Category: Conscious Beauty

If there was one step in your morning beauty routine you would never, ever skip, we have a feeling you’d say it’d be your brows. There’s a reason why the phrase “brows on fleek” caught on like it did. Your arches frame your face, and they have the ability to totally transform the way your face looks.
These days, people are taking their brows to new extremes to garner major attention. Scroll through Instagram, and you’re bound to spot rainbow arches, wavy eyebrows, and more. Prefer a more natural brow look? No tweezing necessary today: Super-thin arches are out, and thick, full brows are very, very in.
Luckily, there are tons of products out there you can use to fill in your brows, from pencils to mascaras to pomades to gels (oh hey, Glossier Boy Brow). But let’s be real: Filling in your brows on the daily is time-consuming as hell, and sometimes the results don’t look quite as natural as you’d hope.
Sound familiar? Microblading might just be the solution to your biggest brow woes.

What is microblading?

“Microblading is a cosmetic tattoo procedure that involves creating small intricate strokes using a manual tool and applying pigment,” explains Jen Santoro, cosmetic tattoo artist and owner of Altered Aesthetics, a cosmetic tattoo shop that specializes in getting clients’ brows on point.  

A post shared by Cosmetic Tattoo | Brows by Jen (@altered_aesthetics) on Apr 13, 2018 at 9:26am PDT

Bianca Davis, licensed esthetician, tattoo artist, and owner of J’Adore Brows, says the whole goal of microblading is to create natural-looking brows. And, spoiler alert: It actually works.

Microblading might be for you if…

If your brows are sparse, you hate spending your precious time filling in your brows in the morning, or you’re simply interested in achieving a natural brow look, microblading might be a good option for you.
Santoro says most of her clients have either plucked for so long that their brows no longer grow, or they have inconsistent hair growth; Davis has clients of all ages and all different kinds of brow situations. “I see everyone from young to old women to women who love makeup to women who don’t love makeup,” she says. “Even women who don’t love makeup still like to have a finished look without looking overdone.”

What to Expect From Microblading

Curious about microblading? Here’s everything you need to know about the procedure if you’re considering it.

Microblading Prep

Forty-eight hours before your microblading appointment, you should stop taking any blood-thinning medications or supplements (such as ibuprofen or fish oil), says Santoro. She explains that during microblading, you might bleed a little bit, but if you’re on a blood thinner, you’ll bleed a lot more, and this will dilute the pigment, preventing your skin from retaining it well. Davis recommends limiting alcohol and caffeine intake in the days leading up to your appointment because they also thin the blood.
Additionally, stop using prescription retinoids a week before (they thin the skin), don’t get any chemical peels, microdermabrasion, or Botox, and don’t pluck or wax because you don’t want any irritation around your brow area, says Santoro.

Microblading Procedure

Expect your microblading session to take two hours or more.
Before your esthetician gets to work on microblading, they’ll map your eyebrows to ensure you’re happy with the shape and fullness. This can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, says Santoro. During this process, your esthetician will determine where your brow should naturally start, arch, and end (with input from you). “If the client has a little bit of brow hair or a decent amount, I like to follow the natural pattern of the brow,” says Santoro.
[pullquote align=”left”]“I find brow mapping to be the most crucial part of the process. You can lay down the perfect stroke and color, but if you don’t map, you won’t have good results.”
—Jen Santoro, cosmetic tattoo artist[/pullquote]
Santoro gives clients the opportunity to look at the brow shape from all different angles (lying down, sitting up, in a front-facing mirror, etc.). Once both brow shapes are complete, Santoro uses a caliper measuring tool and string to measure the brows to make sure they’re symmetrical, the arches are the same height, and that both brows are the same size. “I find brow mapping to be the most crucial part of the process,” says Santoro. “You can lay down the perfect stroke and color, but if you don’t map, you won’t have good results.”
Next comes the numbing. Santoro uses a topical lidocaine cream to numb the brow area and leaves it on for about 20 minutes. During that time, she works with the client to figure out what color they want their brows to be. “The goal should be to create color that, in its healed state, is as close as possible to what your current brow color is,” says Davis. “That’s what will give the most realistic look if you’re not using any makeup.” Santoro typically goes for a slightly darker color to account for the fact that pigment fades 20 to 30 percent once healed.
When the area is numbed, your esthetician will remove the cream and get to work microblading. They’ll use a hand tool to deposit ink, and this usually takes about 30 minutes to complete, says Davis. “We use the smallest strokes to build the eyebrow with a specific pattern to replicate the most realistic look of an eyebrow,” she says.
Santoro says she’ll do one pass to create enough strokes to outline your brow, then she’ll do a second pass to fill in the rest of the brow. After looking at the brow from all different angles, she may do a third pass to fill in areas that she missed.

