Microbiome 101

We co-exist with a vast universe of a trillion microbes that thrive on our skin, unique to each of us, just like our fingerprint.

In simple terms, the skin microbiome is the microorganism community (and its genes), that lives on our skin. Around 99% of these microbes are beneficial for both our skin and overall health - think of them as essential rather than as unwanted guests.

Genetically speaking we're more microbe than human, harbouring several million microbial genes compared to our own 23,000 genes. Aside from the gut, the skin hosts the most microorganisms in the body. Up to one million bacteria can live in just one tiny square centimeter of skin, part of a teeming ecosystem vital to our wellbeing.

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Microbiome beginnings

The skin’s microbiome forms in infancy and varies depending on the way we were delivered at birth (for example babies born by c-section have lower levels of lactobacillus on their skin).

The microbiome stays relatively stable over our lifespan, although it shifts with increasing age. It's also influenced by how much time we spend indoors, the products we use on our skin, whether we live in an urban or rural area, and if we have pets or not.

Microbial make-up varies significantly across different body sites, depending on skin pH, moisture, sebum production, and ecosystem factors locally. Areas exposed to the external environment have a greater bacterial diversity.

This delicate balance of microbes on our skin ultimately impacts everything from healthy immunity to even our mental health.

A healthier skin microbiome helps shift the balance from skin drama back to health.

skin friends & foes

Science is only just starting to understand the crucial role our microbial friends play in a healthy skin radiance.

The skin microbiome is responsible for some pretty important jobs - protecting against external invaders, regulating inflammation, slowing skin aging, shaping our immune system, and aiding skin repair. Our skin bacteria can even help predict how well we'll heal from a chronic wound.

When the balance is upset (i.e. loss of helpful species/increase in harmful species), then skin dryness, sensitivity, accelerated skin aging, and other skin conditions result.

Research increasingly shows that adding probiotic bacteria topically to the skin improves skin conditions - displacing harmful bacteria with the good guys.

Applying Ethos coconut oil to the skin is one way to add living lactobacillus probiotics back (a natural component of the skin microbiome).

Spending time in nature also increases the diversity of microorganisms on the skin, which is linked to better skin health.