Interview with: Dr David Caballero-Lima
Head of Research & Development, Labskin
Written by: Linda Whitney
Understanding your unique skin microbiome can literally save your skin and save money too.
Do you know your skin type? Of course you do – but think again. Research shows that nearly two in three women (63%) do not know their correct skin type. That means many are wasting money on unsuitable skincare products – and may even be inadvertently damaging their skin.
David Caballero-Lima, who carried out this research, is Head of Research & Development at Labskin, a company which makes human skin to provide animal-free testing for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Caballero-Lima says: “After 15 years of research we know that each one of us has a different collection of microbes living on our skin. That’s your skin microbiome and it’s unique to you.”
It varies according to many factors, including your ethnic origins, age, hormone status, the season and your environment. Your skin microbiome at puberty will differ from the one you have as an adult and in later life. It changes across your menstrual cycle and will differ according to whether you take HRT or not.
It all means that there’s a lot more to skin analysis than patting your face with a tissue to see if it’s dry, oily or combination. Therefore, knowing your skin microbiome helps when it comes to choosing a skin care routine.
Research shows that nearly two in three women (63%) do not know their correct skin type.
Bespoke skin analysis
How do you get to know your skin microbiome and what kind of products will suit you?
Caballero-Lima says: “Using our expertise in analysing ingredients and formulations for pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical uses, we can analyse your skin microbiome to determine which kinds of products would suit your skin, based on our testing of their ingredients.”
Labskin has launched a skin health tracking app called Skin Trust Club. A self-administered skin swab, combined with environmental data such as levels of pollution and the average UV index in your location is used to create a report about your skin. This includes personalised skincare recommendations for a morning and evening skincare routine.
Applications for dermatologists
Dermatologists can also use the app as a medical diagnostic tool to enhance diagnosis of skin conditions such as psoriasis. Caballero-Lima says: “At a first visit the patient could take our test, alongside the dermatologist’s observations, and at a second visit the results could be used to monitor the progress of their treatment, with only a few days delay.” The app will be released to dermatologists soon, once it has been validated by the EU as a medical device.
