The skin microbiome has been a very popular topic in the beauty industry. Many products now market towards and design products around altering the microbiome. There are even labs that test products and deem them “safe” for the microbiome. This article will present general information about microorganisms, microbiomes and how they relate to skincare.
Microbes: general information
Our bodies are covered in microorganisms or microbes. These living creatures are so small that we cannot see them without the assistance of microscopes. They are on our skin, in our body and in our organs. While there are some exceptions, it is not really valid to categorize them as good and bad. They are complex and their existence with us and themselves is very symbiotic. Some microorganisms have existed since primitive times and there are thousands that we have still not discovered.
Microbes break down into 2 main groups; cellular and acellular. Cellular microbes mean that their components (proteins, DNA, etc.) are contained within a cell. Cellular microbes contain entities like bacteria, archaea, protists and fungi whereas acellular microbes refer to viruses, satellites, viroids, prions, etc. Cellular microbes either exist with (eukaryotes) or without (prokaryotes) a nucleus making the components (and their capabilities) very different. For example, bacteria and archaea are prokaryotes whereas protists and fungi are eukaryotes. We have the best understanding and most information on bacteria. Most of the techniques used to identify, image and analyze microbes are based on bacteria.
Microbiome
The human microbiome is often described as the “invisible organ”. It provides an immune barrier to keep pathogenic microbes out which is applicable in both the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The human microbiome refers to all the microbiomes in and on our body. The composition of microbes are affected by many factors such as mode of delivery at birth, body part, lifestyle, cosmetics, climate, etc.
Current knowledge and future expectations
With the advancement of technology, we are now able to rapidly sequence multiple DNA fragments or multiple organisms at once. With the help of these new methods, we are discovering new (to us) microorganisms like bacteria and entire microbe groups. It’s not so much a “new” discovery as these have always existed, but what has changed is that we now have the capability to detect and characterize them. We can expect to continue finding new microorganisms and learning more about microbes as a whole. We will also continue to see genetic modification to microbes for various applications.
Skincare and microbiomes
The skin microbiome has been an topic of interest recently, but the industry needs to be careful with its messaging. We need be mindful about altering the microbiome too much. There are many skin care products available now that talk about affecting our skins microbiome to (often) eliminate “bad” microorganisms. The problematic thing with this that the composition of microbes in a microbiome is a unique balance and there is a symbiotic relationship with other microorganisms and the body part. Altering the combination or concentration of these microorganisms may have a negative impact on functionality and effectiveness which would impact our skin health and our overall health. We can’t see or feel them so I’m not sure where this idea came from of removing or altering these very important organisms. Microbiomes are resilient but with enough forced adaptation, things might evolve and change for good.
