MyMicrobiome Standard 38.10 / 38.11 - face and body

A weakened skin barrier or the disturbed balance between different skin microbes can lead to skin diseases or even systemic diseases throughout the body.
With the 38.10 / 38.11 standard, we test textiles that have an influence on the skin microbiome in the face and body of an adult. These areas are very individual and are divided into dry, moist and oily skin areas. The textile products to be tested are found in our everyday clothing such as jeans, sweaters, gloves and underwear. But also toilet paper and other textiles in hygiene products can be tested and certified.

The skin is divided into dry, moist and sebaceous zones.

Dry skin areas

Dry skin areas such as arms or legs are dominated by

C. tuberculostearicum
P. acnes
S. mitis
S. oralis
M. luteus
M. globosa

Moist skin areas

Moist skin areas such as the navel, armpits or soles of the feet are mainly populated by

C. tuberculostearicum
C. simulans
S. epidermidis
S. capitis
S. hominis
P. acnes
M. globosa

Sebaceous areas

On sebaceous areas such as the forehead, nose or back a healthy, balanced skin microbiome is predominantly populated by

P. acnes
S. epidermidis
S. capitis
S. hominis
S. mitis
C. simulans
M. globosa

For this reason, different key germs are cultivated and exposed to the textile for the MyMicrobiome Standards 38.10 and 38.11, depending on the area of application of the textile product to be tested.

The certification procedure

The textile product undergoes four test phases as part of the "Microbiome-friendly" certification.

1. Washing and sterilization

All textiles are washed in our laboratory according to a standardized procedure and then steam sterilized (autoclaved).
Hygienic products will be sterilized by means of UV light.

2. Balance test

The balance between the most common skin microbe S. epidermidis and the harmful bacterium S. aureus should not be disturbed by the textile product. A co-culture with both bacterial strains is mixed with the textile for a certain time and then the ratio of the two microbes is compared with the untreated control group. This must not change in favor of S. aureus under the influence of the textile product.

3. Diversity test

The microbes typical for the face and body are cultured for dry, moist or oily skin. A co-culture of all germs is mixed with the textile product to be tested and the change in diversity is compared with the untreated control group. The diversity of the skin microbiome must be preserved with regard to the most important key microbes.

4. Vitality test

A Microbiome-friendly textile for the face or body should not only preserve diversity, but also not influence the growth of microbes. In a test-model skin contact is simulated. Here, each key bacterium is directly exposed to the textile. In another approach, the bacteria are covered with an agar layer and the textile product to be tested is placed on this layer. This simulates the potential penetration of the product into deeper layers of the skin. The microbial growth of the two batches is compared to the untreated control group. The growth must not be significantly influenced.

"The skin microbiome plays an important role in human health, so it is essential that textiles, which are used by people on a daily basis, are also examined for the human skin microbiome. It is surprising that so little attention has been paid to textiles in relation to the microbiome, even though they have a direct influence on it."

Sarah de Visser, Textile Specialist

All textile standards at a glance

A selection of our customers / awards

Numerous brands from the cosmetics industry with more than 350 tested products trust our seal: