How do I find out what microbes I have on my skin?

Determining your unique skin microbiome can be done by means of sequencing your skin-microbiome DNA.

This entire process takes no more than 5 minutes and consists of you completing a questionnaire, followed by a 1-minute skin swab being taken by your technician or therapist. The swab is then transferred to a vial where the DNA is extracted and stabilised.

An example of how results may be provided can be seen below:

Percentage abundances allow you to see which microbes are present, and how much of the total sample they make up. Learning which microbial groups are present – and which are dominant – in your microbiome can provide some interesting insights. However, it’s important to remember that each person’s microbiome is unique and that differences from average values are normal.

Currently, microbiome sequencing is done in the USA, Europe, or UK.
We are working on a sustainable way to offer microbiome sequencing through Esse, so please watch this space for news on how we will be offering this solution in the near future.