Peer-reviewed. Built on.

We followed the research. This is where it led

Healthier skin starts with smarter science.

Pillar One

Developing skin isn't delicate. It's extraordinary. There's a difference

Developing skin isn't delicate. It's extraordinary. It's building a microbiome — a living ecosystem of bacteria that regulates moisture, trains the immune response, and maintains the acidic environment healthy skin depends on.

When that environment is disrupted, skin becomes vulnerable. The conditions parents recognize as rash, irritation, and sensitivity don't appear out of nowhere — they appear when the microbiome is out of balance.

NatureBiome™ was formulated around that biology. Two prebiotics that feed the microbiome. pH 5.0–5.4 that matches the environment it lives in. Nothing that works against it.

Healthier skin starts with a healthier microbiome. That's not a claim. That's the science we built on.

"Research consistently shows that newborn skin sits at near-neutral pH at birth — and gradually acidifies over the first two years. That process is not cosmetic. It is biological, critical, and measurable."

Explore the research →

Nest wipes product image in science section

Pillar Two

A small number. A significant difference

Baby Skin pH Scale Acidic → Alkaline

Nest 5.0–5.5

Most wipes 6.5–7.0

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pH 7.0 is approximately 63 times more alkaline than pH 5.0–5.5. Not a marginal difference. A logarithmic one. Most baby wipes are formulated at 6.5–7.0. Nest is formulated at pH 5.0–5.5.

pH matters eight times a day, every day, for two years. The wipe formulated at 5.0–5.5 shows up as a partner to a process your baby's skin is already doing beautifully on its own. That's the opportunity — and it's the one we built around.

"Nest products are formulated to support newborn skin. pH 5.0–5.4 is the environment where the microbiome grows and thrives."

NatureBiome™

Two prebiotics. One purpose

Prebiotics don't do the work themselves — they feed the bacteria that do. NatureBiome™ uses two: inulin and alpha-glucan oligosaccharide. Both established in peer-reviewed skin microbiome research. Both selective — they feed the bacteria newborn skin needs, and starve the ones that work against it.

That selectivity is the science. The microbiome doesn't need more bacteria. It needs the right ones fed.

Prebiotic #1

Inulin

From chicory root

A well-documented prebiotic used in adult microbiome skincare. Promotes the growth of S. epidermidis — the skin's primary commensal bacteria — while inhibiting pathogens including S. aureus and E. coli. Also acts as a natural humectant, supporting skin hydration through bacterial metabolism. Studied in peer-reviewed research since 2019.

Prebiotic #2

Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide

From glucose · Bioecolia®

A bioselective prebiotic that feeds beneficial bacteria while being non-metabolizable by pathogenic strains including C. acnes and S. aureus. Commercially used in adult skincare by Lancôme and other premium brands. Clinically studied for skin microbiome diversity, tactile firmness, and barrier improvement. Chosen because it does what inulin cannot — selective inhibition at the species level.

"Both prebiotics were established in adult skin microbiome research before we formulated with them. We didn't invent this science. We applied it to the product that touches developing skin most."

The skin microbiome your baby is building right now!

S. epidermidis is the most important bacterium on your baby's skin during the first two years of life. It produces short-chain fatty acids and antimicrobial peptides that reinforce the skin barrier, crowd out pathogens, and support the skin's microbiome environment as it acidifies toward pH 5.0–5.5. It needs specific nutrients to establish and thrive. Inulin and alpha-glucan oligosaccharide provide them. Pathogens don't benefit from the same nutrient sources — that bioselectivity is the mechanism.

S. epidermidis

The primary skin commensal — first 2 years

pH 5.0–5.5

Where beneficial bacteria thrive and pathogens don't

~6,000

Applications of NatureBiome during the developmental window

The Research

We publish what we build on

Everything in the NatureBiome™ system is grounded in peer-reviewed research. The studies below informed the formulation directly.

Inulin and Skin Microbiome Modulation

Boyd et al. — Frontiers in Medicine, 2023

Multi-omic study demonstrating that topical inulin significantly increased S. equorum, S. mitis and H. desiderata — bacteria positively correlated with skin hydration — while reducing opportunistic pathogens.

Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide Clinical Study

Zahr et al. — Clinical Cosmetic Investigation, 2022

28-day study on adults showing AGO improved tactile firmness by 10.3%, reduced photodamage by 12.6%, improved radiance by 25.9%, and significantly reduced C. acnes abundance.

Infant Skin pH Development

Fluhr et al. — British Journal of Dermatology, 2004

Research establishing that newborn skin begins near-neutral pH at birth and acidifies toward pH 5.0–5.5 over the first two years — the biological basis for microbiome-matched formulation.

Prebiotic Oligosaccharides in Skin Health

PMC — Antioxidants, June 2025

Comprehensive review of prebiotic oligosaccharides confirming skin commensal selectivity, barrier reinforcement, and anti-inflammatory effects. Confirms inulin and AGO as among the most studied prebiotic ingredients in dermatology.

Citations provided for transparency. Nest does not claim its products replicate the conditions of any cited study. All Nest claims are cosmetic-level only.

Our Commitment

Accountability isn't a moment. It's a practice

We commit to being held accountable—through ingredient transparency, clear communication, and consistency. Not just at launch. Always.

Certification

Independent Certification

Independent third-party verification that our products actively support your baby's developing skin microbiome.

Pending final review