Microbes used to have a very bad reputation as they were only known to be responsible for diseases. But we discovered since then that only the pathogen ones are “bad” and the others are actually primordial for our skin health, no matter if they are in our guts or on our skin.

What is the microbiome?

A lot of microbes!

Our bodies are populated by numerous communities of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms, forming the human microbiota, also called microbiome, referring to an ecosystem (skin microbiome for instance).

Some human microbiota numbers:

A high variability

The relationship between the skin and the microbiota is very complex, and difficult to study due to the variability of the microbiome:

• between people (age, sex, environment, lifestyle,...)
• within people (depends on the site condition and body part: temperature, moisture, pH, lipid/sebum content, anti-microbial lipids, peptides expression,...)

From Belkaid et al. SCIENCE. 2014;Nov.

A primordial role for skin health

We realised the role of the skin microbiome when the development of personal cleansing increased the number of skin diseases, and we understood that reversing this dysbiosis may help prevent and/or treat the disease. [1]

The skin microbiome plays an essential role in the protection against invading pathogens, the education of our immune system and the breakdown of natural products. [1] It’s even considered as a fourth skin protective layer: the stratum microbium.

If the skin microbiome is unbalanced, it can lead to acne, psoriasis, eczema, sensitivity,...

How to address skin microbiome in skin care?

Here is a summary of the different types of cosmetic products that can be linked to the microbiome:

Different ingredients helping to have a healthy microbiome

EQUIBIOME™: prevents skin barrier disruption, for skin moisturization and sensitivity reduction

EQUIBIOME™ is extracted from the roots of the Great burdock, traditionally used in chinese medicine to treat skin disorders.

Bacteria live in communities, and produce extracellular substances to hold communities together, forming a biofilm.
Some bacterial biofilms have been associated with atopic dermatitis, especially Staphylococcus aureus and Propionibacterium acnes ones. [2]

Equibiome™ doesn’t negatively affect microbial growth, but prevents S. aureus biofilm formation, thus restoring a good skin barrier function.

Equibiome™ also acts as a peacekeeper by managing the inflammatory processes of sensitive skin, producing less defenses against microorganisms and restoring a dynamic equilibrium between skin and microbes.

The skin is significantly moisturized (+56% vs placebo after 21 days), and less sensitive ( -60% skin redness apparition & -20% burning/stinging sensations vs placebo at D14).

EMOGREEN™ L19: boosts bacterial population for a reinforced skin barrier

EMOGREEN™ L19 is a non-polar and natural oil, with a fresh gliding sensation and a soft finish. The perfect alternative to silicone oils.

Our recent tests showed that EMOGREEN™ L19 contributes to a microbial growth on the skin, especially the germs involved in the hydrolipidic film production, thus helping the skin to restore its natural protective layer.

Results on very dry skin:

• Significant restructuring effect (+8%) in synergy with bisabolol (in vivo tested)
• Significant improvement in the dry skin aspect (+10%), softness (+15%) and smoothness (+11%) after 28 days.
• Decrease in skin discomfort sensation of panelists after 28 days of treatment.

EMOGREEN™ L19 also allows to decrease the minimum quantity of preservatives needed to reach preservation criteria A (according to European Pharmacopoeia): less preservative in your formula = less preservatives on the skin!

Learn more about the effects of EMOGREEN™ L19 on the skin barrier here (opens new window)

FLUIDIPURE™ 8G: restores a friendly skin environment

FLUIDIPURE™ 8G is a combination of sugars and an AMINOVECTOR™ of glycine, a prominent amino acid in the NMF, in the collagen and known to prevent bacterial growth.

FLUIDIPURE™ 8G helps restoring a healthy skin environment by:

• Restoring the skin's natural acidic pH
• Reducing sebum production
• Rebalancing the skin microbiota: it preserves the ‘friendly’ bacteria, while limiting the proliferation of microorganisms responsible for cutaneous disorders.

Dandruff and unpleasant odors are reduced, so are scalp rednesses, greasiness and itchiness.

FLUIDIPURE™ 8G also reduces the concentration of preservatives needed in the formulas, thus making formulations milder.

Question? Sample? Ask us in the chat!

References:
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro.2017.157
[2] Michael Brandwein and Al. Microbial biofilms and the human skin microbiome. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41522-016-0004-z