A vast number of microbes live on our skin, in our gut, and almost everywhere else you can imagine on and in our bodies. Collectively, these microbes are called the human microbiome and play a crucial role in our health and well-being. Different locations on our bodies contain a specific set of microbes, which are individual microbiomes, i.e., the gut microbiome, skin microbiome, and oral microbiome. The skin microbiome is a relatively less researched microbiome on our bodies but is incredibly important for the health of this protective outer barrier.

On the podcast, I talked to Dr. Julie O’Sullivan, a skin microbiome researcher at APC microbiome at the University of College Cork in Ireland, about how these microbes keep us healthy and how when they get out of balance can cause issues like eczema and acne. She also gives us some practical tips for maintaining a healthy skin microbiome and shares her thoughts on skin microbiome tests.

Topics covered in this episode:

• What is the skin microbiome?
• How does the skin microbiome keep us healthy?
• How are microbes involved in eczema and acne?
• Gut-skin axis
• Microbiome-friendly skincare
• Practical tips for maintaining a healthy skin microbiome
• Skin microbiome tests
• At-home microbiology activity: Hand washing and skin microbes

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