A recent study from 2021 described how:
“Sensitive skin is accompanied by a decrease in species diversity and richness…”
It is thought that when the ecosystem is damaged like this, the skin barrier is also weakened.
Another in 2021 found a far higher shannon diversity in non-sensitive groups compared to sensitive.
However, a study in 2020 found no significant difference in diversity between sensitive and non-sensitive groups. It is unknown which diversity index was used to come to this conclusion. Interestingly, it also found a correlation between sensitive skin and a significant decrease in Staphylococcus epidermidis.
More research would need to be done, but increasing the diversity of the skin microbiome could mitigate against sensitive skin.
After all, it has been observed that, on average, everyone in the western world has a depleted microbiome compared to our ancestors.
