Micro Managing
The skin’s microbiome is vital to keeping our largest organ healthy, but it needs to be balanced to succeed.
This is the essence of transformational science,” says Dr. Richard Gallo, distinguished professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Diego. “We’re moving away from what everyone has grown up to think.” He’s referring to microbes, which, for years, were believed to only cause disease. But over the past decade, studies have shown that several of them have beneficial effects. In fact, we receive microbes from our mother at birth— they’re the starter kit for what makes up our microbiome, defined as a living ecosystem of micro-organisms.
This area of research has become of particular interest to beauty brands because of its relation to the skin, which has its own microbiome. For over 15 years, it has been “a strategic field of scientific research for us,” says Magali Moreau, principal scientist of advanced research for L’Oréal Paris, adding that discoveries about it will “disrupt the future of cosmetic products.”
What is now known is that the skin’s microbiome performs three key functions. First, it provides protection. “The micro-organisms at the surface of your skin are an interface between your body and your environment,” says Moreau, explaining that they continuously produce antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds and proteins and help maintain a low pH on your skin. Second, it strengthens the skin’s barrier because it helps skin recover and repair from any aggressions. Third, it helps skin function properly by identifying what’s good and what’s bad from the moment you’re born. It regulates your immunity as you encounter different species in your environment and helps manage inflammation, says Moreau. In order to accomplish all of this, the microbiome must be in balance; although it’s resilient, it can also change and evolve. Hormones, medications and diet can affect it, but so can age and pollution. Knowing this, Lancôme has updated the formula for its Advanced Génifique serum to now include three prebiotics (sources of food for bacteria) and four probiotics (beneficial live microbes). This blend of seven ingredients, which is patented until 2029, “is based on what we know today regarding the skin’s microbiome,” says Véronique Delvigne, scientific director for Lancôme. Feeding the invisible community that lives on us with additional live cultures as well as providing nutrients for the existing bugs creates an environment where the skin is reinforced and in equilibrium. Gallo agrees. “It’s always about getting to that balance,” he says.