Most of us grew up thinking clean skin meant scrubbed, stripped, sanitized. New research tells a different story.
We've been following the ISAPP Science, Microbes & Health podcast's ongoing series on the skin microbiome, and a few episodes in particular have featured interesting discussions around things we've been working on.
Your Skin is an Ecosystem
Dr. Aayushi Uberoi at Washington University in St. Louis describes the skin microbiome as its own distinct environment that has adapted to thrive in exposed, nutrient-sparse conditions. It's fundamentally different from the gut microbiome, which has gained the most attention. For a long time, scientists weren't even sure the skin microbiome was doing much. Now it's clear it isn't a passive observer. It's an active part of how your skin works.
What that means practically: diversity matters. More microbial species across the skin surface is generally better. And that community varies so the microbiome on your forearm looks different from the one behind your ear, or on your scalp, or below the belt.
That community also shifts across your lifespan. Prof. Hariom Yadav at the University of South Florida describes a stable core microbiome on the skin surface plus a transient layer that responds to recent exposures. As we age, many skin conditions (from slower wound healing to increased fragility) correlate with changes in that microbial community. His lab's research into skin microbiome interventions for anti-aging and wound healing is finding that microbial signals actively promote skin cell growth and tissue repair. What you put on your skin either supports that or works against it.
Prebiotics vs. Probiotics
An episode with Dr. María Teresa García-Romero from the National Institute of Pediatrics in Mexico City focused on atopic dermatitis research, and it brought up something we think about a lot. The difference between probiotics and prebiotics, and why it matters when you're reading a label.
Probiotics are live organisms. They cannot survive in a preserved product sitting on a shelf. When a cosmetic brand tells you their formula contains probiotics, they are not being straight with you.
Prebiotics are different. They don't introduce new microbes, instead they feed and support the beneficial ones already living there. That's the principle behind every Wild & Pure formula. Rather than overriding what your skin is doing, we designed products to support it.
Our Research into Prebiotics
Our parent company, Glyciome, is also currently conducting NIH-funded Phase II research into a prebiotic gel for vaginal microbiome health. The thinking mirrors what these researchers are describing. The vaginal microbiome is its own distinct ecosystem and sensitive to disruption. The goal isn't to introduce something new. It's to support what's already there, and help each woman's microbiome find its own natural balance.
We'll keep sharing what we're learning as this research continues to develop.
🎧 The ISAPP podcast is expanding on this series and they're all worth a listen if you want to go deeper.