MyMicrobiome Standard 40.10 – Infant Skin Microbiome

Especially for babies / toddlers it is of very great importance that the textiles used do not harm the child, as the skin microbiome is still developing. Exposure to sunlight, bacteria, fungi, but also mechanical influences such as friction from fabric and contact with chemicals must be withstood by a baby's skin, which until now has been completely free of germs.

A baby's key bacteria are different from those of an adult. We test diapers, swaddling cloths and special baby clothes, among other things.

A baby’s skin is ever-changing, but the presence of five key microbes are essential for an intact microbiome:

Lactobacillus crispatus

Staphylococcus epidermidis

Streptococcus mitis

Corynebacterium tuberculostearicum

Propionibacterium acnes

The certification procedure for Standard 40.10 Infant skin

The textile product goes through four test runs 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

It is essential that the textile product does not disturb the balance between the most commonly-found skin microbe S. epidermidis and the harmful microbe S. aureus. A co-culture with both microbes is mixed with the product for a given period and then the ratio of the two microbes is compared with the untreated control group. This balance must not change in favor of S. aureus under the influence of the textile.

3. Diversity test

First, we cultivate the key microbes commonly found on baby skin. For the 40.10 Standard, these are C. tuberculosearicum, P. acnes, S. epidermidis, S. mitis, and L. crispatus.

A co-culture of all bacteria is mixed with the textile to be tested and the change in diversity is compared with the untreated control group. The diversity of the baby skin microbiome must be preserved in terms of the most important key microbes.

4. Vitality test

A Microbiome-friendly textile for baby skin should neither disrupt microbe diversity nor be detrimental to microbial growth. Using a model, the test simulates skin contact. Each key microbe is placed in direct contact with the product; In a second test, the microbe is covered with an agar layer and the textile product to be tested is applied to it. This simulates the potential penetration of the product into deeper layers of the skin. Finally, the microbial growth of the two batches is compared to an untreated control group: the growth of microbes must not be significantly inhibited.