80 SKIN MICROBIOME
Helping the beauty industry understand ‘microbiome’
Dr Tiina Meder– Meder Beauty Science, UK
The concept of the microbiome is fairly recent, even though it has its roots in the beginning of the last century, when the first microbial ecologist, Sergei Winogradsky from Ukraine, argued for the need to study microbes in the context of their natural environment, including the living host. He pointed out the difference of the microorganisms’ behaviour in continuous culture versus their natural habitat, and it was one of the most important discoveries in the field. Despite this unprecedented breakthrough,
microbiology took almost a century to recognise this idea officially. Finally, another microbiologist and Nobel Laureate, Joshua Lederberg, offered the term ‘microbiome’ in 2001, describing a collection of microorganisms and the collective genome of species living in a specific environment. The Human Microbiome Project (HMP),
aiming to improve the understanding of microbial flora involved in human health and disease, was launched in 2007. The project first focused on microbial flora, but since 2014 it has transformed into the Integrative HMP generating information on microbiomes, including not only microbes, but also viruses, fungi and parasites. HMP researchers pay special attention to the skin as one of main habitats of the human microbiome. A new understanding has been gained of the role of microorganisms as drivers of many vital processes in the skin; and in the last fifteen years it has changed the whole concept of the skin barrier function, skin immunity, skin sensitisation, infections and so on. Since the very beginning, the HMP had the ambitious goal of breaking down the ‘artificial barrier’ between medical and environmental microbiology. A practical approach and the use of new knowledge were seen as an unavoidable consequence. Curiously, cosmetic formulation and manufacturing were progressive enough to follow the new direction and find a lot of ways to interpret and use the scientific findings, sometimes literally ‘hot from the oven’. I suppose many readers remember the sensational experiments reported by Julia Scott, a New York Times journalist, in May 2014. ‘My no-soap, no-shampoo, bacteria-rich hygiene experiment’ opened a Pandora’s box of the press communication on microbiome.
PERSONAL CARE October 2021
The stories of AO+ inventor David Whitlock, who had not showered for 12 years, and the Mother Dirt’s board of directors chairman Jamie Heywood, who had only used shampoo three times a year (Christmas, birthday, and one other date, perhaps?), have become legendary, and so the public talk about microbiome began.
Importance of communication Publicity made it possible for many cosmetic brands to pioneer in this field, but it has also complicated things. An innovative approach and the use of a new class of cosmetic ingredients is always risky where communication is concerned. As a brand founder and a dermatologist myself, I experienced a lot of difficulty trying to demonstrate the uniqueness and difference of new microbiome-friendly products, not only to the customers also to skin therapists and even to fellow dermatologists. The first of our microbiome-friendly
products was launched in 2009. It is based on Keratoline™ manufactured by Sederma — a protease obtained by fermentation and put on the label as a Bacillus Ferment. We named the product ‘Enzy-Peel’ to highlight its ability to peel off the skin and the use of enzymes in the formulation, but were unexpectedly met with total misunderstanding from skin professionals and journalists.
When speaking about bacterial proteases, I
received a lot of questions about plant-based enzymes, such as bromelain and papain, which are very different. Worst of all, a mention of anything bacterial spurred fear and distrust, because bacteria were firmly associated with infection and unwanted skin conditions. This was a challenge we eventually overcame by educating aesthetic therapists and creating a new language to communicate with them, so that they could understand how the product works and why it is good and be able to explain it to their customers. Unfortunately, the communication from
the manufacturers of raw materials sometimes required translation to make it clear for skin professionals. The official presentation of Keratoline (2009) states: “Functions – eliminates dead cells digesting keratin of corneocytes; substitute of AHA helping to avoid irritation and redness”. The message did not reveal how bacterial enzymes were different from plant- based papain or bromelain and did not mention microbiome at all. We had
to collect and analyse feedback from aesthetic professionals in order to create new wording explaining the difference and innovative approach to exfoliation. We focused on the safety and
efficiency of the product, explaining the bio-fermentation process and the ability of bacterial proteases to destroy keratin while at the same time helping to maintain a healthy skin barrier. Skin therapists were impressed by the new technology when we highlighted the nature of bio-fermentation and explained it as a natural process compared to industrial chemical synthesis. Our other focus was the role of pH and the ability of bacterial enzymes to be effective without changing the skin’s pH unlike acid-based exfoliation. The change of wording helped immensely and even created a demand for the home-use version of the product.
www.personalcaremagazine.com
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