How do probiotics work?

Every surface you interact with has its own microbiome - a community of microscopic organisms such as bacteria and fungi that naturally live there. This includes your pet’s skin, coat, ears, eyes and teeth, the floors and surfaces in your home, and even the air you breathe indoors.

A healthy microbiome isn’t meant to be sterile - it works best when it is balanced. However, if this balance becomes disrupted, unwanted microbes can start to gain the upper hand. You may notice this as skin irritation, odours, bad breath, yeast overgrowth, increased sensitivity, or spaces that feel less comfortable for people and pets.

This is where how probiotics work becomes important: topical probiotics support the microbiome by helping to maintain that natural balance.

All microorganisms need space, nutrients, and time to survive and thrive. When beneficial probiotic bacteria are introduced in sufficient numbers - such as through probiotic products - they compete successfully for these resources.

This is a key part of how probiotics work: by naturally occupying space and nutrients first, they limit the ability of less helpful microbes to establish themselves.

In simple terms, probiotics hold the line. They act like a protective, friendly home guard, naturally occupying space and resources and leaving fewer opportunities for unwanted microbes - including harmful bacteria - to gain a foothold.

Once beneficial bacteria (the probiotics) hold that space, the next stage of how topical probiotics work begins.

With repeated application, they become established and help restore a healthier ratio between helpful and less helpful microbes within the microbiome. Over time, they simply tip the balance back in favour of helpful microbes - rather than wiping out the existing microbial community.

For example, on skin or surfaces, they help create conditions where helpful microbes can thrive and less helpful ones - such as those linked with odours or irritation - struggle to take hold.

As organic residues such as pollen, dust mite allergens, and odour molecules break down, the microbial community grows more balanced and resilient over time.

Instead of repeatedly stripping the microbial environment back and forcing it to reset, this is how probiotics work to support a healthier, self-regulating ecosystem.

These processes of bio-competition and bio-augmentation are biological and mechanical, not chemical. This is why topical probiotics are suitable for routine, everyday use - quietly maintaining balance in the background, long after application.

A key part of bio-augmentation also involves enzyme production.

Enzymes are specialised proteins produced by living cells, including bacteria. They act as natural catalysts, helping to speed up specific biological reactions.

In cleaning and on skin, this means helping to break down complex organic substances into simpler components. For example, organic residues such as oils, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, sweat, sebum, pollen, food particles, and odour-causing compounds can be broken down through enzymatic processes.

Enzymes are highly specific. Each type of enzyme supports a particular reaction. In many conventional cleaning formulations, one or more isolated enzymes are added to target specific types of dirt.

Probiotic bacteria, however, are living microorganisms. A single probiotic bacterium is capable of producing a wide range of different enzymes. In fact, bacterial DNA contains the instructions to produce many thousands of enzyme types.

This means that, as probiotics establish themselves on a surface or on skin, they can produce enzymes in response to the organic material present. Rather than relying on a fixed set of added enzymes, the bacteria themselves generate the enzymes needed to help break down the residues available.

In simple terms, enzymes help “cut” complex organic matter into smaller components. The probiotic bacteria can then continue to process these substances as part of the wider microbial ecosystem.

This combined activity helps explain how probiotics work beyond immediate surface cleaning. Instead of delivering only a short-term effect, they support ongoing biological processes that contribute to longer-lasting balance.

Together, bio-competition, bio-augmentation, and enzyme activity explain how probiotics work naturally to support microbial balance over time.

Learn more about the difference between probiotic and enzyme cleaning →

One of the clearest examples of how probiotics work differently from conventional products is what happens after the surface dries.

The issue with many traditional products is that they deliver an immediate effect, but stop working once you rinse them away or they evaporate.

Topical probiotics, by contrast, remain present as part of the microbial ecosystem. Once applied, they continue to function for up to 72 hours between applications, helping to:

• break down organic matter
  
• maintain a more stable balance between applications
  
• support longer-lasting freshness

This ongoing activity is why people often describe probiotic cleaning and care as working with the environment, rather than acting on it temporarily. Probiotic care continues working quietly in the background - even once surfaces are dry.

Because topical probiotics work naturally - through biological processes rather than chemical action - they are supportive rather than aggressive. They help maintain healthier conditions over time, instead of relying on repeated environmental “resetting”.

They are well suited to:

• regular pet care routines, including dental and coat care
  
• everyday home and workplace cleaning
  
• environments where people and animals spend a lot of time.