The invisible community living on your skin: the skin microbiome
Your skin is not just a covering; it is also a habitat. Bacteria, yeasts and other microorganisms live on it. Scientists call this community the skin microbiome. Strange as it may sound, most of this community is on your skin's side.
Every part of your face has a different community
Research shows that different microorganisms live on different parts of your skin. Oily areas such as your forehead and nose are dominated by some species, and dry areas such as your cheeks by others.
So it is no surprise that your T-zone and your cheeks react differently to the same product.
How does this community protect your skin?
Your skin is both a protective shield and the home of these microorganisms; the two influence each other. Scientists think that the more diverse the community, the better your skin's protective layer works.
There is an interesting finding: in 2022, animal experiments showed that a bacterium that lives naturally on the skin contributes to the production of the lipids that hold in the skin's moisture.
What changes in your routine?
The aim is not to rid your skin of microbes but to protect the natural balance on its surface. According to a recent review, properly formulated cosmetics do not disrupt this balance on healthy skin, and ingredients such as prebiotics are giving positive results in early studies.
In practice, this means: avoid very harsh cleansers, don't over-wash your skin, and don't let it go short of moisture.
Sources
- 1.Grice EA, Segre JA (2011). The skin microbiome. Nature Reviews Microbiology 9(4): 244-253. Review.
- 2.Byrd AL, Belkaid Y, Segre JA (2018). The human skin microbiome. Nature Reviews Microbiology 16(3): 143-155. Review.
- 3.Baldwin HE, Bhatia ND, Friedman A, Eng RM, Seité S (2017). The role of cutaneous microbiota harmony in maintaining a functional skin barrier. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology 16(1): 12-18. Review.
- 4.Zheng Y, Hunt RL, Villaruz AE et al. (2022). Commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis contributes to skin barrier homeostasis by generating protective ceramides. Cell Host & Microbe 30(3): 301-313. Basic science.
- 5.Taléns-Visconti R, Diez-Sales O, Nácher A (2026). Cosmetic interventions for skin microbiome modulation: current strategies and future directions. Skin Research and Technology 32(4): e70352. Review.
This article is for general information only. If you have a skin problem that persists or gets worse, see a dermatologist.