Beyond actives: Enhancing the skin barrier with symbiotic bacteria

27 Feb 2023 --- The skin barrier is essential to skincare and goes beyond beauty into skin health. PersonalCareInsights speaks to Montagne Jeunesse, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) and Seqens on upcoming developments, top ingredients and the role of the skin’s microbiome in boosting the functioning of the skin barrier against pollution, dryness and irritants.

“While most of us do our best to care for our skin, some of our good intentions are what’s causing our skin serious harm, and yes, your 20-step skincare routine is likely one of those things,” says David English, head of labs at Montagne Jeunesse.

“A combination of avoidable and unavoidable daily habits causes varying degrees of damage to the skin barrier. From smoking, lack of sleep and stress to pollution, UV radiation and overuse of exfoliating acids.”

Similarly, Carole Gherardi, market segment leader of Personal Care, Health and Biosciences at IFF, adds that extreme weather conditions and air conditioning can harm the skin barrier. “Skin cleansing routines with surfactants can damage and disrupt the protective lipidic layer making the skin more permeable to water loss and cause dehydration.”

“If the water content in the outermost layer of the epidermis drops below the ideal 10 to 15%, the skin is considered dehydrated. As a result, one is likely to feel uncomfortable and experience symptoms such as loss of suppleness and smoothness, greater sensitivity to environmental stress and irritants and an increased appearance of fine lines and wrinkles,” she continues.

Aïna Queiroz, head of cosmetic Innovation and Scientific Communication at Seqens, says: “A disrupted barrier function leads to increased transepidermal water loss and to more sensitive skin that may even cause major skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis.”English expects the market will be awash with niacinamide serums, creams, cleansers and toners.

Upcoming developments
Microbiome-friendly ingredients and affordable solutions to care for the skin barrier are expected to rise. Ceramides remain essential and vitamin B3 or niacinamide-based products are expected to proliferate.

“The pandemic has heightened and expanded the focus on health – skin conditions connected to skincare. As a result, consumers have moved away from products like acid peels and more toward products that help the skin microbiome,” says Gherardi of IFF.

“Additionally, with inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, efficiency remains at the forefront of consumers’ minds. Brands can expect consumers to demand efficacious and affordable alternatives to help offset inflationary pressures while delivering on sustainability.”

Queiroz shares that till now, the barrier function has mainly been addressed by developing active ingredients acting at the cutaneous level – “but very little by seeking to involve the microbiota in this challenge.”

“In the same way that an ingredient such as Cell’intact Buckwheat specifically recruits bacteria able to depollute the skin by degrading unhealthy components, the future of cosmetics could be to offer the best conditions to provide a microbiota adapted to its environment,” she suggests.

According to Queiroz, bacteria colonizing our skin makes us holobiont entities (host organisms with their associated microorganisms). “They are just as important as our cutaneous cells and must be cherished to maintain healthy skin.”

According to English, ceramides and niacinamides will take the spotlight. “However, no ingredient can fully repair the damage to your skin barrier, so prevention is the best way to protect your skin.”

“Ceramides exist in your body naturally and make up half of your lipid skin barrier. You lose an increasing amount of ceramides in your 30s and 40s, so adding ceramides into your skincare routine is necessary for maintaining skin that looks and feels healthy. Lower ceramide levels are linked to skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.”

“Niacinamide helps with oil control, increases the ceramides that our skin naturally produces, and can help stop the spread of pigment or dark spots. Niacinamide is a water-soluble vitamin that displays antioxidant effects, helps repair damaged skin barriers and combats reactive oxygen species,” says English.

He expects the market will be awash with niacinamide serums, creams, cleansers and toners.

Top ingredients for healthy skin barrier
Ingredients such as ceramides, phospholipids, natural betaine, polysaccharides and pollution-protective actives are spotlighted, along with hyaluronic acid and vitamins A and C.

