A Sandalwood-Scented Compound Makes Your Skin Produce More Germ-Fighting Peptides | Research

The takeaway

Applying a synthetic sandalwood fragrance to lab-cultured human skin boosted production of the antimicrobial peptide dermcidin, which selectively killed harmful S. aureus while sparing beneficial skin bacteria.

First discovery
First demonstration that epidermal keratinocytes produce dermcidin, previously thought to come only from sweat glands — and that a fragrance compound can boost its production

What the researchers found

Applying Sandalore® (a synthetic sandalwood-scented compound) to organ-cultured human skin activated an olfactory receptor (OR2AT4) in epidermal cells, causing them to produce and secrete more dermcidin — an antimicrobial peptide. This was the first demonstration that epidermal keratinocytes can produce dermcidin (previously thought to come only from sweat glands). LL-37 (cathelicidin) expression was not affected.

The dermcidin-enriched culture medium selectively inhibited Staphylococcus aureus growth while promoting the growth of beneficial skin bacteria (S. epidermidis) and the commensal fungus Malassezia restricta. This suggests Sandalore® could reshape the skin microbiome by boosting the skin's natural antimicrobial defenses.

Why it matters

Skin conditions like atopic dermatitis (eczema) and seborrheic dermatitis are driven by overgrowth of S. aureus and Malassezia on the skin. If a simple topical fragrance compound can selectively boost antimicrobial peptide production and shift the skin microbiome toward a healthier balance, it could become an inexpensive, drug-free adjunct treatment for these common conditions.

The numbers in context

OR2AT4 receptor activated · Dermcidin (DCD) increased · LL-37 unaffected · S. aureus inhibited · S. epidermidis promoted · Malassezia restricta promoted · C. acnes minimally affected

How the study worked

Ex vivo pilot study using organ-cultured human skin. Sandalore® was applied topically to skin samples cultured with antibiotics. Researchers measured OR2AT4 protein expression, dermcidin-positive cells, and dermcidin secretion using immunohistomorphometry and ELISA. Culture medium from treated skin was tested against bacterial (S. aureus, S. epidermidis, C. acnes) and fungal (M. restricta) strains using spectrophotometric assays.

Who was studied

Human skin samples cultured ex vivo (organ culture; donor details not specified in abstract)

What this study cannot tell us

This is an ex vivo pilot study — human skin was cultured in a lab, not treated on living patients. The sample sizes are not specified and are likely very small. The results need confirmation in vivo, where factors like sweat, sebum, UV exposure, and the existing microbiome would all influence outcomes. Sandalore® is a commercial fragrance compound, and its safety profile for therapeutic skin applications needs further evaluation.

How to read the evidence

This is an ex vivo pilot study using organ-cultured skin — early-stage evidence that establishes a novel finding but requires in vivo clinical validation before any therapeutic claims can be made.

When this study was published

Published in 2023. This is relatively recent research in the emerging field of olfactory receptor biology in non-nasal tissues.

The bigger picture

The idea that a fragrance compound can boost your skin's antimicrobial defenses through olfactory receptors is a fascinating intersection of sensory biology and immunology. It suggests that the nose isn't the only organ that 'smells' — skin cells use the same receptor machinery for entirely different purposes. If this approach works in living patients, it could provide a simple, over-the-counter way to manage skin dysbiosis conditions without antibiotics or immunosuppressants.

Questions still open

Will the dermcidin-boosting effect of Sandalore® replicate on living human skin, where competing biological signals are present?
Could chronic exposure to Sandalore® cause skin sensitization or other adverse effects that limit its therapeutic use?
Are there other olfactory receptor ligands that could boost LL-37 or other antimicrobial peptides that dermcidin doesn't affect?

Common questions

Why does skin have smell receptors?

Olfactory receptors in skin don't help you smell — they're repurposed molecular sensors that trigger biological responses when activated. In skin, they regulate processes like pigmentation, wound healing, hair growth, and as this study shows, antimicrobial peptide production.

Could this help with eczema?

Potentially. Eczema flares are often driven by overgrowth of Staphylococcus aureus on the skin. This study shows that Sandalore® boosts a natural antimicrobial peptide that selectively kills S. aureus while sparing beneficial bacteria. If this works on living skin, it could be a simple, non-drug treatment for eczema-associated dysbiosis.

Read the original research

Application of Topical Sandalore® Increases Epidermal Dermcidin Synthesis in Organ-Cultured Human Skin ex vivo.

Skin pharmacology and physiology, 36(3), 117-124

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Edelkamp, Janin; Lousada, Marta B; Pinto, Daniela; Chéret, Jérémy; O'Sullivan, James D B; Biundo, Antonio; Jimenez, Francisco; Funk, Wolfgang; Roessing, Christian; Rippmann, Volker; Paus, Ralf; Bertolini, Marta. (2023). Application of Topical Sandalore® Increases Epidermal Dermcidin Synthesis in Organ-Cultured Human Skin ex vivo.. Skin pharmacology and physiology, 36(3), 117-124. https://doi.org/10.1159/000528402