After Microblading

Once done, Santoro will clean the brows and give clients an aftercare kit. She’ll have you blot your brows with cotton rounds every 10 to 15 minutes for the first two to three hours post-procedure to remove lymph fluid that might be seeping out. “You want the brows to heal softly and flake off, and reducing fluid helps,” says Santoro.
You’ll want to clean your brows with a little bit of warm water and a fragrance-free antibacterial soap morning and night, says Santoro, since you do technically have an open wound. Santoro gives clients an ointment specifically made for microblading that you can apply two to four times a day for the first week.
“For the first two to three days, your brows will appear darker because the pigment is sitting on top,” says Santoro. Then, between days four and six, your brows will start to flake off. “You go through the same process when you get a traditional tattoo,” says Santoro. You should stop flaking by day six or seven, and then by day 14, the color should have stabilized.
“Microblading is a two-step process with sessions four to six weeks apart,” says Davis, meaning you’ll have to come in for a touch-up after your initial session.
Davis calls the touch-up the perfection session: “We take time to adjust the color, shape, and anything else we want to tweak,” she says. The perfection session is a lot quicker than the initial microblading session. From there, touch-ups are recommended once a year.

A post shared by Cosmetic Tattoo | Brows by Jen (@altered_aesthetics) on Jun 12, 2018 at 8:01am PDT

“The ideal candidate for microblading is someone with a skin type that has minimal oil,” says Davis. “The less oil there is, the better the results will be because the color retention will be more vibrant over time.” If you have moderately oily skin, Davis says you can expect to need a touch up between eight and 10 months, whereas if you have normal to dry skin, you can go up to a year before needing a touchup. If you never go for any touch ups, your results may last pretty well for one to three years, says Santoro.
To maintain microblading results for as long as possible, always wear sunscreen when you’re outside (sun exposure fades tattoos) and avoid exfoliating around your brow area, since that can accelerate pigment fade, says Santoro.

How to Find a Microblading Expert

It’s important to go to someone who’s properly trained in microblading, as you don’t want to take any chances with someone working on your face. Your expert’s licenses should be on display in their studio, says Davis, and they should have completed microblading training. Santoro says you want to go to someone who’s at least taken a four-day course, if not more.
Davis also recommends requesting to see photos of healed work, not just advertised pictures. “The healed work is what you will end up with a week and a half after your initial appointment,” says Davis.
Going in for a consultation (which is typically free) is a good way to see if that pro is the right one for you.

How much does microblading cost?

Microblading doesn’t come cheap. Santoro says it can run anywhere from $400 to $600 (or more!) depending on where you live. This price usually includes the initial touch-up, says Santoro, and it may also include any aftercare products you’re supposed to use.
Yearly touch-ups won’t be as expensive as the initial cost (they may be about half).

Microblading Risks: What to Keep in Mind

The good news is that microblading is relatively safe, says Anna Guanche, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Bella Skin Institute; however, there are always risks with any procedure.
“Anytime there is a puncture of the skin, there is a risk of infection,” says Guanche. “The area should be properly prepped to avoid this.”
Guanche adds that you could experience an allergic reaction if you’re sensitive to the pigment or numbing cream. Doing a spot test could be a good way to avoid this, she says.

Popular Microblading Alternatives

Microblading isn’t your only semi-permanent brow option.

Microfeathering

Kristie Streicher, celebrity eyebrow artist, created the technique known as microfeathering. Streicher uses a super-fine, precise blade to deposit pigment onto brows. Microfeathering isn’t a way to create a totally new eyebrow (so it’s not for those with zero brow hairs), but it can refine what you already have.

Microshading

This treatment is popular, too. “The idea with microshading is to produce the look of a filled-in brow that looks more like you’ve filled it in with powder or makeup,” says Davis. “Sometimes artists will combine this with microblading.” Microshading can be done with a hand tool or a machine, says Davis.

