Maintaining the Skin Microbiome of Pets: Truth and Hype
Skin microbiome manipulation is the new approach in dermatology and cosmetics. Thanks to next generation sequencing, advances researchers can identify more and more links between distortion of the skin microbiome and skin problems. How does this affect the pet groomer? Let’s take a look.
What is the skin microbiome? The microbiome of the skin is a balanced ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, viruses and phage that form a protective layer on the outside of the skin. It is a different collection of microbiota than what operates in the gut, and it varies somewhat between individuals and different sites on the body. The microbiome of any individual strives to maintain balance as it is impacted by internal and external forces and impulses from the immune system. When the microbiome becomes unbalanced, the condition is known as dysbiosis. If the microbiome remains imbalanced, it could ultimately lead to inflammatory skin conditions such as infections, allergies or autoimmune diseases [1] The first studies of cutaneous microbiome in veterinary medicine have been published, and dysbiosis has been recognized in association with canine atopic dermatitis. [2]
The growing body of knowledge about the importance of maintaining a balanced microbiome of the skin has led to the invention of various topical products claiming to maintain a healthy ecosystem of the skin’s microbiota. Naturally, some of these efforts have found their way to the pet grooming marketplace. They can be found in the form of shampoos, conditioners, sprays and lotions. Products designed for the microbiome fall into three categories, probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics.
PROBIOTICS: These are products that contain the living biota. We can think of them as transplants. The term is also (mis)used in marketing to refer generally to products designed to promote healthy microbiome.
The almost insurmountable barrier to creating probiotic skin care for mass production is finding a good way to preserve it, since the function of preservatives is to eliminate bacteria and yeast from the product. The very thing that makes a product safe is going to kill off the live probiotic. Finding a preservative system that would keep the topical pure, while also allowing for the probiotic to live/function is indeed challenging. There is no substantive science to support that freeze-dried, powdered probiotics maintain viability in a water-based (shampoo) solution. Human product manufacturers that are making claims for the use of "probiotic technology" are coming under legal scrutiny. For these reasons, the industry is turning to prebiotics, which have a more sustainable shelf life, and can better live up to the marketing claims.
PREBIOTICS: prebiotics can be characterized in simple and general terms as a “fertilizer” for probiotics in that they enhance and promote the growth of desirable bacterial strains of probiotics. Prebiotics are usually derived from plant fiber carbohydrates or sugars, and include beta-glucan (which is also the primary constituent of oatmeal), inulin (often from chicory root), and saccharides.[1][8]
Prebiotics present much less problems in formulation of products, since they are not live organisms. It has been pointed out, however, that probiotics may nurture bad microbes along with the good, so they are most beneficial when the microbiome is healthy and in balance.[1]
POSTBIOTICS: These are the byproducts of probiotics and are most commonly produced by fermentation. Well established and commonly used in dermatology and skin care, they include ingredients such as lactic acid and glycerol. Postbiotics are even often considered the beneficial waste products of bacteria. IOW, postbiotics are “bacteria poop”. I find it interesting that pre-and postbiotics include ingredients that have been in use for years as moisturizing agents before they were identified as biotics. As science evolves to a better understanding of microbiome, so does our understanding of the functions of some tried and true ingredients.
Bottom Line: Probiotic skincare is still in its infancy and there is much more marketing hype out there than legitimate evidence, so make sure you temper your expectations when trying out new products. Prebiotics are far less tricky to formulate and provide more reliable results. Prebiotic products are more likely to live up to the marketing claims. Of the three types of biotics, prebiotics present the most promising future for development of products. Dr. Whitney Bowe, a professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center and a recognized expert on microbiome, states: “I actually think the strongest skin-care products emerging on the market will be the ones with prebiotics. Some prebiotics encourage specific health strains of bacteria, and others increase the diversity of the bacteria on your skin, which is really important.“ [1]
Implications for Pet Professionals: The growing understanding of the importance of maintaining a healthy balanced skin microbiome that pet groomers need to evolve in our usage of shampoos, conditioners and sprays that simply kill off microbes. Indiscriminate use of anti-bacterial products needs to be re-considered. Is it a good idea to bathe every dog in a Chlorhexidine shampoo? For several years we have seen agents, such asTriclosan, removed from deodorizing products because their effectiveness can not be proven to be better than plain soap/detergent, and these anti-bacterials are contributing to the development of "adaptive bacteria." Anti-bacterial shampoos kill all bacteria, they do not selectively assassinate the bad bacteria and fungi and leave the good microbes. They should be used only in the presence of an active infection. As a preventative, it makes more sense to nurture the biome with prebiotics.
Suggested Products:
iGroom Prebiotic Shampoo and Conditioner, made with inulin, from various vegetables.
ShowSeason Honey Shampoo & Conditioner, with Manuka honey.
Best Shot Lemon-Aid Shampoo, with oatmeal. Yes! Oatmeal is a prebiotic. Who knew!
REFERENCES:
1. Pre, Pro, and Post Biotics 101: What They Are and Why You Need to Know https://dorisdaymd.com/blogs/dr-days-blog/pre-pro-and-post-biotics-101-what-they-are-and-why-you-need-to-know
2. C. Noli, The microbiome of dogs and cats – what do we know in 2017?, Revue Vétérinaire Clinique,Volume 52, Issues 3–4, 2017,Pages 93-98,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221456721730039X
3. Weese, J.S. (2013), The canine and feline skin microbiome in health and disease. Veterinary Dermatology, 24: 137-e31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3164.2012.01076.x
4. Torres S. Clayton JB, Danzeisen JL, Ward T, Huang H, Knights D, Johnson TJ. 2017,
Diverse bacterial communities exist on canine skin and are impacted by cohabitation and time. PeerJ 5:e3075 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3075
5. Glainée: Pre, Pro & Postbiotics Definition.
www.gallinee.com/our-story/pro-pre-postbiotics
6. What Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Postbiotics Could Potentially Do For Your Skin, Jessica Chia, allure.com March 24, 2018
7. Humans and Mammals Have Very Different Skin Biomes. Leitch, Carmen. June 17, 2018,
https://www.labroots.com/trending/microbiology/11794/humans-mammals-skin-microbiomes
8. US Patent no. US10610541B2 - Prebiotics in microbead form, Giorgio Dell’Acqua, 2018
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