New research has identified the skin microbiome as a potential new link to signs of skin ageing.
To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, the study is the first to isolate microbes associated specifically with signs of skin ageing and skin health, rather than chronological age.
The results come from a collaborative study from researchers at the Center for Microbiome Innovation (CMI) at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) and L’Oréal Research and Innovation.
Corresponding author, Se Jin Song, the CMI Director of Research, said: “Previous studies have shown that the types of microbes on our skin change fairly predictably with age.
“Our skin also changes physiologically with age; for example, we gain wrinkles and our skin gets drier.
“But there is variation in what this looks like in people—you’ve probably noticed that there are some people who have younger or older looking skin than many others their age.
“Using advanced statistical methods, we were able to tease apart the microbes that are associated with these types of ageing signs for skin, like crow’s feet wrinkles, from those that are associated with simply age as a chronological number.”
The researchers comprehensively examined data collected during 13 studies that L’Oréal had carried out in the past, consisting of 16S rRNA amplicon sequence data and corresponding skin clinical data for over 650 female participants, aged 18 – 70.
While each of the studies included in the analysis had focused on one particular area of interest—for example, crow’s feet wrinkles or moisture loss—the multi-study analysis collated the data to search for trends related to specific microbes while accounting for other variables, such as age.
The analysis revealed two notable trends.
Firstly, the team found a positive association between skin microbiome diversity and lateral cantonal lines (crow’s feet wrinkles), which are generally viewed as one of the key signs of skin ageing.
Secondly, they observed a negative correlation between microbiome diversity and transepidermal water loss, which is the amount of moisture that evaporates through the skin.
In further exploring the trends, the research team identified several potential biomarkers that warrant investigation as microorganisms of interest.
It would be premature to infer causation or actionable insights, but the findings have provided researchers with directions on the next steps to hone in on better understanding microbial associations with skin ageing.
Qian Zheng, Head of Advanced Research, North America at L’Oréal, is co-authors of the study.
The researcher said: “This research is ground-breaking in identifying new microbial biomarkers linked to visible signs of ageing like crow’s feet wrinkles.
“It marks a significant step towards developing technologies for healthier, more youthful skin.
“We look forward to sharing new results as they become available, furthering the scientific community’s understanding and contributing to advancing new skincare solutions.”
Future paths of investigation the researchers have suggested include metabolomics work to discover chemical biomarkers related to skin ageing, as well as meta-transcriptomics research into potential targets for genetic engineering.
Research into other layers of the skin is also being considered, as many studies focus on the outer skin due to the ease of sample collection.
Rob Knight, the CMI Faculty Director and Professor of Pediatrics, Bioengineering, Computer Science & Engineering and Data Science at UC San Diego, co-authored the study.
He said: “While the study’s findings represent an advance of our knowledge of the skin microbiome, we view them as just the beginning of a new phase of research.
“By confirming a link between the microbiome and skin health, we’ve laid the groundwork for further studies that discover specific microbiome biomarkers related to skin ageing, and, one day, show how to modify them to generate novel and highly targeted recommendations for skin health.”
