Hey lovely,
Did you know that right now, as you read this, you have more microbes living on your skin than you do cells in your entire body!? That sounds pretty gross, right? But these microbes serve a very important purpose. They are basically a suit of armor for your body. They protect against viruses, toxic particles from the air, and other bad bacteria that cause skin conditions like eczema.
Our microbiome thrives not only on our skin, but all throughout our body. These microbes combined with a thin layer of sweat and sebum makeup the very thin outer layer of our skin called the “acid mantle”. What’s really cool is that the microbes (or microbiome) of our skin thrive at this slightly low pH of the acid mantle of about 4.5.
It is essential to use products that are pH optimized for your skin (around 4.5 pH) or you’re basically creating a chemical reaction on your skin with each application.
Not only that, but every time you apply a product to your skin that contains preservatives, you are killing off some of the healthy microbes in your skin. That may sound like a good thing but let me explain.
When you remove the good microbes from your skin, you are leaving an open habitat for other bad microbes to take their place.
Think about that beautiful bed of tomatoes you planted this year. It still grew a few weeds, but for the most part, the big, beautiful tomato plants kept the weeds at bay.
Now think about the garden bed that you didn’t get around to planting. Or that patch of yard that you’re constantly weeding because there’s no grass. The weeds thrive and takeover these open spaces. And even without water or nutrients, they seem to do better than even the tomatoes.
This is exactly what happens when you disturb your skin’s healthy microbiome. The preservatives in traditional skincare products are meant to keep bacteria and mold from growing in the product. BUT, they do the same thing to the healthy microbes living on your skin. Killing off the good microbes only makes room for other, more harmful, bacteria to take its place.
Unfortunately, these invasive bacteria are often the cause of skin conditions such as eczema and acne!
Avoiding products with water as the first ingredient is a big step to a healthier microbiome. High water content not only requires microbe-killing preservatives, but water is repelled by the skin. It merely makes the surface of your skin look wet, rather than providing real moisture to your skin cells.
Here at BEE-OCH HQ, we have you covered of course! (Pun intended) Our certified organic products are formulated with only organic oils that your skin can actually absorb. AND most importantly are shelf stable! So, they don’t require toxic preservatives, only antioxidants (which come from vitamins and fruit extracts).
Here’s our top picks for swapping out your microbe-hating skincare products:
- Vitamin C + Peptide Facial Toner sits at the PERFECT skin-loving pH of 4.5 and is PACKED with the nutrients to build collagen.
- Organic Body Oil is your “lotion alternative” for full body moisture. This super light formula smells heavenly with lavender and sweet orange and absorbs super quick to nourish and hydrate your skin cells.
- Organic Facial Oil is your AM facial moisturizer that is so fast absorbing that you can put sunscreen and makeup right on top.
- Organic Night Elixir is your PM facial moisturizer formulated specifically for very dry or maturing skin. SUCH a luxurious combination of jojoba and pomegranate oil that deeply hydrates and plumps skin cells while you sleep.
- Organic Body Butter is our #1 dry-skin fighting hand cream. It is perfectly pH optimized and packed with vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that nourish down to the dermis to fight conditions such as eczema. Additionally, it has organic beeswax which helps to seal in moisture and last through several hand washings.
Cheers to you on your skincare detox journey!
Sincerely,
Brooke & Team (Your healthy microbe-friendly BEE-OCHes)
