Abstract

In recent years, probiotics have attained popularity among consumers worldwide as a natural approach to maintain or restore human health. As a billion dollar industry, many products are already available in the market place with even more potential candidates in development. Knowledge gained from the Human Microbiome Project supports the utility of probiotics to achieve a balanced microbial community and potentially reduce or alleviate certain disorders. Most of the research studies and commercial probiotic products have focused on the human gastrointestinal tract; however, in the last few years interests and applications have extended to other physiological systems. Personal care products, which consist of overthe- counter drugs, cosmetics, and other consumer products, are used by almost everyone on a daily basis. Although the understanding and development of probiotics in personal care products is lagging behind the rapid progress that has been made in food products, recent studies have reported their potential uses in this market sector. This paper reviews recent findings related to microbial communities in the skin and oral cavity, where a large number of personal care products are applied, and discusses the opportunities and challenges of probiotics in these products.

Keywords: Probiotics, microbiome in skin, personal care products, microbiome in oral cavity