Your skin is more than what you can see in the mirror.
Living on its surface is a diverse community of microorganisms known as the skin microbiome. And as our understanding of the skin microbiome has grown, so has a new approach to caring for skin: microbiome skincare.
Rather than constantly trying to strip, scrub or overwhelm skin with stronger products, microbiome-conscious skincare takes a more supportive approach.
At AMPERNA®, this philosophy sits at the heart of what we do.
Our Australian-made formulas combine postbiotic technology with carefully selected skincare ingredients to support the skin barrier and maintain healthy-looking skin from face to body and scalp.
What Is the Skin Microbiome?
Your skin is home to billions of microorganisms, including different types of bacteria, fungi and other microbes. Together, this ecosystem is known as your skin microbiome.
Just like the skin barrier, your microbiome forms part of the complex environment that helps keep your skin functioning as it should.
The composition of everyone's microbiome is different and can be influenced by factors including your environment, age, lifestyle and skincare habits.
This is one reason we don't believe healthy-looking skin is simply about finding the strongest active ingredient.
It's about looking at the skin environment as a whole.
What Is Microbiome Skincare?
Microbiome skincare is skincare formulated with the skin's natural microbial ecosystem in mind.
Instead of viewing every microorganism on your skin as something that needs to be removed, microbiome-conscious skincare recognises that your skin is an ecosystem.
These formulations may incorporate ingredients such as:
- Prebiotics
- Postbiotics
- Fermented ingredients
- Ceramides
- Humectants
- Other barrier-supportive ingredients
At AMPERNA®, our approach goes one step further.
We combine microbiome-conscious formulation with our barrier-first skincare philosophy.
Because your microbiome and your skin barrier aren't two completely separate ideas. They are both part of the environment that contributes to comfortable, resilient and healthy-looking skin.
If you'd like to understand the skin barrier in more detail, read our guide to supporting a damaged or compromised skin barrier.
What Is the Difference Between Probiotics, Prebiotics and Postbiotics in Skincare?
These terms are often used interchangeably in beauty marketing, but they're not the same thing.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live microorganisms most people associate with foods and supplements.
Keeping live microorganisms stable inside a cosmetic formulation can be challenging, which is why many products described as probiotic skincare actually contain probiotic-derived ingredients, ferments or lysates rather than live cultures.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics can be thought of as nourishment for the microorganisms already present on your skin.
They are used in microbiome-conscious skincare to help support the environment in which your skin's microbial community exists.
Postbiotics
Postbiotics are non-living ingredients derived from microorganisms.
Because they aren't live bacteria, they can offer advantages when formulating stable cosmetic skincare products.
Want to go deeper? Read Probiotics, Prebiotics and Postbiotics in Skincare: What's the Difference?
Why Does AMPERNA® Use Postbiotics?
Postbiotics aren't something we've added to AMPERNA® because microbiome skincare has become popular.
They have been part of our formulation philosophy from the beginning.
One of our hero skincare ingredients is Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, a non-living postbiotic ingredient derived from Lactococcus lactis.
Rather than relying on one ingredient to do everything, we formulate our postbiotic technology alongside familiar skincare ingredients including:
- Ceramides
- Niacinamide
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Panthenol
- Vitamin C
- Glycolic Acid
- Retinoid alternatives and retinoid technology
The result is a skincare system that combines microbiome-conscious care, barrier support and carefully selected active ingredients.
Learn more about why postbiotics work so well alongside familiar skincare ingredients.
What Are the Benefits of Microbiome Skincare?
Microbiome skincare isn't about trying to create a "perfect" microbiome.
It's about taking a more considered approach to the way you care for your skin.
For AMPERNA®, that means focusing on:
- Supporting the skin barrier
- Maintaining hydration
- Supporting comfortable-feeling skin
- Avoiding unnecessarily harsh routines
- Using microbiome-conscious ingredients
- Introducing targeted active ingredients thoughtfully
- Creating routines that can be used consistently
If you want to learn more about our hero ingredient specifically, read Postbiotics Explained and Why Your Skin Needs Them.
Is Microbiome Skincare Good for Sensitive Skin?
When skin is sensitive, it's easy to fall into a cycle of constantly changing products or searching for something stronger.
We prefer to start with the foundation.
Gentle cleansing. Hydration. Barrier support. Consistency.
Then additional products can be introduced according to your skin's individual needs and tolerance.