You likely have your go-to shampoos, conditioners, and styling products, but are they really the right ones for your hair type? Understanding what type of hair you have will help you put together a routine that can effectively tame frizz and enhance your hair’s natural texture in a really beautiful way, says Danna Rhodes Douglas, owner of The Curly Hair Salon in Florida.
The thing is, the products and styling techniques that work on straight hair may not necessarily be ideal for extremely curly hair. The same goes for haircuts: What looks amazing on your wavy-haired pal may not exactly have the same effect on straight hair or kinky hair. That’s why we chatted with top hairstylists to outline what’s known as the hair typing system.
Hairstylist Andre Walker is responsible for the hair typing system, ranging from type 1 through type 4, which he came up with in the ’90s. Over the years, curly hair communities have made modifications to add in more hair types. In those communities, calling yourself a 2C or 4B can instantly tell other curly girls a lot about you (and your routine).
Wondering how to find out your hair type? The best way to determine your hair type is to wash and condition in the shower, blot your hair with an old t-shirt (this won’t promote frizz the way a towel does), and let your hair air dry so you can see its natural shape, says Fred Connors, owner of FRED.nyc salon.

Type 1 Hair Type

Straight hair, do care. If you have type 1 hair, that means you’ve got that smooth, sleek, straight hair that so many women need a flat iron to achieve.
1A: “This is the straightest of straight hair types,” says Connors. “This hair type is quite uncommon. It’s pin-straight with no bends or waves. It has a great amount of difficulty holding curl.”
1B/1C: “These are more common for straight hair types,” says Connors. “Types 1B and 1C hair tend to curl under toward the base and hold curl.” Type 1C has slightly more curl than type 1B.
Type 1 Celeb Inspiration: Lucy Liu and Gwyneth Paltrow
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Type 2 Hair Type

Beachy waves FTW. That’s exactly what you have if your hair falls within the type 2 umbrella, no dip in the ocean required.
2A: “Type 2A is wavier than straight hair but not curly,” says Connors. “It’s a very loosely defined wave. There’s no strong S shape.”
2B: Your hair has more defined waves than type 2A, with the distance between waves being shorter than it is for type 2A hair, says Connors.
2C: “Your hair looks curlier than types 2A and 2B, but it’s still a wave,” says Connors. You’ll notice an even shorter distance between waves than types 2A and 2B hair, as well as a more defined S shape.
Type 2 Celeb Inspiration: Jessica Alba and Drew Barrymore

Type 3 Hair Type

Hey there, curly hair! From light curls to tight curls, here’s what you need to know about curl patterns 3A–3C.
3A: Whereas wavy hair produces an S shape, curly hair produces a circle, says Connor. Type 3A hair is the loosest of the type 3 curl types and has the circumference of a piece of sidewalk chalk, says Connors.
3B: Your curls are tighter than type 3A, with about the circumference of a marker, says Connors.
3C: Your tightly-packed curls have the circumference of a pencil, says Connors. Think corkscrew curls!
Type 3 Celeb Inspiration: Julianna Margulies and Alicia Keys

Type 4 Hair Type

Nice to see you, kinky hair. Type 4 hair is usually thin, coarse, and packed with tight kinks. Here’s how to tell which type of kinky hair you have.
4A: “Your kink is really, really tight and in an S pattern,” says Connors.
4B: “Your kink is at a sharper angle than type 4A hair and in a Z pattern,” says Connors.
4C: “Your hair pattern is very irregular,” says Connors. “It’s not crimped or curved.” It’s similar to type 4B, just less defined.
Type 4 Celeb Inspiration: Viola Davis and Janelle Monae

What else affects hair type?

While figuring out where you fall on the 1A–4C spectrum will go a long way toward allowing you to put together the right haircare and styling routine, there are four other factors to consider as well.

Porosity

Do you apply and apply and apply product only for it to seem like it’s just sitting on the surface of your hair? This might have to do with your hair’s porosity. “This is how absorbent your hair is,” says Rhodes Douglas. More specifically, porosity refers to how well your hair holds in moisture, water, and product.
To figure out whether your hair has low or high porosity, take a small section of hair and stretch it out. Slide a finger up and down your hair shaft. If your hair feels rough, that means you have low porosity and your hair doesn’t hold in moisture very well; if your hair feels smooth, that means you have high porosity, says Rhodes Douglas.
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Elasticity

When your hair has good elasticity, that means it’s bouncy and full of life. “When you tug on a strand, you should be able to stretch it out and then it’ll go back,” says Rhodes Douglas. Chemicals, like those in hair dye, can mess with your elasticity and cause your hair to become limp, she adds.
To tell how much elasticity your hair has, try this little experiment: When your hair is wet, take a piece and stretch it out. If it returns to its original length once you release it, that means you have good elasticity.

Density

Your hair density simply means how much hair you have. You can figure out whether you have low or high density hair by measuring the circumference of your ponytail, says Rhodes Douglas. The larger your ponytail circumference, the higher hair density you have. “People think they have a ton of hair, but often they don’t,” says Rhodes Douglas. “When gathered together, do you have a copious amount of hair or is it surprisingly less than you thought?”

