Beauty From Within

Nope, this isn’t a story about going makeup free or some new goop-y, all-natural skincare craze. This is a story about bacteria – in fact a whole community of it – that lives on your skin and how brands are betting big on it to keep you looking pretty. Chia ying na delves into the curious world of microbiome beauty.

With all of her healthy eating, mindful living, Natarajasana-bending ways, Nadia Rahmat Kishlan (opposite) – a member of the Female Collective and now a full-time model signed to local agency Upfront Models – is the embodiment of today’s wellness convert. Find balance and fill your life with goodness to radiate goodness, goes the mantra of the like-minded. She’s stumped when I bring up microbiome beauty though. Yet – unknown to her – she already sort of subscribes to its philosophy with all the Greek yogurt she laps up and swears by for its benefit to gut health.

The microbiome refers to the ecosystem of organisms that lives in the likes of one’s skin, hair and gut, comprising bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes. Before you recoil in disgust, experts like Nicolas Travis – founder of Singapore-born beauty brand Allies Of Skin – point out that much of this bacteria is actually good for you. It’s exactly what that shot of fermented strawberry-ginger-cayenne brew is supposed to work on – or rather, with – when it enters the intestines; its probiotic content improves digestion and overall well-being. The skin’s microbiome works the same way and – with the millennial-fuelled explosion of kombucha, keffir and kimchi – beauty brands are starting to recognise its value in the quest for the perfect complexion.

This year alone, at least eight companies have released products said to balance the skin’s microbiome or rid it of bad bacteria (say, the kind that causes acne), including powerhouses such as Dior and Lancome. The latter in fact updated its best-selling, decade-old concentrate, the Advanced Genefique Youth Activating Serum, recently with seven pre- and pro-biotics. Said to deliver essentials like lipids and amino acids to the microbiome, they reportedly boost skin’s resilience and youthful glow.