Red ginseng-based hydrogel promotes healthy skin microbiota

A red ginseng-based formulation containing 1,2-hexanediol improves the skin microbiome and helps maintain skin homeostasis, a new trial has found.

In a preliminary in vitro study, the red ginseng formulation promoted the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermis in culture, as compared to a fructooligosaccharide control. After the addition of 1,2-hexanediol to the formulation, only S. epidermis demonstrated selective growth.

The subsequent trial included 20 women (mean age 43.8 years) who received the red ginseng formulation, which was applied to one side of the face twice a day for 2 weeks. Bacterial samples were collected before and after treatment using a sterilized swab stick wetted with saline buffer.

Because facial use exposed the red ginseng formulation to a wash-away effect due to sebum, sweat, and other environmental factors, the formulation was mixed with a preservative and loaded into a biocompatible polymer mixture.

The resulting hydrogel led to a drop in skin counts of Cutibacterium acnes across all participants. In the subgroup of women with low S. epidermis levels, the red ginseng formulation significantly increased the distribution of the bacterium. Meanwhile, the hydrogel reduced the total skin microbial species by 50 percent.

“We confirmed that RG formulation with 1,2-hexanediol can selectively promote beneficial bacteria, S. epidermidis,” the researchers said. “After treatment with RG formulation together with 1,2-hexanediol, the number of species of skin microbiota significantly decreased and some microorganisms, including Klebsiella aerogenes, statistically increased.”

“Further research needs to be carried out to clarify the effects of these results on the human skin,” they added.