Curl Variance

It’s totally possible (and actually really common!) to have more than one type of curl pattern, says Rhodes Douglas. This is known as curl variance. “Often within curly hair types, you see tight curly hair and a more relaxed curl type,” says Connor. “If you have a mixture of manageable and difficult to manage hair types, I would use product for the hair type [that’s most difficult to manage].”

Your Haircare Routine by Hair Type

Once you’ve determined what your hair type is, it’s time to put together a haircare routine that works for you.

Type 1

When you have straight hair, it’s very easy for your hair’s natural oils to make their way down from your roots to your ends, says Connors. That’s a double-edged sword. While these oils give your hair shine, they can also make your hair look greasy and fall flat.
Connors suggests using a detoxifying shampoo to get rid of oils every once in a while. Volumizing products are another good bet for type 1 hair. Celebrity hairstylist Kendall Dorsey (whose clients include Cardi B and Nicki Minaj) says you can maintain your smoothness with a heat protectant and ceramic iron. Dorsey is a fan of a bob haircut on straight hair.

Type 2

“There is a tendency toward frizz with type 2 hair, especially type 2C,” says Connors. That’s why he suggests using products with humectants, which hold in moisture. You have a lot of options with your hair, though, lucky lady! You can enhance your hair with a curling iron or soften your waves with a flat iron, says Connors. (Make sure to use a heat protectant first!)
Choppy bobs at the shoulder or slightly above give type 2 hair a relaxed look, says Connors. A lob (long bob) is another low-maintenance option for type 2 hair. All you have to do is spritz some salt spray into your close-to-one-length haircut, scrunch, and let your hair air dry to define your waves.
Dorsey’s favorite way to care for type 2 hair is by co-washing with conditioner, applying a little bit of a gel serum and oil, and letting hair air dry.

Type 3

It’s official: Curls are in. More and more women are embracing their curls these days rather than straightening them into submission. But the right care and styling routine will make a world of difference.
“3A, 3B, and 3C curl patterns require moisture,” says Dorsey. The reason for that is because oil has a hard time making its way from your scalp to your ends, which can leave your curls dry. “To properly get those curls to shine and glow, I start with a steam treatment of healing natural oils (jojoba, olive, and castor oil) under a steamer for 15 minutes,” says Dorsey.
Then he adds conditioner to wet hair and twists hair to encourage the curl pattern to dry. Connors adds that cream-based products will eliminate frizz, control volume, and add shine. He suggests co-washing with conditioner and massaging the conditioner into your roots.
When you have type 3 hair, it’s best to avoid one-length cuts, Connors suggeests, since these can leave you with seriously poofy hair. “I recommend working with someone who specializes in and has an extensive history of working with curls,” says Connors.

Type 4

Kinky hair is gorgeous and voluminous, but it’s very fragile. “Type 4 hair has the tendency to break the most,” says Connors. “It needs the most moisture.” You can hydrate your hair with coconut oil, coconut butter, or anything that’s a humectant and highly moisturizing. “Type 4 hair needs to be washed the least and can definitely go the longest between shampoos,” says Connors. He adds that because type 4 hair is so fragile, it’s really hard to grow.
Dorsey likes combining a moisturizing product with a serum so that you can easily detangle your hair. “Once detangled, add gel for control and use the shingling method,” says Dorsey. This method involves using a comb to spread product from root to end, stretching and smoothing hair in a downward direction, explains Dorsey. This will allow you to achieve maximum curl definition and length.
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Take a look at anything related to “natural beauty”—the ads, magazines, websites, and billboards. They all seem to look a little monochrome, no? All the women seem to have the same skin tone (fair), the same shape (slim), the same hair (long, tousled). It’s like there’s one sole definition of beauty—one that leaves a whole lot of women out of the picture.
Not to mention the fact that the beauty industry has gotten us all a little too focused on what’s on the outside. It’s all about fixing our perceived flaws (too wrinkly, too dark, too whatever) with products that they sell (how convenient). What about a more holistic view of natural beauty? One that cares just as much about our compassion as it does our concealer?
It’s time for a new face of natural beauty—one that celebrates the vast diversity of people on the planet, encourages women to unabashedly own their style (whether that’s a cat eye and red lip or just a smile), respects our values, and honors the fact that some days we just don’t feel like putting in the effort (and that’s okay).
Redefining natural beauty won’t happen overnight, but it starts with listening to the voices of all women and amplifying the ideas of people who aren’t typically invited to the conversation.
Here’s what nine strong, opinionated women shared when we asked what natural beauty means to them—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Natural beauty gets creative.

