Being friendly to the skin microbiome: Experimental assessment

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Microbiology
• Cosmetic Science

Background:

• Healthy skin microbiota are crucial for skin integrity and well-being.
• Personal care and cosmetic formulations must be compatible with skin microbiota.
• Current methods for assessing microbiome compatibility are insufficient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose standardized testing concepts for evaluating microbiome friendliness of compounds and formulations.
• To address the lack of clear guidelines for assessing microbiome compatibility.
• To promote the development of products that conserve or improve skin microbiota.

Main Methods:

• Development of three testing concepts for microbiome friendliness.
• Assessment of minimal microbiota perturbation and pathogen elimination.
• Utilizing next-generation sequencing (metagenomics) for in vivo, in vitro, and ex vivo analyses.

Main Results:

• Proposed testing concepts provide a framework for defining microbiome friendliness.
• Highlight the need for standardized experimental controls and internal standards.
• Emphasize the importance of both in vivo and in vitro/ex vivo pre-screening.

Conclusions:

• Standardized methods are essential for assessing the microbiome impact of personal care products.
• Regulatory agencies require harmonized acceptance criteria for microbiome friendliness.
• Future research should focus on developing robust controls and standards for reliable testing.