The world's biological diversity is currently decreasing at an increasingly rapid rate. Both animal and plant life are threatened by our "modern lifestyle". Climate change, pollution, pesticides and overfishing are some of the major causes of this huge loss.

According to the research, however, the main reason is our overconsumption of products and services.

We are now in what is called the sixth mass extinction of species. Three quarters of all species on earth are at risk of disappearing in the next few centuries. The last time Earth saw a mass extinction was about 65 million years ago. Then it was the dinosaurs that died out.

This mass extinction of species will have extremely serious consequences for us humans and all life on our earth. Our health is completely dependent on the biological and microbial diversity that exists on us, in us and around us. Biodiversity provides us with ecosystem services such as pollination of plants, water purification and pest control. Furthermore, this loss of species is a direct threat to our food supply and access to medicines. Today, it is estimated that it is used between 50.000 – 70.000 plant species to produce traditional and modern medicine.

In order to stop the mass extinction, a much larger part of the world's nature must be protected. We must change to an agriculture and forestry that protects biodiversity and stop the overfishing of our oceans. To succeed, we must put an end to overconsumption and change to a more sustainable lifestyle.

The mass extermination of the skin 

At the same rate as the world's species and its biological diversity are becoming extinct, the same thing is happening in our body and on our skin. Like nature, our skin needs a microbial diversity to stay healthy and function properly. Our "modern" way of living and treating the skin is destroying the diversity that keeps it healthy.

Facial cleansers, peels, strong preservatives, hand sanitizers, a large rate of caesarean sections, an overuse of antibiotics, showers and baths in hot and microbially nutrient-poor water, and a lack of microbes from nature are some of the main causes of this enormous microbial loss.

The consequence of this has been that we have never had such a large number of skin conditions (e.g.ex acne, eczema, rosacea) and sensitive skin that we have today.
 
There is an irony in the fact that the products we use to improve our skin health in many cases contribute to the exact opposite. To stop this downward spiral of deteriorating skin health, we must do everything we can to favor microbial diversity. The following actions must take place:

• We must stop using skin care products (e.g.ex facial cleansers and peels) that kill microbes and wash away the skin's sebum (which is necessary for a microbial diversity).
• We must reduce the use of hand sanitizer and hand soap except when absolutely necessary.
• We need to spend more time in nature and thus exchange microbes with its microbial diversity.
• We must reduce the number of caesarean sections when this is not necessary.
• We must reduce the use of antibiotics when this is not absolutely necessary.

 
Furthermore, the skin care industry must completely change its main function - stop killing microbes and instead start favoring the microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi) that contribute to healthy skin.

If we do not act now and begin to benefit nature's biological diversity and the microbial diversity of the skin and body, we are facing a disaster.

 
Sources:

The Nature Conservancy
Attenborough and the Mass Extinction – https://www.svtplay.se/video/29459868/attenborough-och-massutrotningen

The microbiome of uncontacted Amerindians – Clemente et al. Sci. Adv. 2015;1:e1500183

Environmental biodiversity, human microbiota, and allergy are interrelated – Ilkka Hanskia,1, Leena von Hertzenb, Nanna Fyhrquistc, Kaisa Koskinend, Kaisa Torppaa, Tiina Laatikainene, Piia Karisolac, Petri Auvinend, Lars Paulind, Mika J. Mäkeläb, Erkki Vartiainene, Timo U. Kosunen, Harri Alenius, and Tari Haahtela.

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-identified-the-mass-extinction-that-triggered-the-dawn-of-the-dinosaurs

Skin Microbiome