“Natural beauty is an interesting phrase when a major part of your body is literally artificial. My left leg is amputated above the knee, and so I wear a prosthetic leg to move around the world. For years, I had a ‘cosmesis’ (the cosmetic cover that goes over a prosthetic limb) that was meant to emulate a ‘real’ leg. It was a piece of soft foam carved to the same shape as my right leg. I wore thigh high nylons over it to match my skin tone, but of course, my skin tone doesn’t have a matte finish or a consistent combination of color—it’s human and can be scratched, scarred, bruised, hairy, sunburned…so it always looked fake.
“I decided that since it looked like a fake leg, I might as well get creative with it. I picked out a floral linen upholstery fabric that I adored and had it laminated to the fiberglass shell. The result: A stunning accessory that looks like a hand-painted work of art and is part of my body. And while there’s nothing ‘natural’ about it, it’s an integral part of my mobility, my identity, and simply part of what makes me whole.”
Christa Couture, 39
Toronto, Canada

 

Natural beauty surprises you.

“When I think of embracing natural beauty, I immediately think of wearing my natural hair. Throughout elementary school and middle school, my mom blow dried and straightened my hair for me every single day. I didn’t even know that I had curly hair until I was in ninth grade and I let my hair air-dry one day. Even after I discovered my curls, I still felt the need to straighten my hair to feel ‘presentable.’ Four years later, my curly hair has become one of my favorite features about myself because it’s something that I didn’t know I had growing up. I think any characteristic that accentuates someone’s diversity is a marker of natural beauty.”
Nisha Sweet, 17
Ithaca, New York

A post shared by Nisha K Sweet (@nisha.sweet) on May 5, 2018 at 2:12pm PDT

Natural beauty promotes self-love.

“Natural beauty means unconditional self-love and acceptance. Black female beauty is often denigrated, overlooked, and stereotyped. We come in all shades of black and brown, all of which are naturally beautiful. Black women are left out of the mainstream beauty industry and it’s a shame. What about our gorgeous full lips, high cheekbones, big eyes, our hourglass shapes, and sexy bodies? I embrace my natural beauty through positive self-talk and extreme self-love for what is reflected back in the mirror. I take a lot of selfies and remind myself each day that black is beautiful and I’m amazing.”
Lucie Lindner, 51
Stockholm, Sweden

Natural beauty puts you in control.

“When I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease 13 years ago, I lost a lot of weight really unevenly. I also dealt with eating disorders, so I really struggled with my appearance in general. College was particularly hard—I’d see my friends getting ready, going out. How beautiful they looked made me feel both appreciative and envious. Here they were having this amazing college experience, and I didn’t feel well enough to get to class or even out of bed.
“It’s weird to be sick but not look sick. Over the past year, I’ve gained weight from having a desk job. I look like this normal, fit, healthy, happy person, but my chronic illness makes everything 50 percent harder. But I’ve learned that natural beauty means that my chronic illness isn’t controlling me, and that carries over into how much effort I put in as I get ready in the morning. Wearing a nice shirt or my favorite dress requires a level of energy that I don’t have some days. But being able to look fluid when I dance is important to me. I try to be fully present when I’m practicing or performing, going full force without worrying about wearing myself out or hurting myself, and it feels awesome.”
Jessica Cameron, 29
Boston, Massachusetts

Natural beauty needs context.

“When I moved from Iran to the U.S., I learned that culture plays a strong role in our appearance. In Iran, I was basically considered a blonde. I’m not blonde, but my hair and skin were lighter than the average there. My girlfriends spent a lot of time waxing their facial hair, but I left mine alone.
“That changed when I moved to the U.S. and I quickly learned it was no longer acceptable to leave my facial hair alone, and I did not have the lightest skin in the room. A lot of what I learned about beauty here was loaded with racial conflict (a history that we don’t really have in Iran). People look down at non-white girls, and while my lighter skin afforded me some privileges, people can tell I’m not Caucasian and I’m not American.
“All of that gave me an identity crisis. I had to rethink what I considered natural beauty and how I dress myself, how I do my hair and my makeup. I now get rid of my facial hair. And while I had to wear a hijab on a daily basis in Iran, I’ve changed my relationship with it here. I mostly wear it as a fashion statement or a way to cover up a bad hair day or even a political statement sometimes (like the day Trump was elected). As soon as I put a scarf on my head, people start treating me differently, turning their heads as I walk down the street. It identifies women as Muslim and leaves them more vulnerable to attacks, but I wear it in solidarity sometimes. There’s a delicacy in this choice.
“If I moved back to Iran, I would stop waxing my facial hair, and I would have to wear the hijab when I go out. Natural beauty means being able to accept myself fully and all of the variations that come with that, depending on culture and place. I want to feel beautiful when I have facial hair and when I don’t. We can’t live without context. There’s something really beautiful in having strength in those choices we make.”
Homa Sarabi-Daunais, 26
Boston, Massachusetts

Natural beauty knows no harm.

