Bacteria and the skin microbiome are a hot topic in the cosmetic industry, and it looks like they are going to continue to be the centre of attention for a long time to come.
In the marketplace the consumer increasingly understands that there are ‘good’ bacteria too, many of which live on the skin. On a scientific level, however, the skin microbiome is still an extremely challenging topic.
The current scientific understanding of a healthy microbiome is that healthy skin shows a very diverse and heterogeneous microbiome, where hundreds of different species reside on the skin. Inversely, some skin diseases show a skin microbiome which is clearly less diverse, where some species overgrow other species.
Additionally, the skin microbiome is very robust. Personal hygiene practices have an impact on the skin microbiome, where the microbes are washed away at least partly, but bounce back relatively easily. UV light has an impact on them too, but they seem to be recovering easily from that as well. The microbes on the skin can even recover fully and relatively quickly after the use of topical antibiotics and antiseptics. The question therefore is: Does the skin microbiome need ‘help’ from the cosmetic industry at all? In other words: What can be a valid and commercially appealing approach with cosmetic products?
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