Good Bacteria on the Skin: Our Helpful Co-inhabitants
Did you know that your body hosts more than 38 trillion microorganisms? That means bacteria make up more than half of you! As strange as it may sound, you are not alone in your body.
It is all the more amazing that microbes were once seen as invaders—harmful substances or pathogens to be fought. Today, we know that humans form a kind of symbiotic community with microbes, and this symbiosis can have very positive effects on the entire organism!
The bacteria that thrive on us should not be fought at all, as they can help the body prevent truly harmful substances from gaining the upper hand inside us.
For example, our gut microbiome consists of around 100 trillion different microorganisms. It is estimated that about 500 different bacterial species reside there. This diversity of bacteria not only influences our immune system but can also positively affect our skin.
What Is Our Skin Microbiome?
The skin is the largest sensory organ of the human body and at the same time the second largest contact surface with the outside world—after the gut microbiome.
Billions of living microorganisms live on our skin, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and single-celled organisms that the human eye cannot see.
This totality of microorganisms on the skin is our skin microbiome. You can think of the skin microbiome as a small cosmos on our body surface, describing the interaction of all microorganisms that settle there.
There are three main groups of bacteria on your skin: Staphylococcus bacteria, Propionibacteria, and Corynebacteria. Are these bacteria harmful? No. When we hear the word “bacteria,” we often think of diseases, but with the skin microbiome, the opposite is true, as the interaction of bacteria with the skin strengthens the immune system to fend off germs. For the skin microbiome to be optimally protected, all three types must exist in a natural balance.
What Is the Role of Our Skin Microbiome?
The natural balance is established when there is a balance between “good” and “bad” organisms on our body. When this balance exists, the microbiome acts as a protective shield for our skin.
Pathogens can be repelled through the symbiosis of bacteria on the skin flora. Wounds also heal faster thanks to our skin microbiome. The bacteria not only defend us against pathogens but also promote the skin’s low pH and support our immune system. The immune system thus learns to differentiate useful from pathogenic microorganisms. For this to happen, microbial contact through the skin is also necessary.
Defense actually works quite simply—if all accessible spots and niches on the body are already colonized by “good” bacteria, the existing microbial community prevents “newcomers” from settling and spreading on the skin. This mechanism is called colonization resistance.
Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and free radicals all want to settle on the skin surface. Our microbiome keeps them at bay through a finely balanced equilibrium. However, if the skin microbiome is unstable or out of balance (dysbiosis), invaders sense their chance and can settle on the body. This can lead to inflammation, injuries, and other skin diseases. An imbalance in your skin microbiome can be triggered, for example, by an unhealthy lifestyle or excessive skincare. Those who suffer from acne or eczema most likely have dysbiosis in their skin microbiome.
Factors Influencing the Skin Microbiome
Like our fingerprint, a person’s microbiome is unique, as the living microorganisms differ from person to person based on our DNA, age, gender, and lifestyle. Under unfavorable environmental conditions (e.g., high air pollution and strong UV radiation), the balance between “good” and “bad” bacteria can be severely disrupted.
The skin microbiome is very complex because microbes are not evenly distributed over our body. The composition varies depending on the characteristics of individual skin areas. If the skin is oily, dry, or moist, it is colonized by different bacteria. Skin zones like the armpits, groin, or toes are preferred by warmth- and moisture-loving microbes. In areas like the face, neckline, and upper back, lipophilic microbes settle more frequently. These are a type of bacteria that you can’t even get rid of by disinfection because they are stored in reservoirs and regenerate within 24 to 72 hours!
Rather dry areas like arms and legs contain only a few microbes. Whether oily skin on the face, dry skin on the forearm, or moist armpits—the microbiome adapts to the micro-ecosystem.
Fun fact: Did you know that people who live close together, for example in the same room, often have very similar microbiomes? The reason is that living organisms exchange with each other. For example, an embryo’s skin is free of germs, bacteria, etc., but it already takes up the mother’s first microorganisms at birth.
How Is the Skin Microbiome Connected to Our Bacterial Colonization in the Gut?
It is important: The gut positively influences our skin as long as it is healthy and the natural bacterial balance of the gut flora is maintained. A healthy lifestyle, such as a balanced and low-meat diet, helps with this. Because when our gut is healthy, fewer toxins are metabolized through the skin.
Skin health is connected to the immune system and the gut microbiome. Studies have shown that children with low bacterial diversity in their gut have a higher likelihood of developing atopic dermatitis.
Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases often also suffer from skin problems, which frequently result from the negative composition of the gut flora. Unhealthy diets or the use of antibiotics can negatively alter the number or diversity of gut bacteria. When this happens, it usually results in a weakened immune system!
For example, an unbalanced diet or antibiotic use can trigger a shift in gut bacteria and weaken the immune system, making inflammation more likely. This weakens the skin barrier and destroys the skin flora.
Interestingly, doctors can now precisely identify which specific microorganisms change in the many skin diseases (from rosacea to atopic dermatitis). For example, it can be determined that in atopic dermatitis, there are too many E. coli bacteria (which trigger allergy-causing histamine) and too many Clostridia (which promote inflammation) in the gut. Lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, and germs are fundamental to protecting the gut mucosa. For rosacea, certain lactic acid bacteria like Lactobacillus casei are helpful.
Which Bacteria Are Beneficial for Our Skin?
Studies prove that symptoms like atopic dermatitis, allergies, and psoriasis improved when synbiotics were taken over a long period. Probiotic strains with proven benefits for the skin include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
Therefore, synbiotics like Dailybacs® capsules are also very useful for our skin.
Dailybacs® are synbiotics, meaning they contain probiotics made from specially selected bacterial strains and prebiotics, which are the “food” for gut bacteria. They ensure that gut bacteria grow and function optimally. Dailybacs also include a third aspect: the essential minerals and vitamins the body needs daily. The Dailybacs® capsules are tailored to the individual needs of men and women.
Which Microorganisms Are Not Good for the Skin?
- Fungi of the genus Malassezia: if they get out of control, skin eczema can develop
- Staphylococcus aureus: if it spreads, boils can form—systemic infection can lead to dangerous pneumonia
- Staphylococcus haemolyticus: a hospital germ that can cause urinary tract or joint infections
- Staphylococcus epidermidis: can coat prostheses or catheters with a biofilm
Healthy Gut – Healthy Skin
Ultimately, we see that our skin reflects the health of our gut. When our gut is healthy, our skin glows, ages more slowly, is less dry, and is less prone to pimples and irritations. When our gut flora is out of balance, our skin suffers both aesthetically and health-wise, as skin diseases can occur. The saying goes: beauty comes from within. A varied and nutrient-rich diet can prevent disturbances in the gut flora and triggers a cascade of positive effects on our entire digestion, health, and skin. It is the key to health and beauty!
In addition to a balanced diet, it has also been proven that taking probiotics improves gut health.
In this context, we developed our Dermabacs®—a synbiotic based on the latest microbiome science. The bacterial strains included have been clinically tested for effectiveness against acne, rosacea, and atopic dermatitis (neurodermatitis). Want to learn more? Then click here and discover Dermabacs®!
