The Good, The Bad and The Acne — The Skin Microbiota

Acne is the most common skin disease among Americans affecting 80%-85% of the population, largely being adolescents. It’s safe to say that there is no magic cure that works for everyone — I’ve spent a fortune on beauty products and medications over the years looking for the answer myself (Sorry, I don’t have it yet).

But, let’s get to the nitty-gritty. Just as the gut is made up of good and bad bacteria, research suggests that the population of these bacteria is also different among people that suffer from skin diseases such as acne, rosacea, and eczema 1. However, acne is a complex skin disease with bacteria being only one of several factors (e.g. environment, diet, hormonal status) involved. Let's take a closer look at acne and how your gut plays a role in its development.

Skin Microbiome and Acne

Previous research has shown that, in general, there are four main phyla of bacteria present on the skin 2:

• Actinobacteria
• Proteobacteria
• Firmicutes
• Bacteroidetes 

A recent investigation conducted metagenomic shotgun sequencing to discover the role of the skin microbiome in skin health using acne as a model disease. The sampling of these individuals revealed that these four main phyla of bacteria were present with the addition of Cyanobacteria. The testing showed that these bacteria differed in abundance for individuals who had healthy skin and those affected by acne. 

Which Bacteria Are Good for Fighting Acne?

These comparisons included testing the bacteria present on adults over the age of 55 (rarely known to have acne) as a control and groups of young adults with healthy skin compared to those who suffered from acne.

In this case, the composition of the skin microbiota varied between individuals (just like other areas of the microbiome). However, there were significant differences in the presence of certain species and strains among individuals with healthy skin and those with acne.

Individuals with healthy skin were found to have greater abundances of P.acnes and P.granulosum, suggesting these strains may contribute to maintaining healthy skin 3. 

Research of the microbiome is increasing and although cannot be used as a diagnosis for skin disease. It points to the potential for further discovery of the role the microbiome plays and the use of probiotics to maintain healthy skin. 

This study analyzed several other elements beyond the role of bacteria. You can access the research in its entirety here.

As the study of the microbiome is steadily increasing, more companies are looking into developing products for balancing bacteria throughout the body. 

Specifically, companies such as AOBiome, TULA, and NERD skincare (just to name a few) are researching the skin microbiome and developing topical products to increase “good bacteria” levels in order to maintain healthy skin.

We are excited about these new developments in the industry — at Ombre we envision a future in developing a variety of targeted probiotics that focus on various aspects of the microbiome.

Support your immunity and skin health. Get your gut tested with an Ombre Gut Health Test to learn how to restore diversity in your microbiome.