Biofilm: The ‘Secret Enemy’ Of Clearer Looking Skin

Bacteria’s stickiest secret explained.

The biofilm problem

You’ve tried it all. Benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and every spot treatment that smells like it could power a small rocket. Maybe they helped for a while. Maybe they didn’t. But somehow, the breakouts always return.

What if the issue isn’t how many products you’re using, or how strong they are, but what you’re actually fighting?

The answer may lie in something you can’t see: a microscopic structure called biofilm, the sticky shield that allows bacteria to hide in plain sight.

First, what is biofilm?

Imagine a city built for bacteria. A crowded, glue-like neighborhood where microbes live together, share information, and defend themselves against outside threats.

Biofilm isn’t new. It was first observed in the 1600s, but only in recent years has it become a topic of interest in skincare, and it matters a lot more than most people realize.

When bacteria settle on a surface like your skin, a toothbrush, or a contact lens case, they begin producing a sticky substance known as extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). EPS is made up of proteins, fats, DNA, and long sugar chains known as polysaccharides that create a kind of gel-like armor. This matrix locks the bacteria in place and shields them from almost everything that tries to remove them.

It’s estimated that around 80 to 90 percent of all bacteria on Earth live inside biofilms. Naturally, that includes the bacteria that live on our skin.

Once inside a biofilm, bacteria act very differently from free-floating, or “planktonic,” bacteria. They:

• Communicate with each other through chemical signals, a process called quorum sensing

• Share resources and genetic material, including resistance genes

• Adapt quickly to changes in their environment

• Become much harder to kill with traditional methods that do not target biofilms specifically

This is why some blemishes seem to resist everything you try and return again and again.

In current acne research, scientists have discovered that the bacteria Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) can form biofilms inside hair follicles.

That means many spot treatments and cleansers never actually reach the bacteria. They hit the surface of the biofilm, but the bacteria remain safe underneath their sticky shield.

"The method by which a seemingly harmless commensal [bacteria that normally lives on the skin without causing harm] triggers such a strong immune response has confused scientists for decades until its biofilm-forming abilities had been discovered. It had been long known P. acnes have the potential to cause biofilms on indwelling medical appliances and catheters, as well as in vitro [lab environments]. However, it was not until relatively recently that biofilms were observed within the follicle in vivo [in living skin]."

From Linfante, A., Allawah, R. M., & Allen, H. B. (2018). The role of Propionibacterium acnes biofilm in acne vulgaris. Journal of Clinical and Investigative Dermatology, 6(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.13188/2373-1044.1000029 

Biofilm tends to form inside hair follicles and pores where bacteria take up residence. Once protected inside their biofilms, they become up to 5,000 times more resistant to attacks. That’s why spot treatments and cleansers can sometimes feel like they’re doing nothing… because they aren't truly working if they’re not designed to break through that sticky matrix.

Inside the biofilm: Biofilm is more than bacteria, it’s a sticky, protective shield where they hide, communicate, and swap resistance. No wonder your cleanser can’t reach them!

So… is that why my acne keeps coming back?

Very possibly, yes.

Most traditional cleansers with ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and other harsh chemicals are designed to kill bacteria floating around, otherwise known as planktonic bacteria which isn’t encapsulated in a biofilm matrix.

Unless you're targeting the biofilm structure before targeting the bacteria inside, it's like throwing water at a brick wall expecting it to get inside the house.

That’s why many people experience that frustrating pattern: clear → breakout → clear → breakout again and again and again. You're managing it, but not clearing the foundation that allows it to thrive in the first place.

How Panaclear approaches skincare differently

Most skincare isn’t designed to break down biofilm. Panaclear is.

At the center of our formula is an ingredient called glycerol monolaurate, also known as monolaurin, a natural fatty acid found in coconuts and human breast milk. Monolaurin has well-documented natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

We combine monolaurin with citric acid and a blend of emulsifiers to trigger a cleansing process called hyperprotonation. This process was developed to physically disrupt and cleanse away biofilms from the skin.

Hyperprotonation creates a more acidic, proton-rich environment that makes biofilm membranes less stable. Once that structure breaks apart, the bacteria inside lose their protection and can finally be cleared away.

In laboratory testing, this process showed remarkable results.

"[Hyperprotonation] killed 100% of bacteria... this with the log10 result assures the product will attract significant attention in health and allied industries"

Professor Steve Wesselingh, Inaugural Executive Director, SAHMRI

With Panaclear, you’ve got a cleanser that not only cleanses away dirt and oil buildup, but clears the terrain bacteria depend on to thrive.

Read more about the science behind Panaclear and hyperprotonation here.

It’s not just what’s on your skin. It’s what’s stuck to it.

If you’ve been stuck in the “try everything” cycle, you’re not alone. But the missing piece might not be too much dirt, oil or bacteria, it might be the biofilm that's been quietly protecting your breakouts all along.

Panaclear doesn’t just go surface-deep. We target the structure. We dismantle the system. And it’s changing the way we think about skincare for good.