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The scalp microbiome plays an important role in regulating hair growth, dandruff and sebum secretion, as well as preventing scalp conditions. Research has shown that amongst the multiple different approaches investigated to improve and maintain scalp health, postbiotic products may provide an innovative and unexplored answer.
What We Know:
Malassezia, Cutibacterium and Staphylococcus are common on healthy and diseased scalps, with species like M. restricta, M. globosa, C. acnes and S. epidermidis. Malassezia causes dandruff and hair loss while Cutibacterium and Staphylococcus are linked to scalp inflammation. C. acnes and S. epidermidis inhibit each other (Tsai et al., 2023).
Postbiotics are non-viable probiotics consisting of its cell components and metabolites with great immunomodulation ability (Almeida, Antiga & Lulli, 2023).
Industry Impact and Potential:
Research investigating the effect of heat-killed probiotics consisting of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei GMNL-653 on scalp health was performed using a 5-month clinical trial wherein participants used a shampoo containing heat-killed GMNL-653 (HKG). The results included reduced dandruff and oil secretion, as well as increased hair growth (Tsai et al., 2023).
Further results demonstrated that the HKG co-aggregated with scalp fungus Malassezia furfur in vitro and its lipoteichoic acid inhibited M. furfur biofilm formation on skin cells. Furthermore, HKG treatment up-regulated growth factor mRNA linked to hair follicle development in human cell lines (Tsai et al., 2023).
HKG’s impact on the scalp microbiome included an increase in Malassezia globosa abundance and a decrease in M. restricta and C. acnes levels. Additionally, M. globosa showed a positive correlation with Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and a negative correlation with C. acnes. Levels of C. acnes and S. epidermidis were positively associated with sebum secretion and dandruff, respectively (Tsai et al., 2023).
Additional research on Sensitive Scalp Syndrome (SSS) investigated the effects of a postbiotic in the form of a topical Saccharomyces and Lactobacillus ferment complex (SLFC) on the scalp microbiome. Researchers established that the product was effective in alleviating SSS symptoms after 28 days of twice-daily application (Wang et al., 2023)
SLFC caused an increase in Staphylococcus, Lawsonella and Fusarium and a decrease of Cutibacterium and Malassezia (Wang et al., 2023).
Our Solution:
With a database of 20,000 microbiome samples and 4,000 ingredients, plus a global network of 10,000 testing participants, Sequential provides customised solutions for microbiome studies and product formulation. Our commitment to developing microbiome-safe products ensures the preservation of biome integrity, making us an ideal partner for your scalp and hair care product development needs, including the exploration of postbiotic scalp care solutions.
References:
Almeida, C.V.D., Antiga, E. & Lulli, M. (2023) Oral and Topical Probiotics and Postbiotics in Skincare and Dermatological Therapy: A Concise Review. Microorganisms. 11 (6). doi:10.3390/microorganisms11061420.
Tsai, W.-H., Fang, Y.-T., Huang, T.-Y., Chiang, Y.-J., Lin, C.-G. & Chang, W.-W. (2023) Heat-killed Lacticaseibacillus paracasei GMNL-653 ameliorates human scalp health by regulating scalp microbiome. BMC microbiology. 23 (1), 121. doi:10.1186/s12866-023-02870-5.
Wang, Y., Li, J., Wu, J., Gu, S., Hu, H., Cai, R., Wang, M. & Zou, Y. (2023) Effects of a Postbiotic Saccharomyces and Lactobacillus Ferment Complex on the Scalp Microbiome of Chinese Women with Sensitive Scalp Syndrome. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology. 16, 2623–2635. doi:10.2147/CCID.S415787.
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