The Invisible Skin Enhancer

Certain bacteria on and in your body can give you a clearer, healthier complexion. Here’s why.

- Beth Janes

The idea of bugs hanging out on your face is the stuff of nightmares. But that’s what’s happening, at least on a microscopic level – and it’s actually the dream scenario. Your gut has its microbiome – some 100 trillion bacteria lining your gastrointestinal (GI) tract that are involved in everything from brain function to your weight – and now researchers have found that skin houses its own special bacterial blend vital to its health. About a trillion strong, the microbes on skin differ from those in the gut as well as from person to person. “Just as cacti grow naturally in Arizona but not the Midwest, every bacterium has an environment where it thrives,” says Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist and the author of The Beauty of Dirty Skin.

Getting to know your skin’s bacteria

In the past, experts thought of these organisms mostly as foes or benign friends. Now, they’re discovering all the good that bacteria do, such as signal cells to perform key tasks and turn genes on or off. For example, specific strains tell cells to produce the fats and ceramides needed to maintain the skin barrier. That’s crucial for keeping moisture in and irritants out, says dermatologist Dr Jeffrey Dover. And recent research from the University of California, San Diego, found one strain that produces a compound to help suppress cancer cells.