“Ceramides and phospholipids are two commonly used ingredients for improving the skin barrier function. They are both structural elements of the intercellular lipids that help to reinforce the skin barrier,” says Gherardi of IFF.

“Another approach to improving the skin barrier is targeting the tight junctions between cells using an ingredient like natural betaine ‘Genencare Osms BA.’ This helps prevent the penetration of harmful substances and pollutants into the skin and reduce transepidermal water loss.”

Queiroz of Seqens highlights a trio of ingredients: “An active ingredient capable of boosting the presence of key markers of keratinocyte differentiation is essential. For example, Sens’flower, a saffron-based active, increases the presence of markers such as profilaggrin, helping to fuel the natural moisturizing factor that is key to barrier function.”

“As a complement, it is useful to bring mechanical protection at skin level, like a natural shield offered by complex sugars. This is the case of some polysaccharides extracted from marshmallow root and gathered in Osmo’city,” she adds.Microbiome-friendly ingredients and affordable solutions to care for the skin barrier are expected to rise.

The final strategy that complements the former two approaches is using an ingredient that biologically protects the skin. “Cell’intact Buckwheat, in a context of damaged skin due to UV rays and pollution exposure, plays this role by protecting skin barrier functions such as claudin-1 and claudin-4, which are major proteins of the tight junction.”

English of Montagne Jeunesse says that the top searched beauty ingredients of 2022 included vegan and biodegradable sheet masks that are “effective, inexpensive and loaded with natural goodies.”

“Hyaluronic acid is pretty well-known these days but remains one of the most popular ingredients for deeply hydrating skin. The beauty of our Nutriactive Hyaluronic Acid Face Mask is that it does not have any fine print. It benefits any skin type at any age.”

English also highlights vitamins A and C as top ingredients for a healthy skin barrier. “Retinol is a form of Vitamin A that promotes skin renewal and enhances collagen production (which starts to decline in your 30s). As well as lessening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, retinol can reverse some side effects of sun damage. Our 7th Heaven Retinol capsule sheet mask covers many skin concerns.”

“Retinol thickens your skin by increasing the production of glycosaminoglycans to keep the skin firm, taut and smooth.”

He shares that dermatologists tout retinol along with vitamin C and SPF as part of the “skincare holy trinity.”

“Vitamin C is best known for shielding against the visible impacts of environmental stressors, including free radicals that induce tissue damage. Our Nutriactive Vitamin C face mask evens skin tone by blocking tyrosinase, an enzyme that can trigger pigmentation – not to mention its overall power to brighten your complexion for a lit-from-within glow.”

Skin microbiome takes center stage
“Traditionally, moisturizing strategies focus on maintaining and retaining water within the skin tissue. However, we now know that the skin does not consist of just skin cells but is home to trillions of bacteria, fungi and viruses,” shares Gherardi of IFF.

“Skin microbiome research has shown that this dynamic ecosystem of microorganisms is essential to protect the skin against the invading pathogens responsible for various disorders, such as infections and eczema. In fact, the greater the diversity of the skin microbiome, the stronger the defense.”   

She adds that to combat dry skin, hydration and a balanced skin microbiome are essential as dryness disturbs the microbiome, which creates conditions for “opportunistic pathogens, such as S. aureus, to take over other commensals – the non-harmful microbes that live on the skin epidermis.” Gherardi of IFF says that the skin is no longer seen as a static environment but an active part that functions harmoniously with its ecosystem.

Disruption to the microbiota – dysbiosis – changes their metabolic function and activity, causing damage to the skin barrier and provoking further dryness, Gherardi adds.

Queiroz of Seqens explains that the skin barrier is formed by fine layers of epidermal keratinocytes and undergoes a tightly controlled terminal differentiation to form the stratum corneum, which is influenced by the microbiome.

“The microbiome also secretes the components that make up the lipid structure. For example, S. epidermidis secretes a sphingomyelinase that helps the host to acquire essential nutrients for the bacteria and produce ceramide, a key component of the epithelial barrier that prevents skin dehydration and aging.”

