is a delicate ecosystem of microorganisms. While the term is most often used in the realm of gut health (which refers to the health of the entire digestive system and the balance of good and bad bacteria) your skin is populated with just as much biodiversity. “It’s a highly intelligent, unseen universe that communicates with the rest of our body as well — our gut, our brain, our immune system — they all communicate through microbial language,” says Devkota.

But while there are numerous microbiome-branded skincare products on the market today, take heed. Most are simply “microbiome friendly,” meaning they don’t disrupt the skin’s acid mantle (the fine film on its surface), rather than containing the ingredients necessary to replenish healthy bacteria and maintain microbial balance. Microbiome efficacy claims may appear on many brands, but as we know all too well the FDA has a limited,  and often confusing, regulation over beauty products.

‍Editrix Wellness is fundamentally different. Devkota’s extensive exploration led to the discovery that the most common bacteria on human skin, known as staphylococcus epidermidis, “is built-in skincare.” These healthy bacteria can do everything from synthesize collagen in the skin and protect from UV radiation to fight off pathogens (aka bad bacteria). Our lifestyle and excessive use of products “overrides healthy bacteria,” leaving it vulnerable and unable to protect our skin, hence the rise in skin issues such as dermatitis and eczema.

‍HEALTHY CONNECTIONS

The good news is there's now a solution. Here's how it works: Editrix takes healthy skin bacteria from donors, purifies it in the lab, then uses a proprietary fermentation process to develop a nutrient-rich byproduct. The byproduct may appear as a single ingredient, but it includes “hundreds of nutrients including amino acids, peptides, proteins, and enzymes that communicate with other cells in your skin.” Even better, in what Devkota calls “the entourage effect,” the proportion of these ingredients is measured exactly according to what your skin can absorb and utilize.

Is the idea of bacteria-based skincare hard to digest? Think of it this way. The importance of gut health is hardly news today as it has us talking about inflammation daily and has spurred over $47 billion in gut-related food and beverages, supplements and nutritionist programs. (Not to mention over 3.7 billion #guthealth views on TikTok.) What is less discussed is the equally crucial gut-skin connection, and how that can be addressed via skincare. 

The scientific 411 is that there are no living bugs or live bacteria in postbiotic-based Editrix. As probiotics are living bacteria, steer clear of skincare brands capitalizing on probiotic claims; this is a misnomer as live bacteria would not survive a skincare product’s preservatives. Instead, the brand uses postbiotics to help your skin maintain good bacteria while protecting against “invader bacteria that can lead to possible skin disruptions, aging, and if left unchecked, can enter the bloodstream causing inflammation.”  

PIONEERING POSTBIOTICS

Minimalists will rejoice as the Editrix regimen is beyond unpretentious, and requires only the bare minimum so as not to disturb the microbiome. Behold their four-step regimen: