Abstract

Researchers and industry experts are turning their attention towards the emerging relationship between the skin microbiome and healthy skin. This has the potential to revolutionise the beauty and personal care industry. Let’s see how. In the next few pages Keyplayers in the field have been invited to comment on specific issues.

How can the germs on facial skin be analysed quantitatively and qualitatively, and compared from one person to the next? Are beauty-related (and NOT disease related, such as psoriasis, AD, dermatitis etc.) categories or microorganisms characterized? What does it all mean? And how can cosmetic products and/or ingredients help? Are there any studies yet available that show the beauty benefits of products that claim to address these questions? When is the “equilibrium” of the skin’s microbiome considered to be disturbed, and how (with which products) can it be restored? And do the consumers really understand these concepts, do they in large numbers adhere to such claims and buy products based on them?

Sabrina Leoty-Okombi 
Project leader R&D
BASF Beauty Care Solutions

RECENT ADVANCES AND NEW STRATEGIES FOR SUBSTANTIATING MICROBIOTA-RELATED COSMETIC CLAIMS

The skin is an ecosystem that is made up of different habitats rich in microorganisms, which are also known as microbiota. Of these microorganisms, commensal flora positively contributes to skin defence by producing defence molecules such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and free fatty acids.

If the microbiota ecosystem is impaired, this can lead to changes in the skin. Several recent studies illustrate the relationship between the skin microbiome and the beauty and health of the skin. These studies demonstrate a change in the composition and repartition of microbial species that is correlated with aging and different skin conditions (e.g. acne and atopic-prone skin, dandruff). Several to ...