Microbiota: what are the benefits of probiotics for the skin?

What is the microbiota?

The human microbiota is a community of microbes living on or inside the human body.

It includes fungi (mycobiota), bacteria (microbiota), viruses, bacteriophages, archaea, and protozoa, which complement the human genome. It is referred to as a superorganism.

The skin microbiota hosts a vast microbial community that varies according to physiology, topography, and the environment. Actinobacteria (52%), including Propionibacterium, Firmicutes (24%), including Staphylococcus, Proteobacteria (17%), and Bacteroidetes (7%) are the 4 most abundant species identified on the skin. Colonization is influenced not only by body topography, but also by numerous host-specific factors such as sex, age, clothing, activity, hygiene, antibiotic use, temperature and humidity, and UV exposure. The fungal microbiota in seborrheic areas is less varied than the bacterial flora, dominated by the Malassezia type.

The link between the microbiota and the skin

While suspected since Hippocrates, recent studies have made it possible to prove the link between lifestyle and the gut microbiota, in particular the "Human Microbiome Project" research project launched in 2008 in the United States by the NIH (National Institutes of Health), which received 157 million dollars in funding. Known factors such as diet (fibers, polyphenols, sugars, fatty acids), stress, as well as physical activity, drug use, alcohol, and tobacco can modify this microbiota. Regarding the skin, we are only at the beginning of research, the application of which faces health standards for market release imposed on the cosmetic industry.

Primum non nocere / First, do no harm
The skin microbiota is complex, and it is primarily important not to create an imbalance. For example, harsh preservatives that are biocides disrupt the microbiota. Antibiotics often used for acne are also harmful in the long term and are sources of recurrence.
The link between the various microbiotas is known, and for the skin in particular, it is necessary to act at the intestinal level, by also leveraging the gut-brain axis.

What ritual should be used to preserve your microbiota?

Gentle cleansing with a cold-saponified soap like our Mango & Avocado Soap, which triggers a pH balance and regulates the microbiota.

Avoid harsh preservatives (phenoxyethanol) and emulsifying detergents like PEGs, polysorbates, pentylene or propylene glycol.

Avoid mineral oils, silicones, or acrylic derivatives known to disrupt skin flora.

Stay as close to nature as possible with natural and certified organic formulas. It is understood that pesticides are there to destroy plant parasites, which are bacteria, and yet our microbiota is also formed of bacteria. Likewise, an antibiotic, as its etymology indicates, will disrupt our microbiota.

At Alaena, in this spirit of remaining as close as possible to living things, we have developed patented active ingredients based on sprouted seeds. The principle of germination, which is to release micronutrients for the plant's development, is also valid for skin cells and their microbiota. We therefore provide prebiotics (sugars, fibers, amino acids, polyphenols, etc.) and probiotics naturally contained in these seeds. We can call them synbiotics.
We also use lactobacillus ferment in our Eye Contour, which inhibits melanin production and reduces dark circles.

Specific conditions:

Acne

We know that the Cutibacterium germ, formerly Propionibacterium, is a component of the normal microbiota, but in acne, aggressive strains develop at the expense of good bacteria. It is important to provide prebiotics that will nourish the good bacteria and probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria, to defend against aggressive strains and rebalance the microbiota.

Eczema

In the case of eczema, it is the same mechanism, this time involving the Staphylococcus aureus germ, present at 80% on an eczema patch compared to 40% on healthy skin.

Rosacea

In rosacea, there is a disturbance of the gut-brain axis and the gut-skin axis, and there is a proliferation of Demodex (a parasite that is part of the microbiota).

Good bacteria for healthy skin:

Prebiotics

A prebiotic is a plant fiber that the body does not digest, but which is useful for the growth or activity of certain bacterial populations contained in the (intestinal) flora. It differs from a probiotic, which is a bacterium with beneficial effects on the body.
Prebiotics are non-digestible compounds (sugars, fibers, amino acids, polyphenols, etc.) that, through their metabolism by microorganisms in the gut, modulate the composition and/or activity of the gut microbiota, thereby conferring a physiological benefit to the host.

Examples: Inulin is extracted from chicory root. It is a carbohydrate whose prebiotic effects help stimulate bacterial growth in the microbiota. It also helps relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Fructo-oligosaccharides, also called bifidofibers, are also considered prebiotics. In addition to nourishing the bacteria of the intestinal flora, they participate in the secretion of propionates, responsible for the satiety message sent to the brain, and butyrates, which contribute to the proper protection of the colon wall.

Probiotics

The word "probiotic" comes from the Greek words "pro," meaning "in favor of," and "biotikos," meaning "life." In 2001, probiotics were defined by the World Health Organization as "live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host, beyond traditional nutritional effects."

Note that under current cosmetic regulations, it is necessary to control the biological proliferation of the probiotic (measured in CFU: Colony Forming Units).

Synbiotics combine prebiotics and probiotics.

Article written by Dr. Sylvie Peres, dermatologist and co-founder of Alaena