Our microbiome-conscious approach is one of the reasons AMPERNA® has always been formulated with sensitive skin in mind.
If sensitivity is your priority, read our complete guide to how to care for sensitive skin.
Microbiome Skincare for the Face
Your everyday facial routine is a good place to start.
Rather than building a complicated routine immediately, establish your foundation first.
1. BALANCE: Cleanse
Ultra Gentle Soothing Cleanser [BALANCE] gently cleanses without leaving skin feeling stripped.
It's the starting point for a simple, barrier-first AMPERNA® routine.
2. RESCUE: Support
Pro+ DS Soothing Serum [RESCUE] combines AMPERNA® postbiotic technology with carefully selected ingredients including panthenol, urea, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, zinc and copper gluconates.
It's lightweight, easy to layer and designed to support sensitive, reactive-feeling skin.
3. HYDRATE: Moisturise
Lightweight Soothing+ Emulsion [HYDRATE] provides lightweight hydration with postbiotics, ceramides and other barrier-supportive ingredients.
For a simple starting point, RESCUE + HYDRATE are available together in our Soothing Duo.
THE AMPERNA® ROUTINE
RESCUE + HYDRATE
Postbiotic support + lightweight hydration for sensitive, reactive-feeling skin.
LOVED BY 90,000+ ★★★★★
45-Day Money-Back Promise
Can You Use Active Ingredients With Microbiome Skincare?
Yes. Microbiome-conscious skincare doesn't mean abandoning active ingredients.
At AMPERNA®, we believe barrier support and active skincare can work together.
Once you've established your everyday foundation, you can introduce targeted products according to what you'd like to achieve.
REPAIR: Vitamin C
Pro+ Vitamin C Hyaluronic Serum [REPAIR] combines vitamin C with AMPERNA®'s postbiotic and barrier-focused formulation philosophy.
It's an easy way to build antioxidant and brightening ingredients into your routine while keeping the AMPERNA® foundation underneath.
EXFOLIATE: Glycolic Acid
10% Pro+ Resurfacing Lotion [EXFOLIATE] combines 10% glycolic acid with our postbiotic technology for targeted exfoliation.
SUPAGLOW: Brighten
Our advanced brightening formula combines targeted ingredients with AMPERNA®'s wider microbiome-conscious approach for those wanting to focus on brighter, more even-looking skin. AMPERNA® Pro+ Advanced Brightening Serum [SUPAGLOW] is a leave-on formula designed to enhance the appearance of visibly brighter, more radiant-looking skin.
Advanced Renewal
AMPERNA® also offers retinoid and retinol-alternative options for more advanced routines.
The important thing is that you don't have to choose between actives and barrier care.
Build the foundation first, then introduce targeted products gradually.
Read Using Active Skincare Without Compromising Your Skin Barrier before building a more active routine.
Or explore the complete AMPERNA® skincare collection.
Your Microbiome Doesn't Stop at Your Face
This is where microbiome skincare gets particularly interesting.
Your face isn't the only skin that deserves barrier-conscious care.
The skin across your body and scalp has its own microbial environment too.
That's why the AMPERNA® philosophy has evolved beyond facial skincare into a complete face, body and scalp ecosystem.
Microbiome Body Care
Your skin barrier extends from head to toe.
Yet body care is often treated very differently from facial skincare, with stronger cleansers, heavy fragrance and aggressive scrubs.
AMPERNA® Body Care brings our barrier-first approach below the neck.
CERALACTIC: Cleanse
Hydrating Gentle Wash with Ceramides [CERALACTIC] combines gentle cleansing with ceramides, prebiotics, postbiotics and other carefully selected ingredients.
HYDRALACTIC: Hydrate
Hydrating Gentle Lotion with Ceramides [HYDRALACTIC] provides lightweight body hydration with ingredients including ceramides, niacinamide and AMPERNA®'s pre- and postbiotic complex.
Together, they create a simple:
CLEANSE → HYDRATE
body routine.
If your body is also prone to congestion or breakouts, read our guide to caring for back acne and breakout-prone body skin.
Microbiome Scalp + Hair Care
Your scalp is skin too.
Like the skin on your face, your scalp has a barrier and its own microbiome.
That's why we believe healthy-looking hair begins with the environment in which it grows.
AMPERNA® Scalp + Hair Care takes the principles behind our skincare and applies them to wash day and scalp care.
