Acne is good for your health

With Mathilde Fontes, editor-in-chief of the scientific journal EpsilonToday we are talking about acne, which is a bad memory for many of us, due to bacteria that colonize the skin.

franceinfo: Have these bacteria been revealed today in a new light?

Mathilde Fontes: Yes, we may be tempted to hate these little bacteria – acne bacteria, that’s their nameThis is actually what causes spots to appear during adolescence, and sometimes later, when it can interfere with our hair follicles. It is a very small object, seen under a microscope, a bit like a ticking clock, a small, slightly curved stick, clustered on our cheeks.

The most abundant bacteria on our skin, which we generally try to get rid of by scrubbing it with soap, or with treatments, isIt has of course already been studied, however A team of French-American researchers He went further, examining the entire life cycle of bacteria. And what they found is that we finally have to take care of our acne.

Is it beneficial for the skin?

Yes. Acne works to our advantage. Researchers have carefully deciphered the mechanisms by which bacteria modify the composition of the skin’s surface, what substances they secrete, and how they feed. Cutibacterium acne produces a whole range of substances necessary for the health of our skin.

Lipids – multiplied by three – such as free fatty acids, cholesterol, triglycerides, and ceramides, form a barrier against external aggressions. Acne bacteria help regulate temperature, controlling water loss and skin acidity.

They form a barrier against pathogenic bacteria, for example Staphylococcus aureus. They play an anti-inflammatory role. They even promote the production of acid that protects the skin from UVB rays. More generally, acne affects the entire bacterial community that lives on our skin. In a way, it is at the top of our microorganisms – whose balance we know is crucial.

But then, what causes the disease, warts?

To poor communication between the host – us – and the bacteria. Cutibacterium acnes evolved with us. We live in symbiosis, but sometimes the relationship gets out of control. This new studyAccording to researchers, it could provide the keys to treating this inflammation better, restoring a good relationship with our acne, but without eliminating it.