Skin-gut axis: Research on microbiome-friendly care and infant gut-microbiota impact

30 Jan 2024 --- Growing consumer demand for personalized supplements has brands recognizing the significance of the skin-gut axis in supplement efficacy.

Personal Care Insights speaks to a researcher at the University of São Paulo, Brazil and looks at a recent study from Radboud University, the Netherlands, and the University of Turku, Finland.

Meanwhile, data from Innova Market Insights suggests supplements for skin and digestive health are booming, with a 20% growth globally from October 2018 to September 2023. Most of these launches (39%) were in North America (USA and Canada). 

Dr. Sabri Saeed Sanabani, researcher at the Institute of Tropical Medicine of the University of São Paulo, tells us, “recent research on the skin-gut axis has significantly influenced the development of skin care and cosmetic products.” 

“Studies have shown that orally ingested probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus and Bifidobacterium bifidum can be effective in the treatment of acne, comparable to conventional treatments such as minocycline.”

Image 1 (Image credit: Sanabani).“In addition, probiotics have been associated with influencing photoaging of the skin by affecting gut-skin microbial interactions and reducing oxidative stress. This has led to a new market for ‘microbiome-friendly’ cosmetic products designed to preserve the microbiome’s diversity and maintain the skin’s balance,” he continues.

Emerging probiotics and postbiotics
Sanabani believes targeting the skin-gut axis to promote overall skin health includes probiotics and postbiotics. 

“Probiotics such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus SP1 have been shown to normalize skin gene expression related to insulin signaling and improve skin appearance,” he says. “Postbiotics have been shown to restore and improve the integrity of the skin barrier and protect against UV damage, potentially delaying skin aging.”

“Interesting facts about the skin-gut axis include the similarities between the gut and skin, such as their coverage by epithelial cells and the harboring of symbiotic microorganisms. Disruption of the gut microbiome may be associated with inflammatory skin diseases, and oral probiotics may exert protective effects on skin cells via immune and inflammatory responses. The details of the skin-gut axis are shown in Image 1.”

Sanabani refers to research on the interactions between epithelial cells and leukocytes in immunity and tissue homeostasis and targeting the gut-skin axis probiotics as new tools for skin disorder management.

“The demand for skin care solutions based on gut care is increasing as consumers and manufacturers become more aware of the impact of products on the skin’s microbiota. Personalized skin care based on individual microbiome profiles is an actively growing area, reflecting a trend toward treatments that consider the gut-skin axis for overall skin health,” he states.Sanabani says that targeting the skin-gut axis to promote overall skin health includes probiotics and postbiotics.

Skin disease and microbes
Sanabani’s team recently released a paper unveiling how the gut-skin connection is a key factor in atopic dermatitis. The research finds a prevalence of the skin disease, witnessing a “significant” surge in the twenty-first century, with factors like genetics, autoimmunity, impaired skin barrier integrity, viral infections, gut microbiome composition, dietary habits and lifestyle changes contributing to this rise.

Atopic dermatitis patients were found to have an increased abundance of specific bacteria like Clostridium difficile, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with reduced levels of beneficial bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids, such as Bifidobacteria and Bacteroides. Lower short-chain fatty acid levels often correlate with intestinal inflammation.

Personal Care Insights recently reached out to Beiersdorf and Harvard University after Harvard Medical School identified Staphylococcus aureus as the culprit behind skin itch for the first time. 

Microbiome development from infancy
Separate research reveals the microbiota living in the human gastrointestinal tract impacts its development. 

Daily skin-to-skin contact between mothers and infants may influence the infant’s gut microbiota development.This bacterial community is essential for digestion and immune function and even influences brain activity via the gut-brain axis, shares the research. During infancy, the gut microbiota is sensitive to environmental factors and plays an important role in immune system development.

In a randomized controlled trial, researchers investigated the effects of daily skin-to-skin contact between mothers and their full-term infants on the development of the infant gut microbiome. 

The trial involved pregnant Dutch women randomly assigned to the skin-to-skin contact or care-as-usual groups. Infants in the skin-to-skin contact group engaged in one hour of daily skin-to-skin contact from birth to five weeks, while those in the care-as-usual group received standard care.

Postpartum skin-to-skin contact
The study observed differences in the microbiota composition and bacterial abundances and predicted functional pathways between the skin-to-skin contact and care-as-usual groups. 

Infants in the skin-to-skin contact group had less microbiota volatility during early infancy, indicating a more stable gut microbiota. Furthermore, according to researchers, microbiota maturation was slower in the skin-to-skin contact group during the first year, which could be attributed to breastfeeding duration. 

The study also discovered differences in the abundance of specific bacterial genera between the groups, indicating that skin-to-skin contact may influence the bacteria found in the gut.

The findings suggest postpartum skin-to-skin contact may shape the infant’s gut microbiota, potentially impacting long-term health outcomes. 

By Venya Patel