Explained: what is the skin microbiome?

Key takeaways from this article

• The skin microbiota is the collection of microorganisms living on your skin: think gut health, but on your skin.
• It supports the skin’s immune response to limit bacterial invasion, helps keep skin hydrated and maintains its structural integrity.
• A well-curated routine that maintains your skin’s pH lets the microbiota thrive.
• Many brands avoid talking about the microbiome, partly because a lot of commercial products do it more harm than good.

You’re seeing this word all over the place, and we have seemingly overused it, but we’re going to go through why the microbiota should be something important to you and why it’s so overlooked commercially.

To keep things simple: think gut health, but on your skin. It is the body’s largest organ, after all.

Looking at exactly what the skin microbiota is, the skin microbiota is an umbrella term used to define the collection of microorganisms living on the skin.

It’s known to promote an adaptive and innate immune response to limit the bacterial invasion on the skin and keep it hydrated. It maintains the skin's structural integrity, helping skin stay healthy over time. With a well-curated skincare routine, your skin’s pH level is maintained to let the microbiota thrive and create a healthier skin texture.

Now, why have I not heard this term ‘microbiome/microbiota’ when I think of other skincare brands and their communication?

Commercially speaking, many skincare brands usually veer away from talking about the microbiome. And there are three key reasons for this, the third being the most important for you to know:

1. The microbiome is hard to explain
2. It’s not exactly the sexiest topic, so it’s hard to make the microbiome chic and aesthetic, but we’re ready for the challenge
3. (Most importantly) a lot of commercial products don’t help the microbiome on your face at all. On the contrary, they do more harm to it than good.