Good bacteria are first line of defence against skin blemishes
Because a good balance of microbes-in-residence on the skin keeps blemishes at bay, prebiotics and postbiotics are the latest buzzword in the beauty industry. As cosmetic ingredients, they power the latest Effaclar formula by La Roche-Posay, whose research and development aims at managing the skin microbiota.
One can’t actually see the tiny living micro-organisms, whose population on the skin and in other parts of the body, by far, outnumber human cells.
“The microbiota is collectively all microbes such as bacterium, fungus and virus that amount to 90% of the human body whereas the remaining 10% are human cells,” noted Sophie Seite, La RochePosay international scientific director.
“From the huge amount of microorganisms and their gene expression, imagine what they can do in relationship with human cells, and a good relationship is essential to keep the body in good health.”
These beneficial bugs, for instance, are instrumental in boosting the immune system, digesting food, producing certain vitamins and compounds that combat disease- causing germs.
New insights on the microbial communities inhabiting different parts of the body and its role in health and disease have been obtained from the Human Microbiome Project launched 10 years ago by the National Institutes of Health in the US.
At La Roche-Posay dermatological laboratories in Levallois-Perret, France, scientists focus their research on bacteria, of which more than 500 species inhabit the skin — 1 million of them occupying each square centimetre.
“The skin itself is a culture medium for bacteria. Different types of bacteria are found in sebaceous, moist and dry areas. They have a specific affinity to temperature, pH, and other environmental factors. Thus the bacterial profile differs in each location. It’s like vegetation and how different types of plants thrive in the desert, Mediterranean or rainforest,” said Seite.
Like DNA, the skin microbiome is unique to each person.
The bacterial diversity of the skin’s complex ecosystem has been compared between people with acne and normal skin and on different parts of the face.
Besides actinobacteria, which include Propionibacterium acnes ( P. acnes), proteobacteria and firmicutes are the main phyla found on the skin surface, according to one study, with their underrepresentation or overabundance associated with acne.
Hence, rather than targeting one bacteria, such as P. acnes, the new treatment approach rebalances the natural equilibrium of the skin microbiome.
“We follow a similar strategy as in the food industry, which uses probiotics and prebiotics to promote gut-bacteria diversity for a healthy digestive system,” she said. “However, we cannot use probiotics or live bacteria in cosmetics due to risk of uncontrollable bacterial growth. Instead, postbiotics and prebiotics can be combined to manage the skin microbiota.”
Prebiotics are nutrients that stimulate growth and/or activity of good skin bacteria while postbiotics are a biomass of non-viable bacterial products or metabolic byproducts from probiotic microorganisms that have biological activity in the host.
La Roche-Posay enriched a culture medium with thermal spring water to grow Vitreoscilla filiformis in producing the patented postbiotic ingredient, Aqua Posae Filiformis.
“The biomass compares to a nutritious soup, a superfood that manages the skin’s microbial imbalance. It also stimulates production of a natural antibiotic to prevent the proliferation of pathogens on skin,” said Seite. “Through prebiotics and postbiotics, we can formulate skincare products comparable to ‘fertilisers’ that promote growth of good bacteria while warding off harmful bacteria.”
The newly-launched Effaclar Duo (+) features Aqua Posae Filiformis and mannose as well as prebiotic, sebum-regulating and other ingredients, as a skincare formula to help clear up pimples, prevent their reappearance and minimise marks.
“Acne is not only a problem among adolescents but women with premenstrual syndrome suffer from having acne every month,” Seite added. “Thus preventing relapses, through the management of the skin microbiota, will help improve their quality of life.”