84 SKIN MICROBIOME
TABLE 1: PROPOSED CLASS SYSTEM FOR THE SCOPE OF MICROBIOME MODULATORY EFFECTS LEVIED BY A PARTICULAR BIO-ACTIVE INGREDIENT Class
Impact Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 ‘Exquisitely targeted’ to no more than one specific microbial species, potentially only a single strain ‘Limited impact’ to one particular type of microbial group; example: only affects bacterial species ‘Broad impact’ across multiple types of microbes; effects bacteria, fungi, protists, and archaea
of time some cosmetic ingredients were maintained on the skin and the impact they had on the skin microbiota.8 The aforementioned investigation assessed
how long four separate cosmetic products lasted on the skin, which produced a range of 0.5 to nearly two weeks despite the study participants regularly showering. These products included a deodorant, a
foot powder, a moisturizer, and a face lotion. The impact of these materials on resident bacteria was evaluated, which showed that their relative diversity was significantly modified by alterations in the participants’ skin care regimens. There are several existing skin care
ingredients that qualify as either broad or narrow spectrum in their microbiome modulatory activity. When it comes to exquisitely focused microbiome modulators, one of the best active ingredients is bacteriophages. These microbes are the natural predators of
bacteria such as those found on the skin, and they are extremely species-specific (at times, strain-specific). A topical intervention utilizing bacteriophages will diminish solely the targeted bacterial species without collateral impacts on the neighbouring microbial groups. Such products include DermaPhage® CA (Biocogent) and Phortify® (Phyla) that contain proprietary cocktails of multiple bacteriophages exclusively targeted to C. acnes – one of the bacterial members of the skin microbiota that has been implicated in the development of blemished skin. Bio-active materials based on traditional
Chinese medicine have fantastic success stories when a more broadly anti-microbial effect is desired. Notable products in this category include: Grandiciin® (Biocogent), Micreobalance® (Gladskin), and Tremella Tonic Activating Essence Mist (Mount Lai); all of which describe generally balancing the full skin microbiome, though Grandiciin® highlights beneficial impacts on blemished skin stemming from C. acnes biofilms. What is lacking on this topic is a consensus
as to what level of microbe modifying activity is being levied by any given active ingredient. While a unified terminology exists for the type of bio-active material (prebiotic, probiotic and postbiotic), no such system is in place that describes the degree of impact. A simple measure could be devised such as establishing a series of ‘classes’ that could be applied to the microbiome modulatory effect of a particular substance. Consider the proposed example shown in
Table 1. Adopting this system would allow a consumer or industry professional to quickly
PERSONAL CARE May 2024 Example
Bacteriophage cocktail that exclusively targets C. acnes
Herbal extract with defined anti-fungal activity
Multiple botanical extracts with potent anti-microbial activity
understand the scope of impact promulgated by a particular product. A ‘Class I’ probiotic would be recognized as a ‘precision ingredient’, while a ‘Class II’ prebiotic would contrast as a ‘broad spectrum’ microbiome modulator.
Relative ‘friendliness’ to the skin microbiome The necessitated nuance in regards to the skin microbiome is not just limited to the products that are being marketed, but also with respect to the language being used to qualify them. A phrase that is growing in popularity in the realm of microbiome modulatory products is ‘microbiome friendly’. Many new bio-active materials are seeking
to have this statement attached to them, and there are companies and institutions that are offering services to certify this claim. This is an important step forward in the arena of skin microbiome focused products. There needs to be an industry standard and by extension, terms that are widely recognized and supported. Ostensibly, phrases like microbiome friendly
are marketing gold with feel-good connotations that will appeal to the consumers. Yet what does it mean? What type of test does one perform to certify that something behaves in a microbiome-friendly manner?
A random survey of both consumers and
industry professionals is likely to produce responses that are considerably varied. As such, to fortify and push forward terms intended to become the industry standard, widely accepted definitions need to be associated with them. Further, these consensus descriptions must be coupled to globally accepted guidelines.21 In a publication by van Belkam et al, a harmonized approach is proposed for a universal experimental methodology to validate an assertion of ‘microbiota friendly’.21 The authors suggest a combined strategy
of culture-dependent (growth-based) and culture-independent (genomic sequencing) methodologies. They conclude that this should be applicable at the in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo levels of product qualification for microbiota friendliness. Similarly, McBain et al published
recommendations for evaluating whether certain topical products have the potential to disrupt the skin microbiome.22 The latter group asserted that certification of
‘microbiome friendliness’ required that multiple factors be taken into account when assessing whether a material-induced alteration in the skin microbiome could be considered beneficial or deleterious.
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