[DERMACLEANSE]: Shampoo
Our postbiotic shampoo gently cleanses the scalp and hair as the first step in your wash-day routine.
[DERMASTRENGTH]: Conditioner
Our conditioner complements [DERMACLEANSE] to support soft, healthy-looking hair.
[DERMAFIX]: Support - vitamin complex for your scalp
Our DERMAFIX Scalp + Hair Care Serum brings a skincare-inspired approach directly to the scalp with postbiotic technology, prebiotics, vitamins and carefully selected supporting ingredients.
Learn more about DERMAFIX and AMPERNA®'s approach to scalp care.
EXPLORE AMPERNA® SCALP + HAIR CARE →
Why AMPERNA® Takes a Barrier-First Approach
The skincare industry has spent decades encouraging us to identify something we don't like about our skin and attack it.
Oil? Strip it.
Texture? Scrub it.
Breakouts? Dry them out.
Ageing? Fight it.
AMPERNA® takes a different approach.
We believe healthy-looking skin begins with supporting the environment your skin needs.
That's why our formulas bring together:
- Postbiotic technology
- Microbiome-conscious formulation
- Skin barrier support
- Carefully selected active ingredients
- Gentle everyday essentials
- Face, body and scalp care
It's not about chasing perfect skin.
It's about building a routine that supports your skin consistently.
How to Build a Microbiome-Conscious Routine
You don't need to replace everything in your bathroom overnight.
Start with your foundation.
FACE
BALANCE → RESCUE → HYDRATE
BODY
CERALACTIC → HYDRALACTIC
SCALP + HAIR
DERMACLEANSE → DERMASTRENGTH → DERMAFIX
Then introduce targeted facial actives such as REPAIR, EXFOLIATE, SUPAGLOW or one of our advanced renewal formulas according to your individual skincare goals and tolerance.
MICROBIOME-CONSCIOUS CARE FROM HEAD TO TOE
FACE + BODY + SCALP
Discover AMPERNA® postbiotic skincare, bodycare and haircare designed around our barrier-first approach.
LOVED BY 90,000+ ★★★★★
Frequently Asked Questions About Microbiome Skincare
What does microbiome skincare mean?
Microbiome skincare refers to skincare developed with the skin's natural microbial ecosystem in mind. These formulations may use ingredients such as prebiotics, postbiotics and fermented ingredients alongside ingredients that support hydration and the skin barrier.
What is the skin microbiome?
The skin microbiome is the diverse community of microorganisms that live on the surface of your skin. It forms part of the skin's complex natural ecosystem.
Are postbiotics the same as probiotics?
No. Probiotics are live microorganisms, whereas postbiotics are non-living ingredients derived from microorganisms.
AMPERNA® uses postbiotic ingredients because they can be incorporated into stable cosmetic formulations as part of our microbiome-conscious approach.
What postbiotic does AMPERNA® use?
One of AMPERNA®'s hero postbiotic skincare ingredients is Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, derived from Lactococcus lactis.
Can I use microbiome skincare with retinol or glycolic acid?
Yes. Microbiome-conscious skincare and active skincare don't need to be opposites.
AMPERNA® combines our barrier-first philosophy with targeted active products including vitamin C, glycolic acid and advanced renewal formulations.
Introduce active products gradually and follow the individual product directions.
Is microbiome skincare suitable for sensitive skin?
Microbiome-conscious skincare can be formulated with sensitive skin in mind. At AMPERNA®, we combine our postbiotic approach with gentle cleansing, hydration and barrier-supportive ingredients.
Read our guide to caring for sensitive skin.
Does the scalp have a microbiome?
Yes. The scalp is skin and has its own microbial ecosystem.
This is one reason AMPERNA® applies its skin-conscious formulation philosophy to scalp and hair care as well as facial and body skincare.
Discover the AMPERNA® Microbiome-Conscious Approach
Microbiome skincare isn't about adding another trend to your bathroom shelf.
It's a different way of thinking about skin.
Support rather than strip.
Hydrate rather than overwhelm.
Build your foundation before adding more.
From your face to your body and scalp, AMPERNA® brings together postbiotic technology, barrier-supportive ingredients and targeted actives to create a complete approach to healthy-looking skin.
EXPLORE THE COMPLETE AMPERNA® RANGE →
AMPERNA® products are cosmetic products and are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease or skin condition. Always consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
