We know that the skin microbiome interacts with our skin in multiple ways and is an important factor in skin health, but there is still so much we don’t know about the complex interrelation between skin and its microbiota. A recent study titled „Bacterial DNA on the skin surface overrepresents the viable skin microbiome“ conducted by scientists from Princeton University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and the University of Pennsylvania, has provided additional insights into the stability, location, and viability of the skin microbiome, utilizing a combination of culturing, imaging, and molecular approaches. They discovered that the skin surface has fewer viable bacteria than predicted by bacterial DNA levels. Instead, viable skin-associated bacteria primarily reside not on the skin’s surface, but within the skin itself.
Furthermore, the researchers found that while the skin microbiome is remarkably stable even in the wake of aggressive perturbation, repopulation of the skin surface is driven by the underlying viable population. This finding underscores the importance of the skin’s natural renewal processes in maintaining a healthy skin microbiome.
Healthy skin has healthy microbiota. Supporting skin with its epidermal self-renewal process as effectively as possible, improving and maintaining its optimum functionality, naturally will benefit the health of the epidermal skin microbiome. Skin that functions healthily, naturally promotes a well-balanced microbiome. CLR’s ProRenew Complex CLR™ was shown to accelerate and improve the quality of epidermal renewal and thereby, support the symbiotic relationship of skin its microbiota.