The Eco Well podcast The Skin Microbiome, featuring Kirstin Neumann PhD
Oct 22, 2024
In this engaging discussion, Kirstin Neumann, a microbiologist and co-founder of MyMicrobiome, sheds light on the skin microbiome's role in beauty and health. She unpacks common misconceptions about how cosmetics affect our skin's microbial colonies. Kirstin emphasizes the importance of individualized microbiome approaches and the need for minimalistic skincare. The conversation also navigates the complexities of microbiome-friendly products and the effects of preservatives, ultimately advocating for safe formulations that support skin health.
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Understanding the Human Microbiome
- The human microbiome includes microbial DNA, interactions, metabolites, and dead cells, not just live microbes.
- Humans host multiple distinct microbiomes due to different ecosystems on body parts like skin, gut, scalp, and vaginal areas.
Limits of Microbiome Research Methods
- Gut microbiome research is more advanced than skin, mostly using fecal analysis which doesn't capture the small intestine where immune interactions occur.
- Sequencing shows DNA presence but cannot differentiate live versus dead microbes or their actual functional activity.
Genome Project Sparked Microbiome Research
- Microbiome research gained momentum after human genome mapping revealed missing functional genes.
- The gut microbiome project discovered 150 times more microbial genes than human genes, prompting deeper microbiome studies.