“Finally, some bacteria can also be adapted to specific environments, thus promoting skin health. For example, certain bacteria, such as Paracoccus aminovorans and Kocuria sp. can metabolize pollutants. This is what led us to develop an active based on buckwheat seeds, Cell’intact Buckwheat, that promotes the presence of these bacteria degrading benzopyrene, toluene, benzene or xylene.”

English of Montagne Jeunesse emphasizes how the body accommodates and responds to complexities from the environment. “For example, the walls of our cells can react to 150,000 different types of proteins. Our bodies respond to various signals, including electrical energy, hormones, dietary choices, emotional and mental energy, and various environmental factors.”

“The same goes for skin. Our skin is an organ, and living on the surface of our skin is an entire ecosystem of microorganisms – providing a rich and highly personal source of information and guidance.”

“Like the gut, the skin has its unique ecosystem of bacteria, fungi and viruses that impact how it functions. The skin’s microbiome is as unique as a fingerprint and constantly communicates with its environment and our skin,” he continues.

Microbes protect the skin from pathogens and control skin immunity and nutrient absorption. “When it’s healthy and functioning at its optimal capacity, it acts like a biodynamic membrane, constantly deciding what is allowed to enter the skin and what is blocked,” explains English. 

“Learning to tune into your body’s reactions can impart valuable data on everything happening around you. It is about being aware of the condition of your skin. A healthy microbiome also helps to ward off the triggers that can cause the skin to become inflamed, irritated and sensitized.” 

Furthermore, English highlights that a healthy gut is also essential for a healthy microbiome, so caring for the insides and using topical products are essential.

Enhancing the skin barrier
Gherardi of IFF says that the skin is no longer seen as a static environment but an active part that functions harmoniously with its ecosystem. 

“The skin is the body’s protective barrier against the world. In other words, our skin is the body’s first barrier to external aggressions. In the skin, the epidermis layer plays the main barrier role as it comprises both cells and lipids intertwined. It is often described as a ‘brick and mortar’ structure, on top of which lives the microbiome.”

“The lipids of the stratum corneum participate in the skin’s hydrophobicity. They help to prevent water loss and retain skin moisture. In the epidermis, the melanocytes and the melanin they produce protect the cell core from UV and DNA damage.” Ingredients such as ceramides, phospholipids, natural betaine, polysaccharides and pollution-protective actives are spotlighted, along with hyaluronic acid and vitamins A and C.

Additionally, Gherardi explains that in stratum granulosum (skin layer), the cells are connected by tight junctions (protein structures), which regulate the intracellular pathway both in and out. “Therefore, enhancing the skin’s natural defense and helping skin function at its best is crucial for facial care and the whole body.”

Queiroz of Seqens says that dermatologically, the epidermis forms a barrier between us and our environment at physical, chemical, immunological, neuro-sensory and microbial levels.

“To prevent the skin from being damaged by potential aggressors, it is crucial to strengthen this natural protection by playing on key biological targets such as keratinocyte differentiation, tight junctions’ preservation and the skin microbiota balance.”

English of Montagne Jeunesse says that the skin communicates much information, “like when we’re tired or not drinking enough water or have food sensitivities. It’s so easy to see a bump or redness appear and want to attack it, remove it, get rid of it or hide it.”

“But the more you approach your skin with curiosity, patience and tenderness, the more you can learn. It’s important to think beyond the surface-level expression of health to a whole-body experience.”

He emphasizes catering to the different skin needs based on the seasons. “Going into summer, the humidity picks up, and the weather can be less dry, so your moisture needs to change. It’s time to remove heavy creams and switch to a lighter moisturizer.”

“Spring is as good a time as any to step back, assess what you’ve got, where gaps need filling and how you want to feel moving forward. It’s also an opportunity to break out of a rut and get re-inspired. Prevention is way better than a cure.”

By Venya Patel