The Science of True Probiotic Skincare
Our position
In microbiology, probiotics are living microorganisms. If they are not alive at the time of use, they are not probiotics. Fafabiotic formulates with live, viable strains designed to remain alive until the moment you apply them.
What probiotic skincare actually means
In skincare, the word probiotic is frequently attached to fermented ingredients, lysates and postbiotics. Those are legitimate cosmetic ingredients, but they are not alive, and the field defines them separately for exactly that reason.
Probiotic
Live microorganisms, present in adequate amounts.
Postbiotic
A preparation of inanimate microorganisms or their components.
The full definitions, where they come from, and why so few products meet the first one are covered in detail here: What are live probiotics?
Why most probiotic skincare is not truly probiotic
Keeping microorganisms alive inside a cosmetic is technically difficult, and most products that fail are running into physics rather than being dishonest. Four things work against viability.
Water
Activates cells, which then consume their reserves long before use.
Preservatives
Kill microorganisms. They cannot tell yours from contamination.
Temperature
Shipping, storage, a bathroom shelf in summer.
Oxygen
Exposure during filling and storage can be lethal to some strains.
A conventional cream is designed to stop microorganisms surviving in it. That is what makes it safe to keep for a year. Asking the same formula to also keep microorganisms alive is asking it to do two opposite jobs. We designed around the problem instead: the formula stays anhydrous until you activate it, so the cells remain dormant rather than active.
Our viability data
We count the cells, and we publish the counts
The definition of a probiotic requires adequate amounts of living organisms. That is a measurable claim, so we measure it. CFU counts are determined by standard microbiological plating at four points.
At packaging
T=0, the starting count
On the shelf
Over 12 months at 25°C
At activation
The moment you mix it
During use
30 days after activation
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum
Fresh Smoothing Probiotic Lotion • 1 billion CFU per gram
Streptococcus thermophilus
Fresh Hydrating Probiotic Lotion • 100 million CFU per gram
Each product contains a single, well-characterised strain. We run several other measurements alongside these.
Why we go to the trouble
A living cell can act in three ways. Only the third is available to a preparation that arrives dead.
As a living cell
A metabolically active organism responds to the environment it lands in, rather than acting as a fixed dose of a molecule.
As a producer
These are lactic acid bacteria, so named for what they make. Here the lactic acid is produced in place rather than added.
As what remains
Cells eventually break down into their components. Everything a postbiotic offers is still there at the end.
A live preparation gives you all three. A non-living one gives you the third from the outset.
A longevity focused approach
Four stages, each designed around keeping microorganisms viable rather than around convenience.
Step one
Select
We begin by selecting probiotic strains with a strong scientific foundation and demonstrated compatibility with human biology.
Selection prioritises safety, transparency and relevance to the human microbiome. Strains are chosen based on documented safety status, peer-reviewed evidence, and their suitability for long-term use.
This step ensures every formulation starts with biology, not trends.
Step two
Develop
Once a strain is selected, formulation development focuses on preserving its viability from manufacturing to use, and on compatibility with the skin environment.
Strains are stabilised and evaluated within our formulation platform to confirm they remain viable through development, storage and use.
Formulation choices are made to support live microbes rather than compromise them.
Step three
Test
Formulations undergo evaluation for stability, compatibility and intended use within a cosmetic framework. Testing includes confirmation that live probiotics remain viable.
The lotion is evaluated through standard cosmetic and dermatological testing, including repeat insult patch testing (RIPT) and preservation efficacy testing.
Evaluation looks at how the formulation behaves as a whole, over time.
Step four
Produce
Final formulations are produced under controlled conditions with attention to quality, consistency and regulatory compliance.
Production is designed to protect formulation integrity so products reach customers as intended, with live probiotics supported through manufacturing and storage.
This allows reliability and continuity across every stage of use.
Together these steps reflect an approach that prioritises biology, viability and thoughtful formulation over quick change.
How to recognise true probiotic skincare
Three questions, and they apply to us as much as to anyone else.
1. Is the organism identified, and to a level that matches the claim? A genus on its own tells you very little. A species tells you a great deal. A strain designation becomes necessary when a specific effect is claimed.
2. Is viability stated, with a number? A brand that has counted its organisms can tell you the count.
3. Is it explained how they stay alive until use? Viability at point of use requires something deliberate. Ask what.
Skin as a responsive ecosystem
We see skin as an active environment shaped by both human cells and the microorganisms living alongside them. Our approach is built on the idea that microbial ingredients, delivered in a stable and viable form, belong in that environment rather than being imposed on it.
Skin changes throughout life with hormones, stress, environment and age. A longevity focused approach does not try to correct each change aggressively. It favours fewer products, thoughtful formulation and consistency over time.
Fafabiotic products are not created to override the skin. They are created to work alongside it.
Ask the Scientist
The science, explained properly
A weekly series written by Dr. Farzaneh Rezaei, PhD, Microbial Formulation Scientist. Every claim linked to published research, including the ones that do not support what the industry says.
Read the series