Role of microorganisms in the cosmetic industry

Microbes are essential in our daily lives; they play a significant role not just in cooking but also in health, fermentation industries, the environment, and the cosmetics industry. In the quest to create groundbreaking cosmetic and personal care products, cosmetic chemists have consistently turned to the fields of biology and microbiology. These disciplines have yielded exciting new ingredients that offer a range of benefits, including antioxidants, functional bioactive, natural fragrances, and vivid colors. Even though they are important, the cosmetics industry employs only a limited number of microbial organisms.

How do microorganisms play different roles in the cosmetic industry?

There are several ways

1. Color and pigments: Some pigments and fragrances used in cosmetics are derived from microbes. They provide natural color to the cosmetics. Natural colors like red, purple, and yellow used in lipsticks, eyeshadows, and blushes are derived from bacteria and yeast. Bacterium Serratia marcescens produces a red pigment called prodigiosin, which is used in lipsticks and blushes. Yeasts like Rhodotorula and Monascus are used to produce natural pigments like red, pink, and orange.

Bacteria like Delftia acidovorans and Pseudomonas putida have been genetically modified to produce a blue pigment called Indigoidine. This pigment can be found, particularly in eyeshadows and mascaras.

Carotenoids pigment is also obtained from bacteria. It is the most widely distributed pigment class in nature, showing yellow, red, and orange colors.

2. Fragrances: Similarly, Microbes are also used in the production of natural fragrances used in cosmetics. Bacteria and yeast have the capability of fermentation, which produces a variety of compounds such as esters, aldehydes, and alcohols. These products are used in soaps, oils, creams, lotions, and perfumes to create specific fragrances. Examples include the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, which produces the fruity fragrance compound ethyl acetate.

In addition to that, genetically modified yeast and bacteria also produce fragrances that can mimic the scent of flowers, fruits, woods, and other natural resources.

The use of microbes in cosmetics for color and fragrance production offers a more sustainable and natural alternative to synthetic additives. However, strict quality control measures are implemented to ensure the safety and purity of these microbial-derived ingredients in cosmetic formulations.

3. Probiotics: Probiotics are live bacteria that provide health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. These are also commonly used in skincare products due to their potential benefits when applied topically to the skin. Probiotics are incorporated into creams, lotions, moisturizers, serums, masks, and cleansers to restore the balance of the skin microbiome, strengthen the skin barrier, and provide anti-inflammatory effects. They are believed to improve skin health and combat various skin issues like acne, eczema, aging, wrinkles, etc.

Probiotics are also introduced into hair care products like shampoo, conditioner, hair masks, hair serums, etc. It is claimed that probiotics can improve scalp health and strengthen hair. It is a well-known fact that curd has beneficial bacteria that, when applied to the hair as a mask, give it shine and strengthen it.

4. Preservation: the preservation of cosmetics for a longer period is crucial. Here, too, microbes play an important role. Many companies use certain bacteria and fungi as natural preservatives in place of synthetic preservatives. These specific types of microbes are referred to as “bio-preservatives”. These beneficial microbes produce antimicrobial substances like organic acids, enzymes, and bacteriocins that inhibit the growth of pathogens or spoilage-causing bacteria, molds, and yeasts and extend the shelf life of cosmetic products. This natural preservation method can reduce or eliminate the need for traditional synthetic preservatives in cosmetics, which can pose a potential health risk.

However, it is important to note that the effectiveness and safety of these bio-preservatives need to be thoroughly tested and evaluated before being used in cosmetic formulations to ensure they meet the required regulatory standards.

Although synthetic preservatives are more common in cosmetics, bio-preservatives face limitations in stability, formulation compatibility, and regulatory approvals.

5. Fermentation: Microbes can produce fatty acids, enzymes, peptides, vitamins, lipopolysaccharides, and pigments via fermentation. These products have enormously beneficial properties for cosmetic applications and are therefore used in the formulation of various products such as skin care, creams, hair conditioners, and anti-aging serums.

Here are a few examples of cosmetic ingredients that can be produced through fermentation:

A. Hyaluronic Acid: Hyaluronic acid is a moisturizing ingredient widely used in skincare products. It can be produced through bacterial fermentation using a specific strain of bacteria, typically Streptococcus zooepidemicus. However, Streptococci are difficult and expensive to grow in culture and can be human pathogens. Therefore, cosmetic scientists transferred the hyaluronic acid synthase gene to Bacillus subtilis, which is safe and provides high-quality hyaluronic acid.

