Kool-a-Sun Sunscreen

Are Skin Probiotics Misunderstood?

Kool-a-Sun has always believed in the philosophy of as natural as possible, as chemical free sunscreens as possible, with skin health as paramount concern

It seems that there is a misconception or non-understanding of deliberate skin probiotics added to certain sunscreen products to improve ones skins peak health profile. We at Kool-a-Sun continuously strive to make the best product available and would like to bring to the publics attention that our products have an intentionally added skin probiotic profile and that this should not be viewed as any form of contamination.


To support our belief in this skin science, we kindly ask that our clients read the following recent medical research papers, for better understanding of this practice and its benefits to the human skin


  • Otsuka, A.; Moriguchi, C.; Shigematsu, Y.; Tanabe, K.; Haraguchi, N.; Iwashita, S.; Tokudome, Y.; Kitagaki, H. Fermented Cosmetics and Metabolites of Skin Microbiota A New Approach to Skin Health. Fermentation 2022, 8, 703. https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation8120703

  • Abstract

    The skin covers our entire body and is said to be the "largest organ of the human body". It has many health-maintaining functions, such as protecting the body from ultraviolet rays and dryness and maintaining body temperature through energy metabolism. However, the number of patients suffering from skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis, is increasing due to strong irritation of the skin caused by detergents that are spread by the development of the chemical industry. The skin is inhabited by about 100 to 10 million cells/cm2 and 1000 species of commensal bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms. In particular, metabolites such as fatty acids and glycerol released by indigenous skin bacteria have been reported to have functional properties for the health of the skin. Therefore, skin-domesticating bacteria and the metabolites derived from those bacteria are used in many skincare product ingredients and function as probiotic cosmetics. Japanese traditional fermented stuff, used as foods in Japan for over 1300 years, are now being applied as fermented cosmetics. Fermented cosmetics are expected to have multifaceted health functionality and continue to grow as products in the natural skincare product market. In this review, we consider approaches to skin health using fermented cosmetics and modulation of skin microflora metabolites.


    Full PDF version: Fermented Cosmetics and Metabolites of Skin Microbiota A New Approach to Skin Health
  • Mary-Margaret Kober, Whitney P. Bowe, The effect of probiotics on immune regulation, acne, and photoaging, International Journal of Women's Dermatology, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2015, Pages 85-89, ISSN 2352-6475, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijwd.2015.02.001.

  • Abstract

    Probiotics are live micro-organisms that provide a health benefit to the host. The role of probiotics in the management of disease, as well as immune modification, has recently experienced a renewed interest in society, as probiotics can be found in products ranging from yogurt to facial creams. In this article, we discuss the role of probiotics in the development of the immune system, the treatment of acne and rosacea, and protection against aging and photodamage.


    Full PDF version: The effect of probiotics on immune regulation, acne, and photoaging
  • Habeebuddin M, Karnati RK, Shiroorkar PN, Nagaraja S, Asdaq SMB, Khalid Anwer M, Fattepur S. Topical Probiotics: More Than a Skin Deep. Pharmaceutics. 2022 Mar 3;14(3):557. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14030557. PMID: 35335933; PMCID: PMC8955881.

  • Abstract

    Skin, an exterior interface of the human body is home to commensal microbiota and also acts a physical barrier that protects from invasion of foreign pathogenic microorganisms. In recent years, interest has significantly expanded beyond the gut microbiome to include the skin microbiome and its influence in managing several skin disorders. Probiotics play a major role in maintaining human health and disease prevention. Topical probiotics have demonstrated beneficial effects for the treatment of certain inflammatory skin diseases such as acne, rosacea, psoriasis etc., and also found to have a promising role in wound healing. In this review, we discuss recent insights into applications of topical probiotics and their influence on health and diseases of the skin. Patents, commercially available topical probiotics, and novel probiotic impregnated fabrics have been emphasized. A thorough understanding of the relationship between probiotics and the skin microbiome is important for designing novel therapeutic approaches in using topical probiotics.


    Full PDF version: Topical Probiotics: More Than a Skin Deep
  • Gao T, Wang X, Li Y, Ren F. The Role of Probiotics in Skin Health and Related Gut-Skin Axis: A Review. Nutrients. 2023 Jul 13;15(14):3123. doi: 10.3390/nu15143123. PMID: 37513540; PMCID: PMC10385652.

  • Abstract

    Aging skin, wrinkles, pigmentation, and dryness are problems that plague people, and researchers are working to solve them. Recent studies have shown that intestinal microbiota homeostasis can influence skin health, demonstrating the existence of a gut-skin axis. Recently, improving skin health through probiotic interventions has been proposed, and micro-ecological skin care is becoming a popular concept. By regulating skin health and gut-skin axis interactions, probiotics can be used as potential management tools to suppress and improve skin diseases in multiple ways, including decreasing oxidative stress, suppressing inflammatory responses, and keeping immune effects. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the application and mechanisms of probiotic-mediated gut microbiota homeostasis in skin care and to offer a theoretical basis for the application of probiotics in skin care.


    Full PDF version: The Role of Probiotics in Skin Health and Related Gut-Skin Axis: A Review
    We hope this information allows one to understand the benefits of Skin Probiotics and hope that it leads to undestanding, that intentionally added fermentation extracts, support healthy skin and are not to be confused with a high total microbial count , which is often viewed as contamination.

    For any further info please feel free to contact our technical division
    technical@koolasun.co.za