“Natural beauty means working with what I have, not trying to be or look any other way, but rather highlighting what makes me, me—flaws and all. No contouring away this pointy nose or Spanx-ing myself into a stomachache (though I’m not opposed to filling in my brows). Natural beauty just means being authentic, and that also includes supporting brands that align with personal values, which for me means buying products and items that cause no harm to animals. Cosmetic testing on animals and using animal-derived ingredients is unnecessary and unethical. I would feel ugly wearing cruel makeup or fashion. Facing the world each day with cruelty-free cosmetics on my face and vegan clothing on my back helps me feel naturally beautiful.”
Jessica Scott-Reid, 34
Montreal, Canada

 

Natural beauty means following mom’s advice.

“My mother defined natural beauty for me at a young age. I grew up believing she was the most naturally beautiful woman in the world. She never did anything fancy—no heavy makeup or wigs, just slapped on some lipstick and said to me, ‘When you’re as naturally beautiful as me, it doesn’t take you long to get dressed.’ It was just about making sure you took care of your hair, had clear skin, and ultimately looked like yourself. What else did you need?
“I’ve carried those lessons throughout my life. There’s a lot of pressure out there to look like other people, like celebrities, and buying stuff to fix your imperfections. But I’ve never felt that pressure, since I thought being a natural beauty was the norm from a young age. And it’s more than how you look—it’s also how you behave. I have no problem getting older because I have a young, kind spirit that shines through. I get up in the morning, make sure my hair and skin look clean and clear, and I put on some lipstick—just like my mom.”
Robyn Mancell, 59
Rancho Cucamonga, California

With natural beauty, less is more.

“We take our natural beauty for granted when we’re young. As we get older, we realize the value of being healthy and being naturally beautiful from the inside out. Natural beauty comes from the soul, and it’s something you feel within, not just on the surface, not just skin deep, but much deeper than that. We don’t need to have a ton of things on our faces to cover us up. What we need to have is our beauty shine through, and that only happens if you have a young spirit, a healthy outlook, and a positive persona. You have to take care of yourself, consistently, and work to be happy, feel good, have a childlike attitude, and a peaceful soul.”
Irene Michaels, 72
Chicago, Illinois

Natural beauty balances strength and vulnerability.

“I grew up as a feminine tomboy with an athletic style. I was constantly told I should try modeling because I was so tall. The glamour of that world appealed to me, but when people in the industry looked at me, they told me I could only be a plus-size model, and it crushed my self-image. I threw myself into the world of sports and eventually tried fitness modeling years later, but my body still wasn’t right. This time, they told me my muscles were too big—that girls don’t want to see that. It hurt, but I didn’t let it crush me, and I kept pushing my body. Three years later, everyone saw me in a Vogue magazine piece on self-defense workouts. They thought I was unstoppable.
“People, especially my fitness clients, see me as a superwoman. That feels good, but I remind them how much I’ve cried, how many times I’ve fallen—people need to see that I’m human. Natural beauty finds balance between being strong and vulnerable. I dye my hair purple to match my strong personality, and I work out in booty shorts not to be sexy, but to show the people I’m training that I’m comfortable in my own skin. What’s beautiful is not your appearance, but being able to persevere through adversity with strength and humanity. I’m grateful to be a leader who can show people another side of natural beauty: the side that embraces physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual strength to conquer anything.”
Courtney Roselle, 29
Jersey City, New Jersey

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If your skincare routine is designed to keep your skin absolutely sterile, we’ve got some news for you: Bacteria aren’t necessarily bad—and neither are viruses, fungi, or other microorganisms.
With that said, you shouldn’t stop washing your face, either, since many of those microorganisms are pretty bad.
Like many things related to skincare, it’s complicated. That’s because your skin is home to a microbiome of microscopic organisms.

