Introduction
Sensitive scalp is one of the most frequent complaints related to sensitive skin syndrome, characterized by unpleasant sensory reactions in the absence of visible signs of inflammation. In this study, the effects of topical application of postbiotic Himalaya-derived
Saccharomyces
and
Lactobacillus
ferment complex (SLFC) on the bacterial and fungal scalp microbiome at the taxonomic level and alleviation of sensitive skin syndrome were investigated.
Methods
Firstly, healthy female participants (aged 30–45) were classified into a healthy scalp group and a sensitive scalp group based on the questionnaire. Thereafter, topical application of SLFC on sensitive scalp as well as scalp microbiome was evaluated, with the difference in the distribution of microbial taxa between healthy and sensitive scalp communities was assessed using 16S rRNA and ITS1 sequencing analysis. In addition, the effect of SLFC on scalp microbiome at the species level for
Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis
, and
Malassezia restricta
was evaluated by the qPCR assessment.
Results
After treatment with SLFC for 28 days, the abundance of
Staphylococcus, Lawsonella
, and
Fusarium
in the sensitive scalp group was highly significantly increased (
p
< 0.001), while the abundance of
Cutibacterium
and
Malassezia
was highly significantly decreased (
p
< 0.001). Furthermore, the self-assessment questionnaire indicated a syndrome alleviation effect of 100% after 28 days with a twice-daily application of the SLFC.
Discussion
The obtained results would help to better understand the microbial community of the sensitive scalp and provide useful information on utilization of SLFC for maintaining a healthy scalp and modulating the scalp microbiome.