Want great skin? dirty! Get

You’ve heard about good-for-you ‘ friendly’ bacteria, the ones that come disguised as milky drinks and boost your intestinal health, energy levels and immune system.

But did you realise your skin has its own surface population of billions of microbes (the ‘skin microbiome’), to keep it clear and glowing? And that when things don’t look so pristine, it’s often an imbalance of these bugs that is to blame?

‘our skin has over 1,000 microbial species living on its surface that are instrumental in many skin cell processes,’ says Marie Drago, a doctor of pharmacy who created probiotic skincare brand Gallinée. ‘

‘They help cells communicate and they modulate an over-enthusiastic immune response, meaning they help prevent rashes and allergic reactions. We’re only just beginning to understand the many ways bacteria can benefit our skin.’

This may all feel rather counter-intuitive, given that one of the beauty industry’s most significant recent successes has been in cleansers, with routines of double- cleansing (washing the face twice: once to remove make-up and second for a thorough clean) top of the agenda.

But could the rise of skin diseases such as adult acne, psoriasis and rosacea have something to do with obsessive cleanliness, and should we be marinating in microbes instead?

To some extent, the answer is yes. But before you throw out the soap, it’s worth getting your bacterial beauty facts straight. They’ll come in handy when taking your pick from the avalanche of bacteria-loving skincare about to hit a beauty counter near you ...

CLEANSERS

‘over- cleansing is a problem,’ says Drago. ‘But it’s down to the products we wash with, not washing itself. It’s when cleansing turns into a disinfecting exercise that we get into trouble.

‘A cleanser should be strong enough to remove the grime, but delicate enough not to upset the skin ecosystem.’ That means binning antibacterial washes and bars of soap that leave skin feeling tight and dry. Look for gels, oils or creams with mild surfactants. Also, put back anything with alcohol, sodium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl sulphate in the ingredients list, as they are harsh detergents.

Aggressive scrubs and exfoliants such as glycolic acid can damage microflora as well — but careful use of mild acids such as lactic acid will actually help them proliferate.

BEST BUY: Gallinée La Culture foaming facial Cleanser (£14,

lookfantastic. com) features probiotics and a pH value that respects your microbiome.

MOISTURISERS

SLATHerInG on a cream full of friendly bugs may be the simplest way to top up reserves. The good-for-everything lactobacillus and bifidobacterium strains of probiotics are a staple of most probiotic creams.

‘When applied to the face, probiotics have a soothing, anti-inflammatory effect. They add to the complex of lipids, acids and organisms that shield the skin from toxins, irritants and bad microbes,’ says Dr roshini raj, a gastroenterologist and the brains behind Tula skincare.

‘That in itself is anti-ageing, although we team our probiotics with age-busters like retinol [a derivative of vitamin A that stimulates collagen production and cell turnover] to make them even more powerful.’

‘To fully reap the benefits of any nutrient, it has to be applied topically,’ adds Daniel Clary, director of education at Glowbiotics skincare. Which is why they work so well in moisturisers.

‘Take vitamin C. Ingesting the nutrient distributes it to all your organs — but it reaches the skin last. So if you apply it directly to the skin, all the benefits will go there and not elsewhere.’

BEST BUYS: estee Lauder Micro essence Treatment Lotion (£48,

esteelauder.co.uk) has a fastabsorbing bifidus micro-ferment said to boost collagen production. vichy Slow Age Day Cream (£30, feelunique.com) settles besieged skin with probiotic bifidus, which can prevent overreaction to irritants such as pollution particles and fragrance.

MASKS

If you don’t want to change your favourite moisturiser but would still like a weekly probiotic top-up, try a bioticsboosting mask.

Ten minutes in one will soothe skin and help good bacteria proliferate, adding to the one million- odd critters you already have on each square cm of your face. for a budget option you could even use any non-uHT yoghurt as a mask. It is rich in friendly bugs such as lactobacilli, part of the lactic acid bacteria group. BEST BUY: Dior HydraLife extra Plump Smooth Balm Mask (£45.50, boots.com) is parabenfree so as not to harm microflora, and has botanical actives that support probiotic function.

EYE CREAM

BACTerIA help make up the acid mantle ( the skin’s protective, moisture- preserving layer), and there’s evidence, says Daniel Clary, that probiotics ‘increase collagen production and have anti-oxidant properties’.

In short, a healthy probiotic population can help stave off wrinkles and dehydration.

‘Live strains of bacteria would be effective, but such creams would have a short shelf life and need keeping in the fridge,’ says Clary. ‘So our probiotic technology uses the bioactive compounds released when we put the bacteria through fermentation. These ferments have the same properties as the skinregulating molecules that live bacteria secrete. So you get the beneficial effects, but in a stable [and, non-stinky] formula.’

BEST BUY: Glowbiotics AntiWrinkle Illuminating eye Cream (£55, harveynichols.com) is full of probiotic ferments, peptides, antioxidants and fatty acids.

EXFOLIATORS

exfoLIATInG your face should remove dead cells on your skin’s surface, but leave the protective acid mantle intact and boost its protective capabilities.

So the best scrubs and peels work with ingredients naturally found in this layer, such as lactic acid and probiotics.

BEST BUY: Tula exfoliating Treatment Mask (£38, qvcuk.com) has a gentle lactic acid to peel and probiotic ferments to calm.

IngebOrg van Lotringen is the beauty director of Cosmopolitan magazine.