Think back to your seventh-grade biology class, and you’ll remember that biomes are basically large communities in which organisms rely on each other in order to thrive. Our skin has its own microbiome, and like other biomes, it is delicately balanced. If you’re not careful, you can throw off that stability, and problems can arise.
“The skin is colonized by a diverse collection of microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, and viruses), most of which are harmless or even beneficial to us as humans,” Tanya Kormeili, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Santa Monica, California, writes in an email to HealthyWay. “Our immune systems can modulate the skin microbiota [the various organisms in the skin microbiome], but the microbiota also functions in educating the immune system.”
It’s can get dense and confusing, so we dove into the latest skin biome research to figure out what you need to know about the skin microbiome and healthy skin—and how to incorporate that knowledge into your skincare routines.

How (We Think) the Skin Microbiome Functions

The skin microbiome is remarkably complex, and researchers are still trying to understand how it works. We do know that the microorganisms play an essential role in helping our immune systems function, and there’s a whole lot of interplay between our bodies and the tiny bacteria and viruses living on its surface.

“[The microbiota] teaches our immune system and helps us regulate what is normal versus what is a true infection,” Kormeili writes. “This symbiotic relationship helps protect against invasion by more harmful organisms.”
In other words, the organisms on our skin help our bodies recognize and eliminate dangerous intruders.

Balance is key. Without a varied, diverse microbiome, we might not be able to mount a reaction to, say, Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogen thought to cause many of the cases of eczema (atopic dermatitis) in children. Likewise, if your skin microbiome is unbalanced, you might suffer from an overgrowth of Propionibacterium acnes, which is strongly associated with acne.

There are a few things to keep in mind about the skin microbiome and how this whole thing works.

• Our skin microbiota changes throughout our lives, so if one product or routine suddenly stops working, that may be the reason. For instance, infants typically have high concentrations of Firmicutes, a phylum of bacteria that can include Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, which can cause staph infections and strep throat, respectively. As we age, the concentrations of those Firmicutes bacteria decline, and gradually, our skin changes in terms of structure and function. As a result, our microbiome becomes more diverse, and our immune systems become more effective at addressing threats. Some research indicates that if infants don’t get a stable, diverse skin microbiome—like those common concentrations of Firmicutes—early in life, they’ll be more likely to have skin immunity problems as adults.
• Go thank your mom: One of the very first things that affects your skin microbiome is your birth. Research indicates that vaginal delivery results in a healthier immune system than cesarean delivery. Scientists believe that a mother’s body is set up to expose infants to the microbiota they’ll need to develop healthy immune responses. An infant’s skin is directly exposed to microorganisms during vaginal birth, and they also inevitably consume some of those bacteria orally. Breast milk is also thought to promote the growth of certain microbial communities, proving that kiddos really can get their glow from mom.
• Our microbiota can play a role in the development of a number of diseases—but those diseases aren’t necessarily infectious. As we’ve mentioned, our microbiome profoundly shapes the way that our immune system responds to threats. Your immune system might handle P. acnes—a common inhabitant in adult skin—fairly well. If you interact with a person who’s having an acne outbreak, your skin will effectively prevent those bacteria from overwhelming your defenses—mostly because you’ve probably got plenty of those P. acnes on your own skin to begin with. (For those same reasons, diseases like rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema aren’t considered contagious.)
• The concept of “good” and “bad” microorganisms is pretty outdated. Many bacteria and viruses don’t cause problems if they’re properly balanced in your skin microbiome. For instance, that P. acnes pathogen that causes acne is often harmless in the absence of other factors (for instance, excessive sebum production caused by our old friend, puberty).
• If you’re thinking about throwing out all of your soaps and cleansers, you may want to think again. Kormeili says that because the microbiome is incredibly complex, few dermatologists recommend a completely hands-off approach. “There are many environmental factors specific to the individual, such as occupation, clothing choice, and antibiotic usage, as well as inflammation or disease,” Kormeili explains. “What makes this even more complicated is that we have also an entire microbiome in our gut, and all these organisms have to live happily among our body’s cells!”

Do cosmetics make our skin microbiome less diverse?

We know that microbial diversity is typically a good thing because diverse microbiomes are often more stable. Microbial diversity seems to be useful when determining how external factors affect our skin, so we looked into whether our cosmetics harm the diversity of the microbiota.
Should we throw away our makeup brushes? (Not that we’re going to do that regardless, but should we?)

According to one recent study, cosmetics might actually make the facial skin microbiome more diverse. If you think about it, that makes sense; bacteria are everywhere, including in your makeup brush, and if microorganisms can survive the harsh environment of the human skin, they can certainly handle a little touch of foundation.
What about other products? We asked Kormeili whether cosmetics, cleansers, or other products could be upsetting the balance of our microbiota.

