Living across its surface are trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi and viruses collectively known as the skin microbiome. Far from being something we need to scrub away, this microscopic community is an important part of healthy skin.

Your skin microbiome works alongside your skin barrier and immune system to help defend against unwanted microorganisms, maintain a healthy skin environment and regulate the skin's response to the world around it. And, like any ecosystem, it likes a little balance.

The problem is that modern life can be surprisingly hard on it. Over-cleansing, aggressive exfoliation, environmental stressors and constantly changing your skincare routine can all affect the delicate relationship between your skin and its resident microbes.

The good news? Supporting your skin microbiome doesn't require a bathroom cabinet the size of a small pharmacy. In fact, it might mean doing rather less.

Here are some simple ways to support a healthy skin microbiome and, in turn, happier, more resilient skin.

The skin microbiome is the community of microorganisms living on your skin. This includes bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microscopic organisms, all living together in a remarkably complex ecosystem. And no two microbiomes are exactly alike!

Your skin microbiome varies depending on where you are on the body, your age, environment, lifestyle and even factors such as sebum production and moisture levels. It isn't something you need to "clean" into submission.

A healthy microbiome is about balance and diversity, not having absolutely no microorganisms on your skin. In fact, many of the microbes living on healthy skin are there to help keep the environment stable and support the skin's natural defences.

Think of it less like a bathroom floor that needs disinfecting and more like a garden. You don't want to pave over the garden. You want to create the conditions for the good stuff to thrive.

We love skincare, obviously! But more isn't automatically better.

Over-cleansing, excessive exfoliation, frequent use of strong actives and constantly chopping and changing your products can leave the skin barrier feeling compromised and an unhappy barrier isn't exactly the ideal environment for a healthy microbiome.

This doesn't mean you need to give up your retinol, acids or other hardworking ingredients. It simply means using them thoughtfully and giving your skin enough time to recover.

If your skin feels tight, stingy, unusually dry or suddenly reactive, consider it a polite, or perhaps not so polite, request to calm things down

A simple, consistent routine is often a much better foundation than throwing every trending ingredient at your face.

• Cleanse
• Hydrate
• Protect

Then add your actives strategically. Your skin has enough going on without turning your bathroom shelf into a chemistry experiment.

One of the easiest ways to support your skin microbiome is to rethink the way you cleanse.

Your skin has a naturally acidic environment, often referred to as the acid mantle, and maintaining an appropriate skin pH is important for barrier function and the wider skin ecosystem.

Harsh cleansing can strip away lipids, increase dryness and disrupt the skin barrier. And that is not the kind of "deep clean" we're looking for.

Instead, choose a cleanser that removes makeup, SPF, pollution and excess oil without leaving your skin feeling tight or squeaky.

If your face feels like it has been shrink-wrapped after cleansing, that's a clue.

Esse Sensitive Cleanser is a particularly good option for sensitive or easily irritated skin. It is designed to cleanse while respecting the skin barrier and is a natural fit for a microbiome-conscious skincare routine.

It's a good example of the kind of cleanser we're talking about: effective enough to do the job, gentle enough not to make your skin wonder what it did to deserve this.

This is where things get interesting!

You may have noticed skincare products talking about prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics. While the terminology can sound like something from a science exam, the basic idea is relatively simple.

Prebiotics are substances that can support beneficial microorganisms by providing the conditions or nutrients they need.

Probiotics are live microorganisms. In skincare, the term is used for formulations containing live microorganisms or probiotic-derived ingredients, although the evidence and terminology vary considerably between products.

Postbiotics are substances or components produced by microorganisms, or derived from them, that may have beneficial effects on the skin.

The microbiome is complicated, so skincare isn't simply a case of adding "good bacteria" and calling it a day. Formulation, delivery, microbial strains and the individual skin environment all matter. But microbiome-focused skincare is an exciting area, particularly when it is combined with a barrier-supportive routine.

Esse Probiotic Serum is one of the most obvious choices from our microbiome edit, formulated around probiotic skincare and designed to support a healthy skin environment.

Esse Biome Mist is another option, designed to support the skin's microbiome and barrier.

And if you're looking for a prebiotic-focused option, Cosmetics 27 Pure 27 is one of our favourites.

For richer, more restorative support, Cosmetics 27 Recovery 27 is another product worth knowing about.

The point isn't to use all four! Your microbiome would probably prefer you didn't. It's about choosing the right support for your skin rather than building a microbiome-themed shelfie.

The skin barrier and skin microbiome don't operate independently.

They are closely connected, working together to help maintain a healthy skin environment and protect you from the outside world.

