How to treat the cause of juvenile acne without damaging your skin
19/05/2025How to treat the cause of juvenile acne without damaging your skin
19/05/2025
If you have ever wondered “why have I got acne”?, the answer might not be as obvious (or visible) as you think: your spots might have something to do with your skin microbiota, the ecosystem of microorganisms naturally present in your skin.
Acne is one of the most common skin disorders, particularly among adolescents and young adults. We now know that skin microbiota imbalance plays a key role in triggering the mechanisms that lead to the appearance of spots on the face, back and chest. So if you’re looking for an acne treatment that tackles the cause of the problem, it helps to understand the link between skin microbiota and acne.
What effect do your skin bacteria have on acne? What role does skin microbiota balance play in your skincare routine for oily and/or acne-prone skin? Read on to find out more.
What is acne?
Acne is an inflammatory skin disease that occurs when skin pores become clogged by a build-up of oil (sebum) and dead skin cells, causing spots, blackheads and other skin lesions to appear. In addition, the proliferation of some kinds of bacteria can cause inflammation, leading to more serious acne.
Sebum is good for keeping the skin hydrated and protected, but as the saying goes: all things in moderation!
Skin microbiota and acne: the link that explains what is really happening in your skin
You’re bound to have heard of microbiota, but do you know what it is?
When you hear the word microbiota, the first thing that probably comes to mind is intestinal microbiota (also called “intestinal flora”), and this is hardly surprising: in the health sphere, this is the most widely studied and discussed microbiota. But the intestines are far from being the only place where microbiota lives.
The term refers to the community of microorganisms - such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeasts - that live in different parts of our bodies such as the mouth, lungs, genital organs and skin.
You’re more “microbial” than you realise: between 10 and 100 trillion microorganisms live in your body.
We provide them with somewhere - our body - to live and feed and, in exchange, they help our bodies to perform many of the functions essential for living. So, far from being harmful, microorganisms are essential for our health and wellbeing.
Under normal conditions, microbiota is balanced. This means that each kind of microorganism exists in a specific proportion to others. And it is this microbiota balance that helps to protect us from pathogens, regulates our immune response and keeps our bodies functioning properly.
But sometimes this balance is upset by changes in our bodies or surroundings that alter the environment in which our “microscopic friends” are living. This microbiota imbalance is termed “dysbiosis”.
The skin also has its own ecosystem: understand skin microbiota
Skin is the body’s largest organ and our first line of defence against the outside world. Just like the intestines, the skin has its own ecosystem - the skin microbiota - and this has to remain in balance for the skin to stay healthy, strong and protected.
When this balance is upset and dysbiosis occurs, conditions such as dermatitis and psoriasis can develop - and, of course, el acné.
When the skin microbiota balance is upset: dysbiosis in acne
With acne, several factors combine and affect the skin: more sebum is produced than normal, skin pores become clogged and the immune system is triggered, causing inflammation.
But what if something else is going on too? Science has recently identified a key factor in acne that connects everything together: skin microbiota imbalance (dysbiosis). But it’s not just one more factor; it can actually trigger or amplify all of the other mechanisms that result in acne. This is why tackling dysbiosis is key to treating the cause of acne and alleviating the other problems associated with this condition.
One of the main triggers of dysbiosis in acne is excess sebum in the skin, typical in oily and acne-prone skin and caused by factors such as hormonal changes during adolescence or at other times in our lives.
This provides the ideal breeding ground for Cutibacterium acnes - a bacteria which in normal conditions is beneficial for the skin - to proliferate out of control, since sebum is its favourite food. At the same time, other bacteria in our microbiota are pushed out and balance is lost.
C. acnes then ceases to be beneficial for us and turns into an out-of-control, virulent bacteria that starts developing pathogenic mechanisms which lead to more sebum being produced, inflammation and pores becoming clogged, resulting in the blemishes typical of acne.
Quorum sensing: how bacteria communicate with each other to cause acne
Bacteria such as Cutibacterium acnes do not act on their own; they work together as a group. To do this, they “talk” to each other using a communication system termed o “quorum sensing”, the language spoken by bacteria.
This system enables bacteria to cooperate, agree on specific behaviours and work together as a team. They coordinate the release of inflammatory molecules, weaken the skin barrier and form biofilms, a sort of protective shield that makes them more resistant.
This group behaviour intensifies inflammation and sebum production, damages the skin microbiota and promotes the appearance of spots on the face and back, along with the other symptoms of acne.
Eliminate the cause of acne: restore the skin’s microbiota balance!
We now know that bacteria are not our enemies. Quite the opposite: they are essential for our health and wellbeing. This is why restoring balance to the skin microbiota is key for treating the cause of acne without damaging the skin.
How can you look after oily skin with acne without damaging it?
If you want the most effective cream for treating acne, choose products that not only reduce spots and blemishes, but that also tackle the cause of the problem in a way that is kind to your skin and its ecosystem. Using a skincare routine for acne-prone skin based on this approach will help get rid of your acne without damaging your skin. Now that science has changed the way we understand acne, it’s also time to change how we treat it. We explain everything about skin-friendly ways of getting rid of acne in the article How to treat the cause of juvenile acne without damaging your skin.
Vincobiosis® Acneic, the routine for acne-prone skin that is kind to your skin and its microbiota
If you have acne-prone and/or oily skin and are tired of using harsh products to treat it, Vincobiosis® Acneic is what you’re looking for.
Thanks to its biotechnology ingredient Canonia Allysis®, that works by preventing bacteria from talking to each other (quorum sensing), this skincare routine to reduce blemishes restores balance to skin microbiota and helps get rid of spots, lessen redness and make skin less oily.
Cleansing
Dermo-balancing
cleansing mousse
Facial skin care
Dermo-balancing
facial gel cream
Body skin care
Dermo-balancing body
lotion in spray form
Literature references:
1. Acné - Síntomas y causas - Mayo Clinic. (s. f.). https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/diseases-conditions/acne/symptoms-causes/syc-20368047 / 2. Arenas R. Dermatología: Atlas diagnóstico y tratamiento. 5ª ed. México: McGraw-Hill; 2013. / 3. Chen H, et al. Phenomics. 2022;2(6):363-82. / 4. Claudel J-P, et al. Dermatology. 2019;235:287-294. / 5. Cong TX, et al. Arch Dermatol Res. 2019;311(5):337-49. / 6. Dréno B, et al. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2020;21(Suppl 1):18-24. / 7. del Campo-Moreno R, et al.. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2018;36(4):241-5. / 8. Expósito O, et al. IFSCC Magazine. 2019;1:27-40. / 9. Expósito O, et al. Sofw Journal. 2019;145:46-53. / 10. Fox L, et al. Molecules. 2016;21(8):1063. / 11. Iebba V, et al.. New Microbiol. 2016;39(1):1-12. /12. Lee YB, et al. J Clin Med. 2019;8(7):E987. / 13. Moradi Tuchayi S, et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15029. /14. Rozas M, et al. Microorganisms. 2021;9(3). / 15. Ursell LK, et al. Nutr Rev. 2012 Aug;70 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S38-44.