Skin Microbiota and the Skin Barrier

Abstract

The skin constitutes the primary barrier between the human body and the external environment. The skin microbiome plays an important role in the microecosystem on the skin surface and mediates multiple facets of the skin barrier function, including physical, chemical, microbial, and immune barriers. In this review, we discuss the host–microbiota interactions in barrier maintenance and disruption, implications for skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and rosacea, and the latest strategies for targeting the skin microbiota to improve the skin barrier.