There's a step in skincare that most people skip — not because they don't know about it, but because the market doesn't prioritise it enough. The skin microbiome is the ecosystem of microorganisms that lives on skin and regulates inflammation, pH, the barrier and the skin immune response. When it's imbalanced, no active works at its full potential. The prebiotic serum is the step that prepares the ground for everything else to work better.

What Prebiotics Are (vs. Probiotics)

It's an important distinction: probiotics are live microorganisms — difficult to formulate in cosmetics and with limited stability. Prebiotics are the substrate — the 'food' that the beneficial bacteria of the microbiome need to proliferate. Inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and other prebiotics are stable, effective and have growing evidence for skin microbiome balance.

The 3 Mechanisms That Explain Why It Amplifies Everything

1. Balanced microbiome → restored acidic pH — beneficial bacteria produce lactic acid that maintains pH 4.5–5.5. At this pH, actives penetrate better and pathogens are inhibited
2. Reinforced barrier — the balanced microbiome stimulates synthesis of antimicrobial peptides and ceramides in keratinocytes
3. Reduced inflammation — the imbalanced microbiome is the source of the subclinical inflammation that interferes with the efficacy of anti-ageing, brightening and hydrating actives

How and When to Apply

Apply within the first 60 seconds after cleansing — while skin is still slightly damp and at peak receptivity. Don't mix with other serums in the same palm — apply in sequential layers with 30–60 seconds between them.