What is the Skin Microbiome?

If you’ve ever taken a probiotic, eaten yoghurt, or sipped on a glass of kombucha, you were feeding the trillion-strong community of benevolent micro-organisms that make up your gut microbiome. You may already know about the importance of the microbiome that exists in the gut – but you might not know that the skin has its own microbiome, too.

Emerging research around the skin benefits of a balanced skin microbiome has made it a popular topic for both the health and beauty worlds. To find out how this complex ecosystem works, we reached out to Dr Gabriel Ahmad Khodr and Dr Magali Moreau – Lancôme’s leading scientists in skin microbiome research.

In this guide, we’re demystifying the skin microbiome and exploring how you can integrate microbiome-friendly skincare into your routine for a luminous, healthy-looking complexion.

What is the skin microbiome?

Invisible to the eye, the human skin microbiome is a key part of the skin moisture barrier¹ and is made up of thousands of different microbial species that live on the skin's surface.

“Scientists once believed we were only made up of human cells and organs,” Dr Moreau explains. “Now they’ve discovered a whole new system that’s vital to our very existence, called our microbiome – a beneficial ecosystem of micro-organisms, living in and on our bodies, that are essential for our health.”

Like fingerprints, the skin microbiome is unique. The normal microbiota of the skin is composed mainly of bacteria, though it also contains yeast, fungi and viruses. This microbiota influences everything from our gut to our immunity and even our skin’s health and appearance. We inherit our specific skin microbiome from our mothers² but, over time, our skin microbiomes change according to our lifestyle, age, and the environment we live in.

“We now have evidence that the microbiome evolves with age,” Dr Moreau continues. “For example, we have discovered that women living in a polluted environment and showing premature signs of aging present a similar skin microbiome profile to aged women.”

What does the skin microbiome do for your skin?

The skin microbiome is synergistic with skin, meaning our skin microbiome’s balance is integral to our skin’s health, comfort and appearance.
Dr Khodr breaks it down for us:

“Incredibly, there are more than 500 species within this ecosystem that ‘communicate’ with our cells,” he says. “We have recently discovered that a balanced microbiome supports our skin’s ability to defend and recover. Basically, the skin microbiome is one of the skin’s first lines of defence from the world around us.”

What disrupts the skin microbiome?

As with any ecosystem, the skin microbiome is affected by the world around it. Healthy skin has a rich microbial diversity, but modern life (cosmetics, for example, and less time spent outdoors) has led to decrease of the bacteria that make up our skin microbiome.³

What’s more, wider factors like climate, age and lifestyle can change the skin microbiome’s makeup and remove the normal microbiota of the skin. This can lead to stressed skin, which can present as sensitisation, dryness, breakouts, oiliness, and premature aging.

Some of the factors that may disrupt your skin’s microbiome balance include:

Over-cleansing or over-exfoliating
Harsh skincare ingredients and soaps
Using too many skincare products
Pollution, UV radiation and other airborne skin stressors
Poor nutrition

How to improve your skin microbiome: our 5 expert tips

Although there are factors outside of our control that can influence the skin microbiome’s balance (like age and climate), we can adjust our lifestyles and skincare practices to nourish the skin microbiome. Thanks to our advanced skin microbiome research, we now have a deeper understanding of how a balanced microbiome is essential for the skin's health and appearance: and we’ve outlined five expert tips to improve your skin microbiome below.

1. Introduce prebiotic and probiotic skincare

If you’re wondering how to increase good bacteria on skin, your first step is to build a skincare routine that includes probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics use live micro-organisms to rebalance the good bacteria in the skin microbiome; prebiotics are plant-based molecules that act as “food” for micro-organisms.

Microbiome skincare formulated with probiotics and prebiotics can help rebalance your skin microbiome. At Lancôme, we've already begun tapping into the potential of skin microbiome science with our new formula for the Génifique range, which contains a complex collection of seven beneficial prebiotic and probiotic fractions that support the skin microbiome.

Dr Khodr praises this work and insights, which have been crucial in developing the prebiotic and probiotic fractions-enriched formula for the bestselling Génifique Ultimate Serum.

“This formula is designed to promote skin that’s both noticeably stronger and younger-looking. New Génifique Ultimate Serum is not just pioneering in the field of microbiome science – it’s helping usher in the future of skincare.”

2. Use a gentle cleanser and skip the exfoliation

While you might relish the feel of squeaky-clean skin, over-cleansing and over-exfoliating can harm the skin microbiome and exacerbate skin sensitivity concerns. Exfoliation has many benefits – like unclogging pores – but it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. An exfoliant can be too harsh for those with a disrupted skin microbiome, so we suggest skipping this step while you’re in reparative mode.

Instead, opt for a gentle cream cleanser like Crème Mousse Confort Face Cleanser, which nourishes the skin while removing impurities.

3. Avoid harsh ingredients

When attempting to rebalance the skin microbiome, it’s important to be conscious of the ingredients in your skincare and other cosmetics. For instance, it’s best to avoid astringents, alcohol, retinoids, fragrances or essential oils that can impair the normal microbiota of the skin. If you’re not sure where to start or which ingredients will be compatible with your skin, explore our guide to choosing skincare for sensitive skin.

4. Simplify your skincare routine

In a similar vein, it’s important to simplify your skincare habits, as too many ingredients and actives can disturb (and ‘confuse’) your skin microbiome. When the skin is stressed, the best practice is to scale back your routine to include essential products only. To this end, try:

Washing your face with a gentle cleanser that supports the skin moisture barrier.
Applying a serum that’s tailored to your skin concerns. If you’re experiencing dryness, redness and roughness, opt for our Advanced Génifique Sensitive Serum, which is formulated with our signature seven beneficial prebiotic and probiotic fractions, as well as vitamin E, ferulic acid and hyaluronic acid.
Nourishing the skin with a complementary moisturiser, like the Génifique Day Cream for your morning routine, or the Génifique Night Repair Cream in the evening.
Finishing your morning routine with a broad-spectrum SPF sunscreen to protect the skin microbiome from additional stress.

5. Eat a balanced diet

While there is still a lot to learn about the skin-gut connection, there is ample evidence to suggest that our diet – and gut bacteria – has a large role to play in skin health⁴.

A poor diet can lead to poor gut health, which can destabilise the skin microbiome. That’s why we recommend incorporating a range of gut-friendly foods into your diet to foster a strong, healthy gut-skin connection, including:

Foods rich in antioxidants: like spinach, blueberries, and strawberries
Healthy fats, like avocado and oily fish
Probiotic foods, such as yoghurt
High-fibre fruits, vegetables and legumes
At least two litres of water per day

Up next, take your microbiome skincare one step further with our guide to creating the ultimate anti-aging skincare routine.

¹https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2024.1322205/full
²https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/the-secret-world-inside-you/microbiome-at-birth
³https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024105804
⁴https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6048199/