B. Peptides: Peptides are amino acid chains that have numerous benefits for the skin, such as boosting collagen production or reducing inflammation and wrinkles. Certain strains of bacteria or yeast can be used to ferment proteins and produce peptides that can be incorporated into cosmetic formulations.

C. Enzymes: Enzymes have various applications in cosmetics, such as exfoliation, brightening, and anti-aging. They can be obtained through the fermentation of specific microbes that naturally produce these enzymes. Examples include the collagenase enzyme, which has skin regeneration properties and is produced by Clostridium histolyticum.

D. Ceramides: These are waxy, lipid molecules that strengthen the skin barrier. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Wickerhamomyces ciferrii are used to produce ceramides for commercial cosmetic use. They produce skin-biocompatible ceramides with genes that are highly similar to those found in humans and in higher yields than what plants can produce.

E. Emollients and Surfactants: Emollients and surfactants are common ingredients in skincare and hair care products. Emollients form a film on the skin and soften the dry, flaky, patchy, and rough skin to make it look better. Surfactants are amphiphilic detergents that can provide emulsifying, solubilizing, and foaming effects in cosmetic formulations. Bacteria like Pseudomonas aurignosa and a number of yeasts can produce surfactants like Rhamnolipids and sophorolipids.

Fermentation offers several advantages in cosmetic production. It can provide a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional chemical synthesis methods. Fermented ingredients can also have improved bioavailability, stability, and functionality compared to their synthetic counterparts.

However, it is crucial to ensure that the fermentation process is carefully controlled and the resulting ingredients are rigorously tested for quality and safety to meet regulatory standards.

6. Ingredient testing: There is an undeniable role for microbes in the cosmetic industry; however, the use of microbes in cosmetics requires adherence to strict quality and safety measures to prevent contamination and ensure consumer safety. Therefore, microbiological tests are conducted for the evaluation of cosmetic ingredients and final products.

Here are a few common methods used for ingredient testing involving microbes:

A. Microbial Contamination Testing: This involves testing cosmetics for the presence of harmful microbes such as E. coli, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, etc. Various microbiological, immunological, and molecular biological techniques like agar plating, ELISA, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), respectively, can be employed to detect and identify potential contaminants.

B. Microbiome Studies: Naturally, various microorganisms reside on or in the human body, which is collectively called the microbiome of humans. Cosmetic ingredients can impact the skin or scalp microbiome. Microbiome studies involve evaluating the effects of cosmetic ingredients on microbial communities, including changes in diversity and composition. This can be done through techniques like DNA sequencing, microbial culturing, etc.

C. Preservative Efficacy Testing: Cosmetics are exposed to microbial contamination during their use; therefore, to prevent harmful growth, preservatives are added. And to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of these preservatives, various tests are done. In some testing methods, microbes are inoculated into the cosmetic product, and their growth is monitored over a specified period to determine if the preservative system is effective.

D. Safety Testing: Microbial toxicity tests are a vital tool for ensuring the safety of cosmetic ingredients. These tests evaluate the potential harm that ingredients may cause to human cells or tissues. Examples of these tests include determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) or minimum bactericidal or fungicidal concentration (MBC or MFC) of the ingredient against specific microbial strains.

Cosmetic manufacturers must comply with regulatory requirements to ensure the safety and quality of their products before they reach consumers.

7. New advancement: With the growing demand for cosmetic and skin care products, cosmetic scientists are turning to microorganisms to find stabler, more sustainable ways of manufacturing biologically derived molecules. The advancement of DNA sequencing, genetic engineering, and DNA synthesis has given scientists ways to identify other microbial strains and develop GMOs that can produce new compounds with valuable properties. The cosmetics industry is one of the promising industries to explore the potential of biotechnology for the identification and production of active ingredients.

Scientists are also focusing on Genes that can encode enzymes and other proteins with valuable cosmetic activities. In addition to that, ongoing research and advancements in biotechnology will lead to the development of more effective and widely used bio-preservative options in the future.

Thank you for reading!