“The truth is that we are just starting to understand this,” she says. “We know over-cleaning and wiping out all the organisms is certainly bad. We also know that harmful organisms on the skin can cause true infections. The balance is yet to be fully understood. It is unclear what factors really drive variation in these organisms, and how fluctuation is associated with skin disease.”

She continues, “Cosmetics, soaps, hygienic products and moisturizers, and treatments are certainly capable of altering the skin microbiome. External factors such as humidity and temperature as well as UV light exposure also play a role. This relationship is so complex that we hardly truly understand it yet.”
If you’re struggling to manage clogged pores, cystic acne, or scalp problems, a dermatologist may be able to help you pinpoint irritants and recommend healthy, less-disruptive alternatives.
In other words: Yes, your products are affecting your microbiome, but if you’re not having problems, you probably don’t need to change anything. If you are having issues, talk to your dermatologist.
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How can we find a balance between cleanliness and a healthy microbiome?

“This is the multi-billion dollar question—still unanswered for the most part!” Kormeili tells us. “For example, molecular approaches examining bacterial diversity have found that the skin microbiota is dependent on the body site, so trying to balance a healthy microbiome is really body-site specific.”

A treatment that works extremely well for preventing bacterial overgrowths on your face might not work so well on a different part of your body, just as viruses that are harmless on the skin of your arm might pose more of a threat to the skin somewhere else. Of course, your immune system is there to fill in the gaps, which is why we don’t keel over every time we rub our faces with our often less-than-sanitary hands.
In one 2016 study, researchers looked at microbiome diversity among men from six different ethnic groups. The scientists took samples from three skin sites—forearm, below the shoulder, and scalp—and found that the men’s ethnicity didn’t affect microbiome diversity as much as the location of the sample did.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that microbiome diversity increased when the test subjects stopped using their regular shampoos and deodorants.
“Obviously, we cannot spend all day trying to ‘create a balance,’ and have to trust that the microbiome, if not altered, should do this on its own,” explains Kormeili. She recommends avoiding things that she says can “drastically ruin” the microbiome, including “harsh chemicals, antibiotics, antiseptics, or overuse of cleaning products or medications.”

Antibiotics seem to be a problem for the skin and gut microbiomes.

Research shows antibiotics might damage the skin and gut microbiomes of adults for extended periods of time; it’s also been shown that antibiotics can severely alter infants’ gut flora.
In 2017, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania showed that topical antibiotics were even more damaging to microbial communities on the skin than antiseptics, like hand sanitizers. That’s a good enough reason to avoid antibiotics unless you absolutely need them.   

That did make us wonder: How do dermatologists avoid spreading bacteria and viruses from one person to the next, knowing that some of these methods could wreak havoc with patients’ microbiomes?
“We use very harsh chemicals in the office to clean every single aspect of the patient’s experience,” Kormeili writes. “We are worried sick about spreading the bad infections from one human to another.”
That said, she continues, “I always try to use a ‘global’ approach in each patient’s treatment regimen to avoid altering other aspects of their health when trying to improve their skin conditions.”

What that global approach will look like for you, though, is likely as unique as your microbiome is.

Keeping Your Skin Microbiome Healthy and Balanced

You may have seen probiotic products on store shelves that claim to improve skin health by introducing certain types of bacteria to the skin microbiome. Those claims are, at best, exaggerated, simply because the skin microbiome is so incredibly complex. What works for the skin microbiome seems to be extremely specific to the individual.

“In my experience, many of the commercially available probiotics are not standardized and often it is difficult to determine their activity,” says Amesh Adalja, MD, a board-certified infectious disease physician at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
“Microbiome-related therapies are in their infancy,” Adalja explains, “which makes it difficult for consumers to assess claims about various products, though in the future, I have no doubt such therapeutic products will be developed for conditions such as eczema.”
For the time being, you can assume that those products aren’t based in completely solid science, so Kormeili advises using common sense and practicing that holistic approach to health that she tries to use with her patients.
“It is so complicated. No one has the full answer,” she tells us. “Try to eat healthy to keep the right nutrients in the body for the right organisms to grow. Avoid foods that have pesticides, as they can potentially harm the gut microbiome. Avoid application of products that have hard alcohols and anti-bacterial effects, unless instructed [to] by a dermatologist.”

Finally, if you’re one of those people who won’t leave home without a tube of hand sanitizer, change your approach. Remember, there are plenty of helpful microbial organisms out there—you just can’t see them.
As Kormeili advises, “Do not become a germaphobe!”