{"id":19546,"date":"2026-01-26T12:09:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T11:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/?post_type=encyclopedia&#038;p=19546"},"modified":"2026-01-26T12:09:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T11:09:34","slug":"fermentation-products","status":"publish","type":"encyclopedia","link":"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/fermentation-products\/","title":{"rendered":"Fermentation products"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Fermentation products in cosmetics<\/h2>\n<p>Prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and other fermentation products are not only considered valuable in nutrition\u2014they have also attracted the interest of the cosmetics industry.<\/p>\n<h3>What exactly does this mean?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Prebiotics<\/b> are indigestible fibers that serve as food for probiotic microorganisms. Examples include inulin, fructose, and galacto-oligosaccharides, which are found in foods such as chicory, onions, garlic, artichokes, bananas, apples, and whole grain products.<\/p>\n<p><b>Probiotics<\/b> are living microorganisms (e.g., certain Lactobacillus or Bifidus bacteria) that metabolize prebiotics in the intestine into organic acids (such as butyric acid or acetic acid) and antimicrobial peptides. In the intestine, they support the immune system, promote healthy intestinal flora, and regenerate intestinal cells.<\/p>\n<p>If probiotics have sufficient nutrients, so-called <b>postbiotics<\/b> are produced in the metabolism. These metabolic products are formed by the bacteria through fermentation \u2013 they are small enough to penetrate cells and take effect there.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Fermentation products for the skin microbiome<\/h2>\n<p><b>Prebiotics<\/b> such as inulin or oligosaccharides can be easily integrated into cosmetic formulations and provide the skin with valuable nutrients.<\/p>\n<p><b>Probiotics<\/b>, on the other hand, are difficult to use in cosmetics due to their liveliness:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The natural skin flora would probably repel foreign microorganisms.<\/li>\n<li>Living cultures would die in preserved formulations.<\/li>\n<li>Bacterial spores could theoretically be introduced into oily formulations, but so far there is no reliable data that they actively grow on the skin.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To harness the benefits of probiotic cultures such as lactobacilli for the skin without using living microorganisms, <b>postbiotic fermentation products<\/b> offer a smart solution:<\/p>\n<p>They contain the metabolic end products of probiotic cultures \u2013 in some cases also lysed or fragmented bacterial residues \u2013 and create a <b>microbiome-friendly environment<\/b> on the skin without displacing the skin&#8217;s own flora. Postbiotic ferments therefore also have <i>prebiotic properties<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Note: Some cosmetic products are incorrectly advertised as \u201cprobiotic\u201d even though they do not contain any living cultures according to the INCI.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Postbiotic fermentation: an intelligent solution<\/h2>\n<p>Almost all plant-based raw materials can be fermented by bacteria. A classic example of this is <i>sourdough<\/i>: as soon as ground grain comes into contact with water, yeasts and lactic acid bacteria begin to ferment the starch. Observations by bakers showed that their skin was often healthy and resilient \u2013 an indication that fermented substances could have positive effects on skin health.<\/p>\n<p>Studies with certain Lactobacillus species showed that they could alleviate atopic dermatitis when ingested \u2013 suggesting that <b>fermentation products<\/b> applied to the skin could have an even more direct effect.<\/p>\n<p>An example of a postbiotic fermentation product used in cosmetics comes from Rahn:<\/p>\n<p>A computer-controlled fermentation process transforms <b>golden millet<\/b> (<i>Panicum miliaceum<\/i>) together with a long-established bacterial community into a postbiotic extract. After pasteurization and filtration, the fermentation product is obtained.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Defensil Pure\u00ae \u2013 a postbiotic skin care ferment<\/h2>\n<p><strong>INCI:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Water (and) Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract (and) Lactobacillus Ferment (and) Sodium Benzoate (and) Potassium Sorbate<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The water-based fermentation product has ideal properties for the care of dry and very dry skin. It:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>strengthens the skin barrier<\/li>\n<li>suppresses inflammatory processes<\/li>\n<li>supports healthy skin flora<\/li>\n<li>is also suitable for atopic skin<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Mode of action:<\/b><\/p>\n<p>In vitro, the ferment was shown to promote beneficial skin bacteria such as <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis<\/i> while inhibiting the growth of potentially undesirable microorganisms such as <i>Staphylococcus aureus<\/i>\u2014an indication of a <i>prebiotic effect<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clinical results:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Significant increase in skin moisture (up to +140% for very dry skin)<\/li>\n<li>Reduction in dry skin irregularities after 14 days<\/li>\n<li>Significantly clearer and smoother skin after 8 weeks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Fermentation also led to improved release of minerals such as calcium and magnesium from golden millet.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Postbiotic fermentation products for sensitive skin<\/h2>\n<p>Postbiotic ferments are particularly suitable for sensitive, dry, or inflammation-prone skin. In creams, balms, or serums, they strengthen the skin microbiome by providing the skin with fermented nutrients and signaling molecules\u2014without using live microorganisms.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>The opportunity of fermentation products<\/h2>\n<p><b>Cosmacon<\/b> sees great potential for postbiotic fermentation products in cosmetic skin care \u2013 especially for dry, sensitive skin in need of repair. Since no living microorganisms are used, clear labeling as a <i>postbiotic fermentation product<\/i> is possible, while at the same time achieving skin-friendly, functional effects. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/contact\/enquiry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Contact us<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ms-outlook-mobile-reference-message skipProofing\" dir=\"ltr\"><strong>When products are needed quickly:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ms-outlook-mobile-reference-message skipProofing\" dir=\"ltr\">\u2728 Our partner<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tojocosmetics.de\/en\/produkte\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Tojo Cosmetics<\/a> offers innovative, active ingredient-rich private label products \u2013 quickly available, high quality and perfect for brands that want to impress with passion and quality.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fermentation products in cosmetics Prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and other fermentation products are not only considered valuable in nutrition\u2014they have also attracted the interest of the cosmetics industry. What exactly does this mean? Prebiotics are indigestible fibers that serve as food for probiotic microorganisms. Examples include inulin, fructose, and galacto-oligosaccharides, which are found in foods such&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19547,"template":"","class_list":["post-19546","encyclopedia","type-encyclopedia","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fermentation Products in Skincare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how postbiotic ferments support the skin microbiome and soothe sensitive skin \u2013 without the use of live microorganisms.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cosmacon.de\/en\/glossary\/fermentation-products\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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