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The skin microbiome is the community of billions of microorganisms that live on our skin. These are bacteria, fungi, and viruses. During intrauterine development, the fetus is sterile. The colonization of the baby’s skin with microorganisms begins from the moment of birth.
The birth of a baby and the formation of his microbiome
The microbiome of the baby will depend on how he was born. If the baby went through natural childbirth, i.e. through the birth canal, then, first of all, the mother’s microorganisms will appear on the skin, if the child was born by caesarean section, then third-party microorganisms join. Of course, it is believed that a more favorable microbiome for the newborn occurs during natural childbirth. It is also extremely important that now, traditionally, the baby is laid out on the mother’s chest immediately after birth, so that the child continues to be populated by the mother’s bacteria, and not by the aggressive bacteria of the delivery room. Mother’s milk is the second useful source of these bacteria; it is not for nothing that WHO recommends breastfeeding to mothers. The popularization of the microbiome is due to the fact that new studies determine the behavior of bacteria on the skin, the effect on them and provide answers to questions about how to protect the protective barrier of human skin from birth, when the microbiome is just emerging.
Microbiome development
Bacteria that populate the skin of a child are invisible inhabitants for the formation protective functions of the skin. During the first months of life, these bacteria will grow, adapt and spread, forming areas with different microflora depending on where they live – on hot, moist areas of the skin or on dry, cool ones. During life, bacteria become so numerous that every adult is a carrier 100 billion bacteria.
Disrupted microbiome
Microorganisms “inhabiting” the skin are divided into non-pathogenic, i.e. safe for us, pathogenic – these are those that lead to the development of infections on the skin and opportunistic – these bacteria are harmful only under certain conditions. A balanced skin microbiome helps maintain the skin’s natural protective barrier, and when the skin barrier is compromised, such as in atopic dermatitis, and allergens and irritants that enter the skin cause discomfort, excessive dryness of the skin, as a result, itching and a desire to scratch the skin can occur.
Maintaining the balance of the skin microbiome
The microbiome is a microscopic universe that is still little understood, but our skin needs it so much. That is why it is so important to create effective care products that help the microbiome protect our skin day after day. La Roche-Posay Laboratories has been studying the human skin microbiome and the active ingredients that help keep it balanced for 8 years.
Aqua Posae Filiformis is a derivative of the bacterium Vitreoscilla Filiformis, which is grown in the selenium-rich La Roche-Posay Thermal Water. This molecule is able to regulate the microbiome by keeping beneficial bacteria on the surface of the skin. In simple words, it contributes to the regulation of the physiological processes of the skin, including barrier and protective functions. This component plays an important role in the care of skin prone to atopy, which is characterized by a change in the microbiome and impaired barrier function.
In the La Roche-Posay line of products, the ingredient Aqua Posae Filiformis (Aqua Pose Filiformis) is contained in the optimal concentration in the products Lipikar AP+ ranges (Lipikar AP+) for cleansing and care of skin prone to atopy. This ingredient helps restore the balance of the microbiome and strengthen the skin’s natural defenses.
Lipikar AP+ — Lipikar AP+