The Microbiome: At the Heart of Strategic Innovation for Beauty Giants

For the past decade, the science of the skin microbiome has been at the center of the race toward achieving the holy grail of beauty. Mapping this living ecosystem and understanding it more deeply has long depended on scientific and technological advances. That is still true today, but everything is moving faster. Thanks to next-generation genetic sequencing (NGS), it is now possible to precisely analyze the composition of the microbiota without relying on bacterial cultures. While the human genome contains around 30,000 genes, the microbiome encompasses more than 3 million—most of which reside in the gut, according to an article in the Revue médicale suisse.

The gut is not the only site of this beneficial proliferation: the skin, our largest organ, also cultivates an exceptional ecosystem of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. This is where most cosmetic research is now focused.

Overall, groups active in dermocosmetics have recently seen an average growth of 10%.
A pioneer in the field of the skin microbiome, Doctor of Pharmacy Marie Drago founded the brand Gallinée ten years ago—now owned by Japanese group Shiseido. She recounts: “Gallinée was the first to capitalize on bacteria and the microbiome. At the time, nobody really understood what it was. We managed to develop intellectual property from our research, which is quite rare for an independent brand. Being pioneers and invited to all major scientific conferences in the field has allowed us to maintain a significant lead in research. Like L’Oréal or Unilever, I have access to all the new ideas emerging on the microbiome, and my marketing and product development skills allow me to move fast. Gallinée is a small brand, which gives us great flexibility.”

That agility is precisely what appeals to Shiseido, which now benefits from the brand's strong research dynamic. Today Gallinée’s Creative Director, Marie Drago adds: “Shiseido aims to develop its pharma-beauty division, which is thriving, but they are also very interested in the intellectual property aspect. My patents are now part of the group, and Shiseido has begun developing products based on my innovations. For us, having access to an exceptional research ecosystem is invaluable. When I visited Shiseido’s Yokohama lab, I saw 900 researchers working inside an ultra-modern building. It was fascinating.”

Shiseido’s acquisition of Gallinée in 2022 illustrates the industry’s appetite for the field. “The microbiome is a young science, but it is progressing quickly,” says Drago. “Ten years ago, acne bacteria were considered harmful. Today, we know they can produce anti-aging and anti-inflammatory molecules.”

L’Oréal, the world’s number-one beauty company, is also investing heavily in microbiome research. It has even declared the topic strategic: “We are at the dawn of a ‘new-generation’ cosmetics that will use the skin microbiome to deliver new levels of product performance.” For the group, mastering the composition of the skin’s ecosystem could help prevent many known skin disorders, including eczema—and even delay certain signs of aging.

In an industry where differentiation rests on proof, biotechnology is both a growth driver and a credibility builder. “I work with the best labs in the world on bacterial testing,” says Drago, “but we depend on scientific advances. For years we could identify bacteria, but we had no way of measuring their quantity. That has only become possible in the past four years. Science is advancing and gradually answering our needs. But in other areas, nothing exists yet. For example, I would like to measure which lipids the skin produces, but no test exists so far…”

Innovation isn’t limited to topical products. The cosmetics of the future are exploring new formats such as probiotic textiles—clothing that “cares” for the skin. French fashion label Coperni, known for its disruptive technological ideas, recently launched a collection integrating a patented symbiotic mix of probiotics and prebiotics into a bio-sourced matrix. According to its press release, “The C+ collection marks a new era of garments designed to care for your skin.”
This was made possible through its collaboration with Swiss company HeiQ. A spin-off from ETH Zurich founded in 2005, HeiQ is a major global creator of intellectual property known for innovations in materials and textiles. It developed HeiQ Skin Care, a cosmetic bio-technology for textiles that helps restore the skin’s natural balance through active probiotics. For Marie Drago, this is a genuinely promising path: “I don’t think the future of beauty will lie solely in creams. For example, probiotic clothing is extremely interesting. They withstand 40 washes and still contain probiotics. To me, anything that touches the skin has the potential to become a beauty gesture. This opens new categories in cosmetics.”

Another priority area for major brands today is dietary supplements paired with creams. Beauty-through-nutrition isn’t new, but the holistic approach to both gut and skin microbiomes is gaining traction.

Gallinée offers several supplements tailored to different needs: “Your inner health reflects on your skin. We offer a range of supplements with different targets: one to support the oral microbiome, others for mature skin, sensitive skin, stress (addressing the gut-skin-brain axis), or acne-prone skin. Nutrition is a true science—prebiotics and probiotics yield measurable results. Tests are extremely costly, which is why Shiseido’s support is invaluable. Gallinée is centered around inflammation, so working from the inside-out is both logical and effective.”
Could understanding one’s microbiome be the ultimate holy grail for personalized cosmetics? At L’Oréal, it seems to be a serious direction. Luc Aguilar, the group’s Director of Clinical and Biological Research, explains: “Every microbiome is unique, opening the door to individualized skincare routines. Studying it could reinvent cosmetics through greater personalization, giving consumers exactly what they need based on the living ecosystem on their skin.”

When asked the same question, Drago offers a more tempered view: “No, not really. I’m an industrialist, and from that perspective, developing personalization at scale doesn’t seem very realistic. The holy grails lie elsewhere. I would love to develop sunscreens based on microbiome principles, because a healthy microbiome protects against UV. Last year, thanks to Shiseido, we launched innovation challenges to explore how bacteria resist UV—what proteins, what lipids—and how to move beyond the mineral vs. chemical sunscreen debate toward a third option: a biological sunscreen. That is my holy grail, and I’ve dreamed of it for ten years. Now I’m waiting for both science and regulation to advance. In Europe, regulations are extremely strict. Registering a new sunscreen filter takes fifteen years.”