KIND TO BIOME® Council Member, Cæcilie Bachdal Johansen, MD, on the status of the skin microbiome in the cosmetics and personal care industry.

It is becoming more and more evident that we are entering the skin microbiome era. But where does the industry stand? And how much do consumers really know? We sat down with Cæcilie Bachdal Johansen, MD, and talked about the status of skin microbiome. Cæcilie is a self-proclaimed women’s health researcher. In her PhD, she examines the association between psoriasis and adverse pregnancy outcomes in three different nationwide register-based studies.

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1. Cæcilie, being an avid skincare enthusiast and a Medical Doctor, how would you say the industry has developed in light of the latest skin microbiome science?

Well, the industry has definitely picked up on the latest skin microbiome science. And it is becoming evident that the skin microbiome is not just a trend but will become more of a general standard for what defines good skincare. The skin microbiome within dermatology is rapidly becoming one of the most promising fields of research. Various studies have for example used the gut-brain-skin axis to explain correlations between the gut microbiome, mental diseases, and systemic skin inflammation. Although, the skin microbiome, as a space within the cosmetics industry, is still in its infancy I foresee that we are set to witness more and more products developed with the skin microbiome in mind. For a while now, we’ve seen a lot of cosmetics products containing pre-, pro-, and post-biotics – which in some sense could be described as the early “skin microbiome products”. But as the concept of skin microbiome matures – along with research— and as the industry acquires necessary capabilities, I reckon we will see significantly more products that are efficiently tailored with the skin microbiome in mind.

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2. How did you become interested in the skin microbiome?

Well, it sprouted from studying and writing about rosacea. As you may know, rosacea is linked to imbalance, or dysbiosis, in the skin microbiome. And the exact role of the skin microbiome in that disease is still unknown. We are still trying to understand causality. If it’s the microbiota that is altered from the beginning or if it is the innate immune system that is causing alteration in the microbiota, all leading to rosacea. This is also when I started to dig deeper in how today’s cosmetics products impact our skin’s microbiome. It’s a fascinating field of research, and we are only scratching the surface.

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3. How much do you think the average consumer knows about the skin microbiome?

In general, consumers are not yet well-informed when it comes to the skin microbiome. Although there are many players in the industry that are doing a great job in getting the word out to consumers –there is so much noise on the market. But we are getting there. And I think that consumers can pick up on the skin microbiome relatively quick. As we’ve been learning about the importance of the gut microbiome, the concept of skin microbiome will be easier for consumers to absorb.

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4. Why is the skin microbiome so important?

It’s now recognized as an additional layer of the skin and our main ally in maintaining a healthy skin. Nature has provided us with microbes, fungi, and viruses with which we live in harmony and their balanced existence means that pathogenic ones do not have the space and nutrition to proliferate. Disrupting our natural co-inhabitants gives exogenous microbes the chance to occupy the space left behind and cause an imbalance in our skin microbiome which ultimately can contribute to development of certain skin conditions.

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