Han Sang-hoon, head of R&D at Amorepacific, says the biggest take from the study is the link between skin microorganisms. (Image: Amorepacific)
SEOUL, Mar. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — People living in cities are more likely to develop skin problems such as rashes, spots and eczema due to an increased number of skin microorganisms, a new study has revealed.
The joint study conducted by Amorepacific and the College of Biotechnology and Natural Resources at Chung-Ang University has found a link between levels of urbanization and the prevalence of skin problems, the research team said on Thursday.
Researchers discovered that individuals living in urban areas were more likely to suffer from skin problems after studying 231 women living in five Chinese cities with a population of over 1 million, including Beijing and Guangzhou.
Skin microorganism colonies found in developed cities were much more densely populated than those found in less populated Chinese cities like Kunming, according to the researchers.
The findings back the hypothesis that population, population density, and air quality, which collectively serve as a barometer for urbanization, affect the ecosystem for skin microorganisms, which have been linked with the likelihood of contracting skin problems.
“Through the study, we now know that residents in cities have more skin problems than those in less developed areas as a result of the skin microorganism ecosystem,” a researcher at Amorepacific said.
Han Sang-hoon, head of R&D at Amorepacific, says the biggest take from the study is the link between skin microorganisms.
“The findings provide grounds for research into solutions for skin problems facing modern city dwellers,” Han said.
The study was published in the online edition of international academic journal Science Advances.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
