Analysis of the Facial Skin Bacterial Community in Vietnamese Individuals with Sensitive Skin and Clinical Relevance

Sensitive skin (SS) is a common clinical condition characterized by exaggerated sensory responses such as burning, stinging, itching, and irritation to otherwise nonpathological stimuli, most frequently affecting the face. The underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood, particularly with regard to the role of the skin microbiome.

This study investigated the facial skin microbiota in Vietnamese adults with SS and examined its associations with clinical symptoms and skin physiological parameters. A total of 75 participants were enrolled, including 45 with SS and 30 with nonsensitive skin (NSS). Clinical assessment included evaluation of subjective symptoms, symptom regularity, time of symptom onset, trigger factors, and objective measurements of skin pH, sebum, hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), erythema, and melanin index. Bacterial communities were profiled using 16S rRNA gene sequencing targeting the V3-V4 region.

Participants with SS exhibited significantly higher erythema and TEWL across all sex and age subgroups, as well as elevated skin pH in female and middle-aged participants (p < 0.05). Alpha and beta diversity metrics did not differ significantly between SS and NSS groups. However, differential abundance analysis using Analysis of Compositions of Microbiomes with Bias Correction (ANCOM-BC) identified 53 bacterial genera with significant compositional differences, indicating subtle community restructuring. A total of 32 genera, including Peredibacter, Enterobacter, and Marmoricola, were enriched in SS, whereas Streptococcus, Escherichia-Shigella, and Weissella were depleted. Correlation and stratified analyses further revealed genus-level associations with skin physiological parameters, clinical symptoms, anatomical locations, symptom regularity, and time since symptom onset.

SS is associated with subtle but distinct alterations in facial skin microbiome composition, in parallel with measurable changes in skin physiological parameters related to barrier function and reactivity. The results indicate associations between microbial composition, skin physiological parameters, and clinical characteristics in the SS phenotype, and offer a population-specific microbiome reference for Vietnamese facial skin.