Utilization of Postbiotics in Cosmetic Products to Support Skin Health. There is 2 Facts!
Postbiotics are byproducts of microorganisms, not the cells themselves. In other words, what is utilized is the “metabolites” of the microorganisms, not the living cells. Postbiotics are typically obtained through fermentation processes carried out by microorganisms.
Through this fermentation process, various substances are produced that have the potential to be used as active ingredients in cosmetic products. Currently, the use of postbiotics in cosmetics is a growing trend due to their significant benefits, particularly in supporting the health of the skin microbiome.
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Benefits of Postbiotics in Cosmetic Products
Many people are already familiar with the term probiotics in cosmetic products, but relatively few are aware of postbiotics. Based on various studies, postbiotics are known to provide benefits similar to those of probiotics.
In cosmetic products, postbiotics play a role in maintaining the balance of the skin microbiome, protecting the skin from harmful bacteria, and supporting overall skin health. This makes postbiotics an increasingly attractive ingredient in the development of modern cosmetics.
One of the main advantages of postbiotics is their more specific mode of action. Postbiotics are the end products of microbial activity and are already in the form of active substances, allowing them to act directly without requiring an adaptation process like living microorganisms. As a result, postbiotics can target specific microbiota, such as pathogenic bacteria, and interact selectively with receptors on skin cells.
In addition, the skin naturally has a balanced ecosystem of microorganisms (resident microbiota). Postbiotics can help support the growth of beneficial bacteria without disrupting this balance. At the same time, they can selectively inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria without introducing new microorganisms into the skin ecosystem, thereby preserving its natural equilibrium.
Another advantage of postbiotics is their greater stability in cosmetic formulations. The effects produced tend to be more consistent and controllable, and are less influenced by environmental factors such as pH, temperature, and storage conditions, unlike probiotics which contain living microorganisms.
Today, companies in the industry aim to create innovative and sustainable solutions for consumers. Many of them embrace the concept of clean solutions, offering natural products supported by scientific evidence to enhance human health and well being. This approach is becoming increasingly relevant in response to the growing demand for renewable resources.
Furthermore, companies are striving to address global trends such as energy efficiency, the development of more environmentally friendly technologies, and the conservation of limited resources. In this context, the use of postbiotics in cosmetic products is becoming increasingly appealing, as it not only offers functional benefits for skin health but also aligns with principles of sustainability, ingredient stability, and more efficient resource utilization.
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The Effect & Strategies of Skincare and Cosmetic Storage Conditions on Product Quality and Safety
How to Properly Produce and Process Postbiotics?
In general, the production of postbiotics is a process of obtaining the products of bacterial activity, rather than the bacteria themselves. This process consists of four main steps: cultivating the bacteria, separating the cells, extracting cellular contents (if needed), and purifying the final product.
First, bacteria are grown in a nutrient rich medium that supports their growth and the production of beneficial compounds. This process is carried out under controlled conditions, such as temperature and time, to ensure optimal results.
Second, once the bacteria have grown, the cells are separated from the liquid using centrifugation (spinning at high speed). At this stage, a decision can be made: whether to extract intracellular compounds or to utilize extracellular compounds present in the liquid.
If intracellular components are desired, the bacterial cells are washed and then disrupted using specialized equipment to release their contents. However, if only extracellular compounds are needed, the washing and cell disruption steps are unnecessary.
Finally, another round of centrifugation is performed to ensure that no intact cells or cell debris remain. The end result is a liquid containing postbiotics active compounds ready for use, for example, in cosmetic products.
There is significant potential to use byproducts from agricultural or other industries as substrates (media or raw materials) for producing postbiotics. This is particularly interesting because these materials often still contain compounds that can enhance the biological activity of the resulting postbiotics. However, to date, research utilizing such materials for postbiotic production in both food and cosmetic applications remains relatively limited.
Some examples of materials that have been used include cheese whey (a byproduct of cheese production), milk permeate, and lignocellulosic biomass. In addition, various types of agricultural and industrial waste also have potential due to their abundance, low cost, and renewability. Their use not only reduces production costs but also helps minimize environmental waste accumulation.
Moreover, materials such as corn steep liquor, malt waste, soybean meal, cottonseed, wheat bran, rice bran, and fish waste can be utilized as nutrient sources for microorganisms. Meanwhile, other materials such as starchy biomass, algal biomass, molasses, and soybean wastewater (vinasse) can serve as important carbon sources for microbial growth during fermentation.
Thus, the use of waste materials as substrates not only supports more economical postbiotic production but also aligns with the principles of sustainability and more efficient resource management.
Amid the growing trend based skincare innovation, product differentiation is not enough through concept alone it must be proven through valid testing. Products without data risk losing competitiveness in the market.
Conduct testing with IML Testing and Research to ensure your product has strong scientific value and is ready to compete globally.
Author: Dherika
Editor: Alphi
References
Duarte, M., Oliveira, A.L., Oliveira, C. et al. Current postbiotics in the cosmetic market—an update and development opportunities. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 106, 5879–5891 (2022).
Majeed, M., Majeed, S., Nagabhushanam, K., Lawrence, L., Arumugam, S., Mundkur, L. Skin protective activity of lactosporinthe extracellular metabolite from Bacillus coagulans mtcc 5856. Cosmetics 7(4), 1–14 (2020b).
