Microbiome-based skincare technology holds unique benefits for consumers & beauty industry

The concept of beauty products has evolved over time from being used to make people look good to a more holistic concept of wellbeing. 

Wellness-inspired products, such as skincare and makeup infused with probiotics, have already garnered the interest of consumers who are prioritising self-care and mindfulness in their daily routines following the pandemic.

Over the years, people have utilised the scientific understanding of the microbiome to treat gut health concerns. This is evident from the increased consumption of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in the form of food or supplements. 

Numerous skincare trends have originated from these dietary trends, including the concept of the skincare microbiome. There is a growing belief that the skin microbiome holds the key to improving skin appearance by addressing the causes of skin conditions rather than just the symptoms.

The segment is driven by innovation, so that brands can claim the effectiveness of their products through scientific facts. The recent advancements in analytical methods have yielded a vast amount of valuable insights into the composition, function and dynamics of the skin microbiome. This has created new avenues and opportunities in the realm of cosmetic products. 

According to the McKinsey Company, 2023 report, the beauty industry, encompassing skincare, fragrance, makeup, and hair care, generated around $430 billion in revenue in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6 per cent through 2027.

Although the segment is dominated by female consumers, there is a rising trend in men seeking beauty and skin healthcare products. They seek specific solutions to their skincare concerns like products that are easy to use and offer multi-functional benefits such as miniaturization, sun protection and soothing properties, all in a single product. The segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.3 per cent from 2023-2030.

The global market size for microbiome skincare products reached a valuation of $381.5 million, with a projected CAGR of 10.9 per cent from 2023-2030. 

The United Kingdom-based fashion trend forecasting company WGSN also forecast the rising trend of using microbiome technology in skincare. 

A leading beauty care company in Indonesia, Paragon, has launched a new line using the microbiome technology. 

Another skincare brand LABORÉ has formulated a wide range of skin healthcare services that works best on skin microbiomes of  people with sensitive skin living in tropical environments.

Paris-based cosmetics maker L’Oréal Group has also stated that the future of cosmetics is in making personalised skincare products using the microbiome technology. These bacteria can block as well as reverse the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. Therefore, microbial-based sunscreens will have a wider use in photoprotection products in the future.

But what is the technology based on?

Microbiomes are a group of microorganisms inherently residing within the skin, actively contributing to its well-being. Each skin type has a different set of microbiomes. 

The skin houses a dense and remarkably diverse collection of microorganisms: Bacteria, fungi, archaea, protozoa and viruses, collectively known as the skin microbiota. The human skin contains around a billion microbes (bacteria) per square centimetre, which are responsible for maintaining the skin’s immunity and preventing pathogenic growths. 

Having a balanced microbiome is the basic building block for skin health; if it is healthy, the skin is more resistant and resilient. Disturbances to this dermal ecosystem result in various consequences like oily skin, dandruff, bad smells, eczema, among others. 

Biome-based skincare aims to promote the proliferation of good bacteria while safeguarding against the dominance of bad bacteria. 

Similar to health supplements, microbiome skincare also consists of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics, all of which support the skin’s immune system and optimise its functionality. 

Probiotics are ‘friendly bacteria’ which are fed with nutrients or prebiotics, and postbiotics are the substances left after the microorganisms are dead, such as intact cells or the cell walls of dead microbes.

Microbiome-based skincare products

The emerging understanding of the skin microbiome has led to the development of microbiome-based ingredients that target natural physiological mechanisms like protecting, optimising and restoring the skin microbiome. 

Several US and UK-based brands such as Allies of Skin, Drunk Elephant, Gallinee, Algenist, Aurelia London, Osea, LaFlore, Symbiome, mindbodygreen, Mother Dirt and Biophile, for example, have developed microbiome-based skincare products. 

US-based brand Kinship offers affordable microbiome-friendly skincare based on a distinctive blend of prebiotics and probiotics derived from fermented lactobacillus. The brand refers to this unique blend as ‘The Kinbiome.’(Market Research Report, 2022). 

British brand Aurelia also offers probiotic skincare products, which are based on their award-winning probiotic innovation PROTIDA™ which can be explained as PRO – PRObiotics, TI – pepTIdes and DA – bifida. 

Skincare makers are now launching products containing live bacteria, bacteria extracts and other ingredients to enhance microbe activity. AOBiome is offering skincare products containing ammonia-oxidising bacteria; L'Oréal has patented the bacteria-derived ingredient vitreoscilla ferment, intended to balance the microbiome of dry skin. 

Johnson & Johnson has been working with biotech firm S-Biomedic on bacterial treatment for both therapeutic and cosmetic applications.

Ensuring safety 

The biggest challenges facing the microbiome-based beauty products industry is safety and compliance with regulations. 

Skin microbiome-based products must be safe for human health. These cosmetic products contain preservatives to protect them from external microbial contamination and increase their shelf life. The same preservatives possess a risk to kill any probiotics in the product itself. Therefore, it becomes imperative to keep the microbes alive in a cosmetic formulation while preventing the growth of other microorganisms to ensure the health and safety of the users. 

There are no specific laws to govern cosmetics products made to work with skin microbiome, according to a report by the International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulation. However, “there are general quality standard requirements such as microbiological limits, which apply to all cosmetic products, including those containing live or viable microorganisms”. 

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) also states that such products should be safe to use and, therefore, a manufacturer should take necessary precautions to avoid the introduction of microorganisms other than the probiotics either from raw materials or during processing and packaging of the products.

The skin microbiome presents an enthralling domain for the beauty industry, offering prospects for novel product development and marketing avenues. Consumer curiosity in microbiome beauty has surged amid the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, fueled by consumer concerns regarding the skin’s pivotal role in safeguarding and restoring the balance of the skin microbiota.

Apurva Nidhi has completed her Masters in Fashion Management Studies from National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bhubaneswar. Lipsa Mohapatra is assistant professor, department of fashion management studies, NIFT, Bhubaneswar.

Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth.

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