Wearable Skincare? HeiQ Skin Care Is Billed as ‘Probiotics-Infused’ Textile Tech

HeiQ— a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich that is listed on the London Stock Exchange Main Market—has introduced a “cosmetic finishing” technology for textiles that is said to harness active probiotics and selected prebiotics to enhance the skin microbiome.

HeiQ Skin Care technology for “next-to-skin apparel” and home textiles is aimed at providing a “balanced microbiome for glowing skin,” even after repeated use and washing of textiles, according to the company. It is said to utilize slow-release prebiotics and probiotics that are seamlessly integrated into a biobased textile matrix, enriching the skin's microbiome diversity, and offering long-lasting cosmetic benefits.

The combination of prebiotics and probiotics—known as synbiotics—delivers a soothing cosmetic skin treatment while consumers relax, work, or sleep.. Synbiotics promote skin renewal, rebalancing, and improved appearance, reducing the signs of aging and establishing a favorable environment for the skin's natural repair mechanisms.

“HeiQ Skin Care represents a leap forward in textile innovation, combining the power of probiotics and prebiotics to enhance skin microbiome and overall skin appearance. It is another way of delivering our promise of improving the lives of billions, which is at the core of everything we do at HeiQ”, says Mike Abbott, head of HeiQ Textiles and flooring business unit.

HeiQ Skin Care is suitable for all textile fibers, both natural and synthetic, and can be applied to all textile items that come in direct contact with the skin.

Intensive wear trials conducted during the development stage have proven the consistent release of synbiotics onto the skin, creating conditions to foster a well-balanced microbiome, according to the company.