Understand my skin

How the Skin Microbiome Supports Faster and Healthier Skin Healing

Recent studies show that the skin microbiome - beneficial microorganisms living on our skin, is essential for healing. It helps prevent harmful bacteria, reduces inflammation and supports epidermal repair. When disrupted, the skin’s natural healing process can slow down.

Our skin is a living organ, home to a diverse community of microorganisms - including hundreds of species of bacteria and yeast. Together, these microbes make up the skin microbiome. When the skin is healthy, the microbiome exists in harmony with our skin cells, forming a balanced ecosystem where both rely on each other to maintain skin health.

How the Skin Microbiome Supports Healing in Weakened Skin

The skin microbiome works closely with the microbial, immune, physical and chemical components of the skin barrier to help maintain overall skin balance. Recent scientific discoveries have highlighted its vital role in wound healing. “The importance of the skin microbiome in skin repair has become increasingly clear,” notes Professor Marco Romanelli, Chair of Dermatology at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy.

Marco Romanelli, Professor and Chairman of the Division of Dermatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

When we get a superficial cut or other form of weakened skin, it is normal to clean it to remove dirt and germs. And yet, ‘in clinical practice,’ explains Marco Romanelli, ‘the inappropriate use of antiseptics can alter the microbiome, resulting in delayed healing due to microbiome imbalance. Therefore, to preserve the healing process,’ he goes on, ‘it is important to use antimicrobial agents only when they are essential. For example, at the wound cleansing stage.’ Using them ‘any longer than necessary may even be detrimental to the healing process,’ he concludes. So, the microbiome actively influences healing. How? By participating in each of the four stages of the skin’s repair process.

Marco Romanelli, Professor and Chairman of the Division of Dermatology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

The Role of the Skin Microbiome in the Four Stages of Healing

The skin’s healing process occurs in four overlapping stages: blood clotting, inflammation, tissue regeneration, and final maturation and remodelling. During each phase, the skin microbiome plays a key role by triggering an innate repair response. This response supports faster, more effective healing and helps restore the skin’s barrier function.

This includes:

Fighting infection:

The skin microbiota competes for space and nutrients, using defence mechanisms to resist colonisation by harmful microorganisms. By disrupting the spread and toxicity of pathogens, it helps prevent infections - especially in weakened or damaged skin.

Regulating immune responses and inflammation:

The microbiome interacts with the skin’s immune system to help regulate and suppress excessive inflammation, creating a more stable environment for healing.

Restoring the skin barrier:

As new tissue forms, the microbiome supports the regeneration of the skin barrier. It plays a role in the production of ceramides, essential for hydration, and works with the epidermis to secrete lipids and acids that form a protective, impermeable layer. This naturally acidic environment helps prevent dryness, lowers infection risk, promotes tissue reconstruction, supports wound closure, and helps maintain healthy collagen levels.

A New Approach to Skin Healing: Supporting the Microbiome

With growing knowledge of the skin microbiome’s role in repair, a new approach to healing weakened skin has emerged — one that focuses on protecting and restoring microbiome diversity.

As Professor Marco Romanelli highlights, proper cleansing is vital to reduce the risk of infection. Antimicrobial agents like zinc can be helpful initially on compromised skin. However, repeated use after cleansing may disrupt the skin’s natural healing process.

Following cleansing, applying a targeted healing cream that respects the skin’s microbiome can significantly support recovery. By preserving the skin’s natural ecosystem and microbial diversity, this approach strengthens the skin’s defences and promotes faster, more effective healing. A healthy microbiome is fundamental to maintaining skin balance and resilience.