Advancing human biology and changing the way we take care of our skin.
by Dr. Barbara Brockway
Skin Diligent was born from 4 years of research and study into these burgeoning fields of the microbiome and epigenetics.
Most scientific discoveries are like small steps forward (or backward) that allow us to gradually expand our knowledge. Sometimes, a plateau is reached: when the sum of these small steps leads to a tipping point in knowledge and reveals a new truth. This new truth can be an instrument, a method, or a scientific law that changes the course of human history.
Imagine for a moment that in the 17th century, Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek let you look through his microscope at a drop of water taken from a pond. Suddenly and for the first time, you see numerous tiny animated creatures, all invisible to the naked eye. The microscope represented a window into a new world and the key phase in the birth of microbiology and our understanding of diseases. Its use changed lives and, more than 350 years later, it remains a fundamental piece of equipment in many laboratories.
Leeuwenhoek's microscopes allowed us to discover a whole new micro-world. Today, DNA and genomics technology allow us to go even further in the discovery of new truths, to challenge traditional thinking by generating exciting areas of research, such as the microbiome and epigenetics.
The microbiome
Based on the results of culturing microbes on agar plates and in other media, it was once thought that the skin harbored only a dozen different types of microbes. In 1976, Kligman and his colleagues published a paper stating that "the native skin microflora is simple and the same organisms are present in all areas, although in very different numbers." By 2007, scientists knew that the skin microbiome was far from simple. DNA technology had made it possible to amplify, identify, and quantify a very large number of different bacteria, fungi, and viruses from samples taken from the skin. It was quickly recognized that these microbial communities impacted skin health.
Our skin is home to a complex microbiome composed of thousands of different bacteria. We now know that the composition of this microbiome is unique and dynamic. Its microbial population fluctuates according to the external environment and changes in our skin.
Our microbiome is an ecology that acts as an invisible and essential protective shield. It can stifle the harmful effects of environmental toxins while remaining hostile to invasive opportunistic microbes. Like any ecological system, a healthy microbiome is rich in many different species that interact with each other and, in the case of the skin microbiome, with our skin.
Skin problems can arise when the balance of these different bacterial species begins to change and a few species take over. This is called dysbiosis. Major imbalances in the skin microbiome population can trigger inflammation, redness, blemishes, etc. It is now clear that the traditional approach of targeting the "bad" microbes, such as the bacterium C. acnes, is wrong. Far from curing the problem, the elimination of key species disrupts the ecology and can lead to dysbiosis, thus worsening the situation.
The new approach to taking care of our skin consists of working in harmony with our microbiome and rebalancing situations of dysbiosis. This is Skin Diligent's approach: their products nourish and encourage the biodiversity of the microbiome while meeting the needs of the skin. In this sense, it is a pioneering cosmetic brand.
Epigenetics
Nutrition and lifestyle are particularly important when discussing epigenetics. The Greek prefix "epi-" in epigenetics means "on top of" our genetics. In other words, epigenetics refers to the additional molecules added to or associated with our genetic DNA, which control how our genes are put into action. Identical (MZ) twins share the same DNA, but they are not completely identical. Similarly, the nuclei of almost all our cells contain the same unique DNA sequences, but our cells can behave differently.
Skin cells, for example, have a very different appearance and function from those of our liver cells. These differences are due to the epigenetic changes that control how our DNA (genes) is expressed in each cell type. Epigenetic changes begin very early in the embryo and accumulate with age. They can be influenced by environmental pressures, hence the importance of lifestyle and diet. At the molecular level, epigenetic changes can be equivalent to "on-off" switches, or even adjustable "dimmers."
Some epigenetic changes are transient while others are permanent. They can be transferred when cells divide. For example, the epigenetic changes that determine that a cell is a skin cell are passed on to the next generation of skin cells every time it divides. A few epigenetic changes are even transmissible between generations, a molecular memory then being passed on to one's children and grandchildren.
"The most important concept of epigenetics is that you can take control of your genes," explains Professor Trygve Tollefsbol, Senior Research Scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Actives and nutrients
The field of epigenetics leads us to look more closely at how cosmetic actives and nutrients influence gene expression (both the expression of our own genes and that of our microbiome's genes). For example, a cosmetic active and nutrient such as vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is generally considered an antioxidant. But vitamin C is much more than its "chemistry." It is an essential nutrient that cannot be replaced by a similar antioxidant. Thanks to new DNA techniques, we are beginning to understand why: vitamin C upregulates the expression of certain proteins, some of which are responsible for initiating essential immune responses.
Since 2011, when the ''epigenetic diet'' was first talked about, cosmetic actives and nutrients have been screened to identify their effects on gene expression. Examples include isothiocyanates in broccoli, genistein in soy, or quercetin in berries—bioactive molecules that have positive effects on health by modifying gene expression.
Like the microscopic creatures that live in pond water, the microbiome and epigenetics have always been there; only the techniques to discover them were missing. And now that we know their importance for skin health and we can take control of them, we are seeing Skin Diligent change the way we take care of our skin, by supporting it from the inside and the outside.
Dr. Barbara Brockway
Scientific Communications Advisor for Skin Diligent
Associate Member and Trustee of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists.
Our products for this article: SKIN & BIOTICS for hormonal balance and gut health, SKIN & BIOTICS 3 months.