When your barrier is compromised, you may experience dryness, sensitivity, redness or increased reactivity. Supporting barrier function is therefore an important part of creating the right conditions for your microbiome too.

Think hydration, lipids, gentle cleansing and sensible use of active ingredients.

Depending on your skin, look for ingredients such as:

• Ceramides and skin-identical lipids
• Fatty acids
• Squalane
• Niacinamide
• Panthenol
• Hyaluronic acid
• Prebiotic, probiotic or postbiotic ingredients
• Soothing botanical ingredients

Cosmetics 27 Recovery 27 is a particularly good fit here, designed to support skin that needs nourishment, comfort and recovery.

And for something a little more active, Wildsmith Active Repair Copper Peptide Cream brings copper peptides into the conversation, alongside a rich, restorative approach to skincare.

Different products, different approaches — same underlying principle: don't forget to look after the environment you're asking your actives to work in.

Retinol isn't the villain.

We need to talk about this because microbiome skincare can sometimes make it sound as though every active ingredient is out to destroy your skin ecosystem.

It isn't. Retinol, vitamin C, exfoliating acids and other active ingredients can all have a valuable place in a well-designed skincare routine. The trick is dose, frequency and tolerance.

Using too many powerful products too frequently can irritate the skin and compromise barrier function. Introducing one active at a time, starting slowly and adjusting according to how your skin responds is a much more sensible approach. Your skin doesn't get extra points for surviving a chemical obstacle course.

If you're new to retinol, our guide to Everything You Need to Know About Retinol is a useful place to start. And if your skin is already feeling stressed, scale things back before adding something new.

Sometimes the most advanced skincare decision is knowing when to leave your skin alone.

Your skin doesn't live in a laboratory, your environment influences your skin microbiome.

Exposure to the natural world introduces us to a huge variety of microorganisms, and researchers are increasingly interested in how environmental biodiversity interacts with human microbial diversity. That doesn't mean you need to roll around in a muddy field and call it skincare. Although, if that's your thing, we're not here to judge!

A walk through a park, time spent in a garden or simply getting away from the city can be good for your overall wellbeing and gives you a welcome break from pollution, screens and the temptation to Google your latest skin concern.

Your skin is part of your environment. Let it know there's a world outside the bathroom mirror!

The skin-gut connection is worth paying attention to, your skin doesn't exist in isolation.

Researchers are increasingly exploring the gut-skin axis, the complex relationship between the gut, immune system and skin.

The gut microbiome, diet, inflammation, stress and other factors may all influence skin health, although the science is still developing and the relationship is far more complicated than simply saying "healthy gut = healthy skin".

What we do know is that the basics still matter. Eat a varied diet. Stay hydrated. Get enough sleep. Move your body. Manage stress where you can. None of these things are particularly glamorous. They are also remarkably effective foundations for looking after your whole body, including your skin.

And yes, your skin may occasionally benefit from a little less scrolling and a little more sleeping!

Sometimes your skin needs less intervention, not more!

If your skin is feeling reactive, sensitised or simply a little overwhelmed, this isn't necessarily the moment for an aggressive resurfacing treatment.Sometimes it needs a reset.

Our Gentle Facial was designed specifically with sensitive skin and pregnancy in mind, and is one of the treatments we recommend when the focus is on calming, repairing and supporting the skin.

The 80-minute treatment combines a deep cleanse, expert extractions where needed, facial massage, a customised serum, double masking, Dermalux LED and probiotic skincare to support the skin barrier and microbiome. And yes, it's genuinely relaxing. Because apparently your skin isn't the only thing that occasionally needs to calm down.

For pregnancy, the treatment is adapted to keep things baby-safe while still providing probiotic support, hydration and an extended massage.

The result?

A treatment that is less about aggressively changing your skin and more about giving it the conditions it needs to behave like healthy skin. No heroic peeling, no unnecessary drama, just intelligent skincare, expert hands and a little microbiome TLC.

Keep it simple!  When shopping for microbiome-friendly skincare, don't get too distracted by clever packaging and even cleverer claims. Instead, look for:

Gentle cleansing
Something that removes what needs removing without leaving your skin stripped.

Barrier support
Hydrators, lipids and soothing ingredients that help maintain a resilient skin barrier.

Prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics
These are increasingly appearing in sophisticated skincare formulations, although the exact ingredients and evidence behind them vary.

A sensible routine
The best microbiome skincare in the world won't compensate for over-exfoliating every night.

Products suited to your skin
There is no single "perfect microbiome routine". Your skin is individual, and your routine should be too.